At this years espnW: Women + Sports Summit my colleague (and certified badass) Julie Foudy?exposed me to a?phrase: Own?your?awesome. Despite being a World Cup and Olympic champion, Foudy admitted it took her until quite recently to master that trick. And while Id like to?say my confidence hasnt wavered since the day I arrived, two weeks early and ready to take on?the world, like Foudy, it took me quite a while to own my?awesome.Growing up, I?was always?confident in my best qualities.?I knew I was?smart, athletic, funny and?tough, but?girls?werent?always valued for those things.?Boys?were encouraged to try to be?the best at whatever they did, academically or physically. I could do that, easy.?In fact, I?was?doing that,?in the classroom and on the field. I was boisterous and?uninhibited, winning pizza-eating contests, telling dirty jokes and out-racing, out-playing and?out-dueling?everyone. And though that sort of unchecked vigor seemed at odds with the idea?some folks had of sweet little girls, I was too young to care.As I got older, doing the things Id always done kept me on?top in terms of schoolwork and?sports, but it felt like in order to be successful socially, I needed to?dim my light. I saw?examples of powerful, driven?men?everywhere,?and the doting, charming women by their side.?The?same?formula that had landed me on a Division I?track team at an Ivy League school felt like it wasnt going to?land me that cute guy in my English class,?and as much as Id love to say that didnt matter to me, it did.And it didnt stop there. All?around me, it felt like?men?had a direct?line?to success, forged by their ambition. Success for a woman was much more complicated, a delicate dance?that prized style over substance, and I began losing?confidence in the very things that had made me so proud. I found myself stifling my humor and intellect on dates.?Instead of owning my awesome,?I tried to downplay it. On job interviews and assignments, I started to worry more about what I looked like than what I had to offer.The good news is, that phase didnt last long. It just didnt feel right. I?started letting my wit fly no matter who I was with. I wouldnt hesitate to join a good debate or school?anyone?in?pick-up hoops. Not surprisingly, I eventually found the perfect partner. And my?career?followed suit. I found good bosses and mentors who valued and validated my voice, making it easier to worry less about how I looked using it.?With each opportunity Ive tried hard to make my?work?about those same qualities that?made me feel powerful as a little girl.My wish for todays young?women is for them to feel more empowered than I did?during those awkward years. I hope they find those support systems earlier than I did.?I hope they?feel like they can show their toughness, show their strength, beat the boys and stay true to?themselves. And I hope theyre celebrated for it.Life is a lot more?fun when you learn how to own your awesome. Shaq Thompson Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Trai Turner Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. http://www.cheappanthersjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-michael-palardy-jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Colin Jones Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Jordan Scarlett Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Veteran playmaker Matt Giteau will be back with the Wallabies by Monday, but coach Michael Cheika has revealed agents are putting players in difficult situations by giving foreign clubs incorrect information.Giteau plays for Toulon and the French clubs owner Mourad Boudjellal reportedly threatened to dock his pay if the inside back linked up with the Wallabies in the lead-up to their Rugby Championship opener against New Zealand next month.It didnt take anything (to get Matt back), it wasnt anything to do with Matt, Cheika said.The situation is pretty clear from his teams end, if hes not there they dont pay him, thats pretty straight up.Giteau was one of four overseas-based backs named in a 36-man train-on squad.The others were halfback Will Genia and wingers Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper, all of who, like Giteau had their last Wallabies start in the 2015 World Cup final.The squad also included playmaker Quade Cooper, who recently left Toulon, but winger Taqele Naiyaravoro was unavailable due to commitments to his Japanese club.Cheika highlighted the difficulties facing overseas-based players by referring to forwards Liam Gill, Greg Holmes and Dave Dennis, who are all heading to overseas clubs and seeking an early release from their contracts.Ive spoken to the Toulon owner and he didnt know that Liam Gill was in a contract until December 31, Cheika said.The players are being put in really difficult situations.In these instances this year with these players I really didnt want to let them go, but these players have been put in the middle of difficult situations by their agents byy promising the overseas clubs certain things that they are not sure they can deliver.ddddddddddddHe said Australia would continue trying to repatriate foreign-based players by providing quality conditions, but faced ongoing challenges from cashed up european teams.With the UK increasing its salary cap I think its going up towards ten million pounds in 2018 and the French leagues salary cap is not really being monitored that seriously, its just going to be a consistent challenge for us.The number one thing we can control is the quality of what we give players when they are here, the quality of coaching, the quality of their