Morgan Frazier, member of the University of Florida gymnastics team from 2013-2016, reminisces on athletic career highlights, chats about plans for the future and shares advice for young athletes.
Stephanie Labbe wants gender-based leagues to consider “women who beat the odds”
Look, I understand the need for “gender-based” leagues. I get why they exist. In sports, men have certain physical advantages over women. We have separate leagues so that women don’t have to compete against men for a chance to play the sports they love. That boundary keeps things fair. But it’s time we consider the women who beat the odds.
– Stephanie Labbé
jump for it
Today’s workout: exercising Abby Wambach’s wise words
Once a phenomenal forward for the U.S. Women’s Soccer team, Abby Wambach has a new goal: helping all women move forward.
In her commencement address to the Barnard class of 2018, Wambach calls for women to be grateful for what they have while also demanding what they deserve.
She asks women to show their strength and come together as a team in order to change the world for the better. As for the unifying team structure, she calls for women to consider her four golden rules.
We’re not exaggerating — these rules are actually golden as she used them to unite her team and win the 2004 and 2012 Olympic games.
Watch Wambach’s commencement address, then follow the steps outlined below to think through how you can put her rules to action.
Rule One: MAKE FAILURE YOUR FUEL
“Women, listen to me. We must embrace failure as our fuel instead of accepting it as our destruction.”
Ask yourself: When was the last time you failed?
Think about three times you’ve failed and felt weak, embarrassed or uncomfortable. Then, flip the narrative; consider down how you can channel that energy and turn those failures into fuel.
Rule Two: LEAD FROM THE BENCH
“If you’re not a leader on the bench, don’t call yourself a leader on the field. You’re either a leader everywhere or nowhere.”
What has you feeling benched lately? Maybe you’re taking a backseat on a big work project or simply got dealt a tough hand. Whatever it is, it’s okay to be disappointed, and it’s okay for you to feel as if your ego took a punch.
Think: what actions can you take to lead from the bench? Don’t underestimate how influential you can be as an encourager and teammate. Wambach said: “During that last World Cup, my teammates told me that my presence, my support, my vocal and relentless belief in them from the bench is what gave them the confidence they needed to win us that championship.”
You’re not going to be the MVP of every game, but don’t let that get in the way of you bringing out the champion in others.
Rule Three: CHAMPION EACH OTHER
“Women must champion each other. This can be difficult for us. Women have been pitted against each other since the beginning of time for that one seat at the table. Scarcity has been planted inside of us and among us. This scarcity is not our fault. But it is our problem. And it is within our power to create abundance for women where scarcity used to live.”
Do you ever feel like you’re in competition with your teammates, friends or colleagues? Those ugly feelings like jealousy hold us back from celebrating the success of one woman as a success for every woman.
Think of three women who you’ve been competing with instead of rooting for. Send them a good vibe or quick text encouraging them the way you’d like to be encouraged.
“Joy. Success. Power. These are not pies where a bigger slice for her means a smaller slice for you. These are infinite. In any revolution, the way to make something true starts with believing it is. Let’s claim infinite joy, success, and power—together.”
Rule Four: DEMAND THE BALL
“Women. At this moment in history leadership is calling us to say:
GIVE ME THE EFFING BALL.
GIVE ME THE EFFING JOB.
GIVE ME THE SAME PAY THAT THE GUY NEXT TO ME GETS.
GIVE ME THE PROMOTION.
GIVE ME THE MICROPHONE.
GIVE ME THE OVAL OFFICE.
GIVE ME THE RESPECT I’VE EARNED AND GIVE IT TO MY WOLF PACK TOO.”
What do you want? Write it down. Preferably, USE ALL CAPS FORE EMPHASIS.
What’s been holding you back? Write those things down, too. Cross them out. Get after it!
“As you leave here today and everyday going forward: Don’t just ask yourself, “What do I want to do?” Ask yourself: “WHO do I want to be?” Because the most important thing I’ve learned is that what you do will never define you. Who you are always will.”
a collective for sporty girls
Func Bod is a collective for sporty girls.
By sharing the feats of female athletes, we emphasize what women can do, tie the ideal of a beautiful body to form and function, and inspire young athletes to go big.
While health and wellness undoubtedly play a major role in athletic performance, this site is meant to tell stories of women accomplishing athletic feats. There are hundreds of blogs that focus on what women put on their bodies and into their bodies; no one is covering the raw athleticism and function of the female body, or how athletics play a huge role in developing girls into strong women.
In college, I took a class that dissected the relationship between sports media and society. The most interesting question we discussed was this: why is there so little coverage of women’s sports?
Are women less likely to headline ESPN because their athleticism isn’t as impressive? (I think we can all agree to disagree with this theory.) Or because mainstream media throws more advertising dollars and hype at men’s sports? Because many sports, like basketball and softball, are considered masculine? Or, perhaps because men have been celebrated athletes for much longer than women have been allowed to take the field?
Popular media theory also suggests that women consume content differently than men, and no media outlet has attempted to cover women’s sports in a meaningful way.
Func Bod aims to fill this content gap.
