The women sports pioneers you need to know about

The women sports pioneers you need to know aboutThe women sports pioneers you need to know aboutIn the finals of the U.S. Open, Serena Williams biggest battle wasnt with zu sich opponent, Naomi Osaka, but with the feeling that she wasnt being treated fairly.After arguing with an umpire,demanding an apology, and calling him a thief for taking points away, Williams was handed a one-game penalty for verbal abuse. A man, she argued, wouldnt face the same repercussions.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIm zu sichbeie fighting for womens rights and for womens equality, she saidin a press conference afterward. The fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next part that has emotions and that wants to express themselves theyre going to be allowed to do that because of today. Maybe it didnt work out for me, but its gonna work out for the next person.Just as Williams h opes her advocacy will help the next generation, she and her contemporaries have been helped by the athletes who came before. In sports, equality is elusive, but there are plenty of pioneers who have demonstrated that strong women deserve a seat at the competitive athlete table. Here are five of the greatest.1. Babe DidriksonOne of the most accomplished all-around athletes of all time, Babe Didrikson won three medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics, took home 10 LPGA golf championship titles, was named an all-American in basketball three years running, earned the world record for the farthest baseball thrown by a woman, and was proficient in diving, roller-skating, bowling, tennis, swimming, boxing, volleyball, handball, billiards, and cycling.Was there anything Didrikson didnt play? Yeah, dolls,she once said.Never content to be the best in just one thing, Didrikson was determined to excel in everything she tried. My philosophy? she said. Practice, practice, practice, and wi n.Despite her incredible athleticism and work ethic, not everyone was a fan. It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring,wrote sports columnist Joe Williamsin the New York World-Telegram.That didnt deter Didrikson. She kept kicking ass and taking names all the way up to her untimely death from colon cancer at the age of 45.You cant win them all, she said. But you can try.2. Katie SandwinaWhen youre a girl born in the back of a circus wagon to a family of performers, its modell to grow up doing handstands while other tots are learning to walk. Whats not normal is becoming so strong that you defeat the worlds foremost bodybuilder at the time, hoisting 300 pounds over your head while he can only get it to his chest.Katie Brumbach was anything but ordinary - and after taking down the famousEugen Sandow, she changed her stage name to Sandwina, a feminine take on his surname.Sandwina began lifting weights as a tee nager, probably not a common activity for girls born in 1880s Austria, and heartily embraced her strength and size. She liked to wear heels and pile her hair on top of her head just to look even bigger and taller (she was reportedly around 6 feet tall and 210 pounds). Among her many talents, she could bend steel, lift multiple men with one arm, and juggle cannonballs. But her strength went beyond the circus ring. She was a vocal advocate for a womans right to vote, serving as vice president of the 800-member suffrage group for Barnum Bailey.Ashistorian Janet Daviswrote In an era when a majority of womens roles were still circumscribed by Victorian ideals of domesticity and feminine propriety, circus womens performances celebrated female power, thereby representing a startling alternative to contemporary social norms.3. Mildred BurkeIt was a tough road to wrestling domination for Mildred Burke, who grew up in poverty and found herself pregnant and abandoned by her first husband when she was still a teenager. She faced about 5,000 women and a couple hundred men in her career, but none as difficult as her abusive (second) husband, who tried his best to have her dethroned in the ring, and routinely slept with her opponents.After bursting onto the wrestling scene in the 1930s with natural talent, Burke held onto her championship title for nearly two decades. She developed the thigh-powered alligator clutch - a move that involves twisting your opponent before sitting on her - which ended most of her matches in her favor. Beyond her own career, Burke wanted to make wrestling accessible to other women, and founded an association and a school for female wrestlers.Mae Young, herself a trailblazer and a student of Burkes,put it this way Youve got to understand, if it hadnt been for Mildred Burke, there wouldnt have been any girl wrestling. Ever.4. Pudgy StocktonAccordingto Jan Todd, the first woman inducted into the International Powerlifting Hall of Fame, Every woman in bodybuilding who puts on a swimsuit and steps on a posing dais, every woman straining beneath a clean and jerk, and every woman powerlifter who fights through the pull of a heavy deadlift owes a debt of gratitude to Pudgy Stockton. She helped make these modern sports possible.The petite powerhouse - she stood at just 5-foot-1-inch - found her way to weightlifting after not liking the way she felt working a sedentary job as a phone operator. Stockton became known as the Queen of Muscle Beach in the 1930s and 40s. Eventually she graced the covers of dozens of magazines, hosted the first sanctioned weightlifting competition for women, wrote a popular monthly column called Barbelles for Strength and Health magazine for a decade, and opened a womens-only health club. Stocktons look appealed to the masses, and she played a big role in encouraging women to get stronger for their health and to improve their athletic capabilities.People used to say that if women worked out, they would become masculine-looking or wouldnt be able to get pregnant,she said.We just laughed because we knew they were wrong.5. Althea GibsonUntil 1950, no black tennis player had ever taken the courts at the U.S. Nationals (now known as the U.S. Open). Then, in its 70th year of existence, the competition invited Althea Gibson to play. The 23-year-old turned heads when she emerged victorious from her first-round match. Later that decade, she won the whole thing - and Wimbledon - twice in a row, along with the French Championships (later to be known as The French Open).Despite the success, Gibson was never able to make enough money from tennis to pay her bills - there was no prize money at the time, and lucrative sponsorships werent coming her way. She retired while still dominant and went on to play golf, becoming the first black woman on the LPGA tour. At many stops, she had to change in her car because she wasnt allowed inside segregated clubhouses.Still, Gibson kept playing with quiet determination. I always wanted to be somebody,she once said.If I made it, its half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.For all those people who helped her, she paid it forward in inspiration. I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps, Venus Williamssaid in 2003. Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come, her legacy will live on.This article originally appeared on Shondaland.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Top 10 Things Not to Say or Do If Youre Fired

Top 10 Things Not to Say or Do If Youre FiredTop 10 Things Not to Say or Do If Youre FiredGetting fired can be very traumatic even if youre expecting it and even though it may be difficult, try to remember not to say or do certain things if you arefired. Read on for help to get through this rough time in your career. Being let go from a job can generate a number of negative emotions including shock, anger, sadness, worry, and fear about the future. Actions that you might take during the stress of being fired can be rash and have negative consequences if you arent very careful about what you say and do. Thats especially true if getting fired wasnt your fault. Even if you were let go because you werent the perfect employee, it still hurts.You may not even be given areason as to why you were fired,and youmay not be given any notice. There might be aperspektive of being able to save your jobandappeal your termination, but it may be better to simply move on. Even though its painful to get fired, there are some things that you shouldnt do, or you could make the situation worse.The following suggestions will help you to make the best of a bad situation by avoiding some common mistakes fired employees make. 10 Things Not to Say or Do If Youre Fired 1. Dont storm off the premises without taking the time to save any documents you need from your work computer.You should periodically save documents of personal or professional interest from your work computer because you never know when you might unexpectedly lose your job. Some employers will escort terminated staff from the work site at the point of firing, and you need to make sure you dont leave any important information behind. 2.Dont begin to discuss severance issues prior to taking some time to process your firing, if possible.Time really does heal, and youll be calmer if you can wait, so ask if you could meet in a day or two to have that conversation. Heres what you should ask your employer if youre fired. In th e meantime, research company policies and practices so that you are prepared to negotiate areasonable severance packageif youre going to be offered one. In some cases, the company may offer the severance package during the termination process. 3. Dont refuse to help with the transition if some time will elapse prior to your termination date.By facilitating a smooth transition, youll be remembered as a better employee and may benefit by receiving positive recommendations and referrals.Being nice, even when youre in a bad situation, will help you in the long run. 4. Some employers will give you the vorkaufsrecht of resigning instead of being terminated.There are advantages and disadvantages to aresignation in lieu of a being fired, but you should review thedifference between getting fired and laid offbefore you agree. Check with your local State Unemployment Office to explore theimpact on unemployment benefitsbefore finalizing a decision. 5. Dont be afraid toask for a recommendationas part of your separation agreement, or at least clarify how your employer will field inquiries about your tenure. If you have supportive colleagues, ask if they might furnish a positive recommendation while you are still in close contact. 6. Dont impulsively disparage your supervisor or blame co-workers or subordinates for your performance problems.This is a hard one if you think they helped cost you your job, but futureemployers will conduct thorough background checksand seek input from former colleagues at all levels. Any enemies that youve made with your departing comments will be more likely to share damaging information. Parting impressions can be lasting and might influence staff to view you as a negative person. 7. Dont miss the opportunity to ask for the basis of your employers decision.If due process according to company policy has not been followed, you may be able to petition menschengerecht Resources to buy some additional time to improve any shortcomings you may have. R eview this guide on your rights if your job is terminated. You might also have some protection through a personal contract, union agreement or anti-discrimination law. Consult a labor lawyer prior to finalizing your separation if you think you might have a case. 8. Dont finalize your separation without exploring other jobs with your current employerif you enjoy working there. Options might exist for other positions if your superiors see you as an employee with a positive attitude and strong work ethic. Your employer might consider you for other jobs that are a better fit for your skills if they learn youre open to other roles.Hereshow to apply for a job with your company, but do check to see if its a possibility before you start the process. 9.Dont broadcast your firing to networking contacts and friends immediately.Before you tell the world youve lost your job, take the time tothink through your message and how youd like to be perceived by colleagues and other professional contacts . Frame your story around a theme such as the job not being the right fit for you. But dont be overly critical of your employer or the company in general.Save your venting of emotions for a limited group of trusted friends or family members. 10. Most importantly, dont lose faith in yourself.A firing can be demoralizing but remember it is only one employers decision, and there will be other, more suitable options for you. Take the time to regroup and find a job that is a better fit for you and your interests.It may be that this wasnt the right job for you and a push to find a new one is just what you needed to move along your career.

The 5 best places to travel in September

The 5 best places to travel in monat des herbstbeginnsThe 5 best places to travel in SeptemberEnd of summergot you down? We feel ya. Packing awayswimsuitsand flip-flops is never fun, but we have just the thing to boost the mood - a Septembergetaway. From sprawling fields full of ready-to-pick wine grapes to tents filled with epic beer drinking festivities, the below five destinations prove that this month is truly a step above the rest. Keep scrolling to seethe best places to travelto end the summer on the right note.1. Napa Valley, CaliforniaIf youre a sommelier - or just really love your vino - head to one of the countrys most prestigious wine growing regions. September marks the depspeciesure of harvest season, which means the city is teeming with things to do. (And it certainly doesnt hurt that the weather is divine for this time of year too.) Most wineries offer their own food, music, and wine pairingpartiesto mark the occasion. If hopping from one to the next feels like more of your scene, ride along in a throwbackVW busfor a formal tour of the area. Then, when youre ready to wine down (sorry, we had to), a deep tissue massage at theMeritage Resort Spais a must do.2. Munich, GermanyWhether or not you have German roots, attendingOktoberfestin Munich should be on your radar. This years celebration starts on September 22 and will include colorful tents filled with food, singing, dancing and, of course, pints of delicious brews. For those looking to escape the liveliness of the beer tents, the picturesqueNeuschwanstein Castleprovides a welcome breath of fresh air away from the city. Be sure to bring a camera for photo ops of theBavarian countrysidealong the way.3. Barcelona, SpainOkay, visiting this art-rich city is a treat just about any time of year. But here are a few reasons why September is a special time to go. First up,La Merc. From September 21 to 24, the city puts on a huge street festival that offers all sort of free (yes, free) activities to gi ve visitors a true feel for the areas unique culture. Then theres alsoCatalan Wine Fest, where wine, water views, and fireworks are never in short supply. Of course, seeing architectural hotspots likeSagrada Famlia,Park Gell, andCasa Batllalso shouldnt be overlooked for whats bound to be an action-packed vacay.4.Charleston, South CarolinaThis month is a gem for this charmingSouthern spot. In the span of four weeks, this city hosts bothRestaurant Week(from September 6 to 17) andBeer Week(from September 9 to 16) for a food and drink lovers double whammy. These events are followed by the popularPrideFestfrom (September 16 to 23) and a nod to African-American and Caribbean art atMOJA Arts Fest(starting September 28). Our take? Youre going to want to stay longer than planned.5. Cape Town, South AfricaTiming is everything, and this couldnt be more true for this South African destination. Weather-wise, Cape Town is coming out of its winter months, which means youll still experience pleasan t temps, but without the touristy crowds. When it comes to excursions, youll be just in time for some seasonal animal-sighting opportunities, like getting a beachside view of theSouthern Right Whaleswading in the bay, orswimming with penguinsat Boulders Beach. Cap your visit off with a trek up the iconicTable Mountain, and Cape Town will be one getaway you wont forget.This article first appeared on Brit + Co.