Bona Contention

Rest Well, Mr. McWheely. 😔

A Mighty Girl

"On this day in 1972, Title IX became law. It states that any educational program or activity that receives federal funding cannot exclude anyone on the basis of sex.⁠
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It changed the game for girls and women across the U.S., opening up opportunities in sports and academics that had long been out of reach.⁠
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Before Title IX, women were routinely shut out of top universities, capped at low quotas in law and medical schools, and often forced to leave school if they became pregnant. In sports, it wasn’t uncommon for women’s teams to be cut entirely to shift resources to men’s programs.⁠
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Title IX was a huge leap forward for gender equality. But we still have work to do. Girls still drop out of sports twice as often as boys, which means they miss opportunities to develop crucial leadership skills like teamwork, determination, and confidence. Those skills can make a big difference in their futures—80% of women Fortune 500 executives played competitive sports, and 61% of women executives believe that playing sports contributed positively to their success and advancement.
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It’s important, now more than ever, to encourage girls to take up and stay in sports." -- via Lean In

To teach kids about the importance of Title IX and the fierce fight it took to achieve this victory for girls and women, we highly recommend the picture book "An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/an-equal-shot) and "Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX" for ages 9 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/let-me-play)

For an inspiring picture book about Congresswoman Patsy Mink's fight to pass Title IX, we recommend "Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight" for ages 5 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/fall-down-seven-times-mink

For an excellent picture book about women breaking athletic records throughout history - which includes a kid-friendly introduction to Title IX - we also recommend "Girls With Guts!" for ages 6 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/girls-with-guts

For more books to introduce kids of all ages to female sports trailblazers, visit our “Sports & Games” book section at http://amgrl.co/2zIJnDi

For a fantastic t-shirt that speaks to the fact that strength has nothing to do with gender, check out the “I'm not strong for a girl. I'm just strong.” t-shirt for both kids and adults at https://www.amightygirl.com/strong-t-shirt

Hate has no place here.

Circle City Roller Derby opposes all transphobic, homophobic, racist, and anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions that are escalating nationally and in our home state of Indiana. Our members remain committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, safety, and liberation for all. Hate has no home in roller derby.

We just heard the newest WNBA franchise will be the Golden State Valkyries. We wanted to provide some stadium mascot inspo, courtesy of one of the Library's most beloved images in the Prints and Photographs Division. Behold: Brünnhilde!🐱

Image: Photograph shows front view of a cat wearing a winged helmet and breastplate armor in the role of the valkyrie Brünnhilde from the opera Der Ring des Niebelungen. Photographed by Adolph Edward Weidhaas. 1936. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Happy Birthday, Agnes!!!

Happy 103rd birthday to Agnes Keleti, the world's oldest living Olympic champion! The Holocaust survivor from Hungary won a total of ten gymnastics medals, including five golds, at the 1952 Helsinki Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games. Keleti survived WWII thanks to working as a maid under a false identity but many of her family members were among the 550,000 Hungarian Jews killed during the Holocaust. Following the war, she was able to return to gymnastics training and won her Olympic medals at the ages of 31 and 35. Today, the energetic centenarian still prefers to look forward, asserting: "The past? Let’s talk about the future. That’s what should be beautiful. The past is past but there is still a future."

For children's books about more Olympic gymnastic champions, we recommend "Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/flying-high), "Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still" for ages 5 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/nadia-couldn-t-sit-still), "Trailblazers: Simone Biles" for ages 7 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/trailblazers-simone-biles), and Simone Biles' memoir "Courage to Soar" for ages 12 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/courage-to-soar)

For a fantastic t-shirt that speaks to the fact that strength has nothing to do with gender, check out the “I'm not strong for a girl. I'm just strong.” t-shirt for both kids and adults at https://www.amightygirl.com/strong-t-shirt

For books for children and teens about girls and women who lived during the Holocaust period, visit our blog post, "60 Mighty Girl Books About The Holocaust" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11586

14-year-old Nadia Comăneci made Olympic history on this day in 1976 when she was awarded the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history. When her score was displayed for her uneven bars routine, it appeared as 1.00 since the scoreboard manufacturer had been informed before the games that achieving a perfect 10 was not possible in gymnastics and, thus, only three digits were needed on the board. Over the course of the 1976 Montreal Summer Games, Comăneci went on earn six additional perfect 10s, as well as win gold medals in the all-around, beam, and uneven bars.

Born in Onești, Romania, Comăneci began training at age seven under coach Béla Károlyi. By the time she was 13 in 1975, she nearly swept the European Championships and United Press International named her the "Female Athlete of the Year." In 1977, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation removed her from her longtime coaches, the Károlyis, and she was sent to train in Bucharest. She was unhappy in the new training environment and performed poorly in the 1978 World Championships.

After being permitted to return to the Károlyis the following year, she regained her motivation and won two gold medals at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. In 1981, while on a gymnastics exhibition tour in the US, the Károlyis defected. Under close monitoring back in Romania, Comăneci wrote in her autobiography that "Life took on a new bleakness" during this period. Several years later, in 1989, she also defected to the US and eventually married former US Olympic gymnast Bart Conner whom she had first met in 1976 at the American Cup. Today, the two run a gymnastics academy together in Norman, Oklahoma.

Comăneci has been widely honored for her impressive gymnastics feats, including being the only person to be twice awarded the Olympic Order -- the highest award given by the International Olympic Committee. Her first perfect 10 in Montreal is still heralded as one of the greatest moments in sports history.

To introduce children to Nadia's incredible story, we highly recommend the inspiring picture book, "Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still" for ages 5 to 8 at https://www.amightygirl.com/nadia-couldn-t-sit-still

For older readers interested in learning more about Comăneci's story, we recommend her memoir/mentoring book "Letters to a Young Gymnast" at http://amzn.to/1fU2ywn

Nadia Comăneci is also one of 50 pioneering female athletes featured in the excellent book, "Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win," for ages 9 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/women-in-sports

And, if your Mighty Girl is small but fierce, check out the "Though She Be But Little She Is Fierce" t-shirt -- available in a variety of styles and colors for both children and adults at https://www.amightygirl.com/fierce-t-shirt

Meet Jasmine, the amazing Gold Award Girl Scout making a paw-sitive impact nationwide! 🌟🐾 Jasmine taught people across 45 states how to make pet toys with recycled materials and helped promote pet socialization. Her dedication didn't stop there. Jasmine organized donation drives, hosted engaging workshops, and even built an informational website (check out the comments for the link)! 🌐🐶 Join us in celebrating her outstanding achievement and applauding her dedication! 👏

Smalltown Smackdown action starts for Circle City Roller Derby's Party Crashers (including me) at 10am this Saturday, June 17. Can't make it in person? Follow Derby Date Night's coverage on YouTube! 🖤💚🛼

Join us at the Mucky Duck after home bouts this season for food, fun, and KARAOKE! Circle City fan favorite karaoke is BACK!

43-year-old used her life savings to open a bar that only plays women's sports—it brought in almost $1 million in 8 months Jenny Nguyen, founder of Portland, Oregon-based The Sports Bra, says she never wanted to start her own bar or restaurant. Here's what changed her mind.