Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I cherish the relationships and friendships I have with the people in my life and take every opportunity I have to make time for them.
I know, firsthand, that soccer brings people together - all it takes is a ball and a few people, and the seeds of friendship are planted.
I think my confidence came when I turned 30. I don't know, something about turning 30 has been unbelievable. I just feel a sense of freedom.
Everyone is an athlete. You want to go hiking, you want to go biking, you want to go jogging or for a walk? You're automatically an athlete.
Because I don't like to play on a full stomach, I try to eat a bigger meal in the morning and less throughout the day leading up to the game.
Everyone makes fun of my calves. They are so big. I don't really even like them, I don't really want them as big as they are, but I have no choice.
In 2005, I would have never guessed that I was at risk for a pulmonary embolism. I was 21 years-old, playing college soccer and just living the dream.
When I was 6 years old, I played on a coed indoor team. We were called the Cosmos. And then, after that, when I was 7, I played on an all-girls club team.
It's a privilege and an honor to play for the national team, but I think that the training that I was in at Frankfurt was the highest level right underneath.
I have always dreamt of going to an Olympics and watching these incredible athletes and being motivated and inspired to want to be successful in my own sport.
Germany is where I had to become a true professional. They play in big games when they are young. We could model some of our soccer system after what they do.
Any kind of dance or house, remix type music, I really love that. That will really pump me up. I really love anything Beyonce - honestly, that would pump me up.
In college, girls would come up to me: 'I want your calves.' It just makes me laugh. I guess people pay a lot of money to have the types of bodies athletes have.
In general, taking soccer out of the picture, as an American living overseas, it's so cool, and I've grown so much. Now I can look at my life from a different perspective.
I love kids, and I really liked the idea of getting involved with something that was all about giving kids the opportunity to walk, run, or maybe even play soccer someday.
I love my legs because they make me powerful and they make me feel strong. They've held up ever since I was young and have helped me get where I am today and be this successful.
No matter what job you have, even when it's one you love, it's important to take some time away, both mentally and physically, to regroup, refresh and regain good, positive energy.
I fuel up every morning, no matter if it's with a shake or a breakfast bar on the go. I eat well, but I have my cheats. I eat cookies, chips, and have a Coke, but only on days that start with S.
When I was 6 or 7, my gymnastics coach looked at my quads and told the other coach to come over and see my quads. They were big then and still are. But I've kind of embraced it through the years.
As a young girl, football is where I met the people who, to this day, are my best friends. It is also where I began to learn about the important relationship between hard work, teamwork, and fun.
I want to get good enough so I can play in Mia Hamm's golf tournament for her foundation and have an event of my own someday. I'm so competitive, I don't want to go and just pretend I'm a good golfer.
If the spaces open up in the attack, then of course I'm willing to take it because I love to get involved; I love to get crosses in. I love to do combinations and just bring a different aspect to our game.
I am super close with my brother. He is my ultimate role model. Growing up and having a family break apart, you know, when my parents divorced and things like that, it was a struggle, and all we had was each other at the time.
My dad has always played and coached, so that's what I knew. I played other sports but always turned toward soccer and had the same love for it as my father. They never forced me to play; I always wanted to. I was always around it.
It's always tough to play against teams that bunker or 'park the bus' inside the 18-yard box, but we always try to focus on our game and how we can overcome the obstacles that the game presents to continue to get better and score goals.
I feel like I have big thighs. My brother was always like, 'Yeah, I want big thighs! Big thighs are awesome!' And I'm like, 'Yeah, for a man!' But I've trained since I was 6 years old to play soccer, and this is just the type of body I have.
When you're at the highest point of your career at the highest level in your sport, any moment that you have these setbacks and injuries is devastating. You have to start back from zero, and you never know if you're going to get back to where you once were.
In 2003, being Virginia Player of the Year was an amazing feeling because I think that was the moment I realized I could actually, really go far in my sport, and I was actually, really good at something. At that moment, I knew that I could play at a high level.
Although, at times, soccer is a challenge to mind, body, and spirit, fundamentally, the progression of the U.S. women's game and those who play it reflects a distinctively American culture, rooted in our struggle, shared aspiration, hard work and self-determination.
Personally, I always try to focus on the little things in my game. As a defender and attacking outside back, I continuously work on completing passes, not being too predictable going forward into the attack, good services into the box, good positioning and footwork.
I always joke to my dad and thank him for giving me this little boy body. When I was 6 or 7, my gymnastics coach looked at my quads and told the other coach to come over and see my quads. They were big then and still are. But I've kind of embraced it through the years.
I was clipped from behind, and my leg got caught between my opponent's legs. As we fell, my leg snapped. It was a spiral fracture. They had to put in a plate and five screws. It was a devastating moment: one minute I was on cloud nine, and then I was out for the season.
There is something quintessentially American about the USWNT. Last-minute, dramatic finishes and technical finesse aside, the spirit of the program reflects a determination and perseverance that resonates with the deeply held belief that with hard work, anything is possible.
I feel fortunate to be a part of a football community that includes leaders who recognize the power of sport to make a difference and who, like so many of my coaches, are defined not only by their knowledge but by their ability to bring out the best in every member of their teams.
It's a part of my lifestyle to be healthy and eat healthy. I don't feel like I need to be like, 'You can't have this. You can't have that. You have to have this. You have to have that,' because then I feel like I will get inconsistent. I indulge when I want to, but try to be healthy every single day, too.
My dad has been my coach since I was seven years old - from 7 to 18 is when he coached my club team - and so it was always in the family. He introduced me to soccer at a young age and also kind of molded me into a good player at a young age, too. Which then I grew to love the game and be as passionate as he was.
People ask me, 'What were you thinking during that game-winning penalty kick in the 2011 World Cup?' I was actually thinking absolutely nothing. I just walked up there and was so inspired by my teammates who rocked all their PKs; they just killed it. I figured I might as well do the same, or they might have my neck.
I always need a little something sweet after dinner. Although I try to stay pretty disciplined with my nutrition when I'm in season - my brother Kyle eats super clean and always gives me nutrition advice - when I want something, I have it because I feel like you can really get in trouble if you restrict yourself too much.
Try not to completely change your diet just because you read it somewhere or someone tells you it works for them. Do what is best for your body and don't think that just because everyone else is doing it that it will work for you. Know what fuels your body to be at its best, and enjoy the little things! Indulge! Cupcakes and cookies.
In order for me to perform the best I can out on the field, I have to fuel my body with the proper nutrients to be able to do all the running. I'm running four or five miles every game, so it's a lot. Even at halftime, I take electrolytes and have half a peanut-butter-and-jelly or whatever is sitting there just to keep my engine running.
For me, I just set little goals for myself and stay on that kind of track and surround myself with positive people along with my teammates. I just kind of have my goals and my dreams, and this is something that we've all been working for our entire lives, so it is kind of easy to wake up and want to better myself every day towards that goal.
I felt like the Germans were being mean to me at training, but they were actually just trying to help. I learned really quick - which made me a better player. I'm appreciative of the way they treated me. It's just the language and, of course, as an American, I had to learn that. No offense to them; I love them to death, and I love my teammates.