I have a 16 year-old son, so I’m now a soccer mom. I stand on the sidelines and I hear the things parents are saying, so I want them to understand what it is their kids are feeling in any sports environment.
I love soccer; I want to be on the field.
I cannot keep myself away from ice cream. I have two flavors that are my favorite: chocolate chip cookie dough and vanilla swiss almond. I can eat a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting, no problem!
I was a part of Backyard Soccer, and I hear that I score a lot of goals in it.
I think soccer is more respected now than it ever has been. You can see that in the numbers of young kids who are playing and the numbers of people who are coming to watch.
After the ’96 Olympics, we all started believing that this is bigger than we thought, and we were willing to do the work. We knew that it was up to us, the players, to make soccer successful.
So along with that is spending a lot of time with the ball. For me it was, I loved to juggle the ball in my front yard, and I always challenged myself – how many juggles can I get today? I think for players to get better, it’s just about spending the time.
What I’ve really learned is to be open to listen to other people’s opinions and then question my own thoughts. And learn how to talk to people. The biggest gift from having one of these moments is that it gets people talking.
I’m loving motherhood. It’s way harder than soccer, but I love a challenge.
Soccer has given me a place to express myself, fully and openly. To not be shy. To feel. To be crazy. To try things I might not try. To be honest in relationships. To make mistakes and realize that they’re not life-shattering.
Women can be incredible role models for their kids, neighbors and communities just by making good choices in terms of what they’re eating and whether they’re exercising.
Julie, Mia and I just met for a couple days, doing some work but really under the guise of having fun. We do events like the Women’s Sports Foundation Dinner, where we get to not only do a good thing for the community but we get to hang out with one another again.
Conversation is good – you might not agree with everyone, but at least it gives you a chance to contemplate someone else’s ideas.
We are shaping young kids to be leaders in their communities and also to be healthier.
And I remember how proud I was to put on my training jersey and go out on the field. Making it back to that environment was for me my greatest moment, because somebody had told me I couldn’t do it and I never gave up on myself, the game and my teammates.
And to learn, you have to be willing to push yourself.
I played mostly games like Asteroids and Pac-Man. Today, when I go into an arcade, the games are much more difficult and complex. I don’t think I could even play some of the video games that are out there today.
The thing I can say about Japan is they were progressive for a country that is very male dominant.
Number one, it was a chance to thank my parents, because they passed away a couple of years ago. They gave me so much by giving me the opportunity to play soccer, and I wanted to share the story we had together.
My parents and my grandfather on my mom’s side would travel the earth. They went to Australia and China, and they went to probably every soccer game I ever played.