Winning and losing isn't everything; sometimes, the journey is just as important as the outcome.
Around the age of 14, I was very discouraged from a coach. It was my first youth club team while playing soccer. She told me at the time that I wasn't good enough to play on the team, that I would never get into the game.
I feel the most confident when I'm comfortable in workout clothes with my hair up in a ponytail.
When people say, 'You run like a girl; you play like a girl,' it's not what it used to be. That shouldn't be negative. You should be proud to play like a girl.
I try to push myself a little every day. For me, it's doing 10 more seconds of whatever I'm working on. So if I'm on the treadmill sprinting my butt off or doing a grueling core workout, I think to myself, 'You can do 10 more seconds, and you'll be that much mentally stronger.' After a while, those 10 seconds add up!
There's really no secret to success. You make your own success.
My goal is to show girls that I'm fighting so they don't have to, so they don't have to fight the same battles, so they don't have to fight for wage equality or whatever it may be.
I think it's important to keep things positive. Sometimes you don't win, and that sucks, and you work on improving.
I want young girls to dream about being professional soccer players instead of just watching the boys go out and play.
To force a change, sometimes you need to stand up. You know what you're worth - rather than what your employer is paying you.
I grew up always having dessert after dinner. Always. It's such a hard habit for me to break. It's fine to have dessert every once in a while, but not seven days a week!
Every time you step onto the field, you have to set goals. My goals are to either score a goal, to have an assist, or to play well.
I don't think the entire world respects women in sport. But if FIFA start respecting the women's game more, others will follow.
Sportsmanship is definitely an important thing in all sports. In soccer, we all respect each other on such a high level, between Sweden and Brazil and Japan or whatever team it is.
Ninety percent of the time, when I put on my headphones, I forget to turn on my music. Literally 10 minutes will go by before I realize that there's no music.
I love yoga. There's a lot of stretching involved, which helps with my flexibility and injury prevention. Vinyasa is my favorite as a recovery tool and for me to continue having my legs feel good.
Music is so huge to soccer, to my life, to working out. I usually have headphones when I'm cleaning the house or making dinner.
When I play on grass, my body doesn't ache. It can get sore, but it doesn't pulse, and my legs don't ache. When I play on turf, my legs can pulse and ache for up to 24 hours, and it could take 3-5 days to recover, whereas grass, after 24 hours, I'm ready to play again.
I was the biggest tomboy growing up. Now I love playing with a full face of makeup.
I don't really have many regrets. I did miss a lot of the events in the days leading up to my sister's wedding because I was at a U17 camp. There were moments like that growing up when I felt like I focused too much on soccer. But that's probably the reason I am where I am today.
