I've learned from experience not to be too glued to one menu or routine in particular because I never know where I'm going to be and what kind of cuisine it's going to be.
— Christen Press
I meditate daily, and I think it's sort of a life skill.
While I don't know if I exist in the land of the elite, I'm definitely on the battlefield with restlessness.
If you win games, at the top, there's no pressure to change. You change when you have to change. You change when you don't win anymore.
Winning and losing isn't what's important. The attempt at success and getting to your best self is what matters.
It's important for girls to feel strong and powerful even when they're playing sports.
There's a lot that's out of your control. But the one thing that you can control is your work ethic.
The speed of life that top American athletes have is boom-boom-boom, and I'm a lot slower. I look before I cross, you know?
On game days, I do yoga as just a really short routine. It's more to warm up and to calm down in the morning.
I find the ball, and I think, 'Where's the ball going, and where do I need to go?' It just puts me back in the game, and it's the simplest thing, but it's become sort of like my soccer mantra. I simply use the ball as my focus point and move back into position, and the distracting thoughts disappear, and I'm right back in the game.
The American professional schedule gives players a six-month off-season, so many of us have become pickup regulars while training without an organized team.
I'm so excited to be a Coppertone brand ambassador because as an athlete, taking care of my body is a huge part of my job, and sunscreen is a vital part of that.
I've spent a lot of time being insecure about my body, but it's done so much for me. It's my tool, my vessel for my job.
Staying grounded, eating healthy, doing yoga, staying out of the sun to protect my skin - I think that the daily decisions we make to protect our bodies are the best ways we can care for them.
I love to be outside.
It's really special to play with your friends for your country.
When I went to Sweden, I sort of found out who I was.
I'm a dreamer, and I'm a perfectionist, and I love excellence, and that's hardwired in me. But when I was young, I lived in a space for a long time where I only felt insufficient.
I've had chronic back pain since I was a preteen - like, 12. I have really funny posture. I developed this funny posture where I hunch my back a little bit when I'm playing, and I overuse my back muscles instead of my abs. My posture has put a lot of strain on my lower back.
I kind of felt like I was never good enough. I always wanted more.
When you're transitioning, and you're trying to develop a better brand of soccer, at some point, you have to step backward before you step forward.
I want soccer to be a stable profession that attracts young female athletes when they graduate from college.
In Sweden, if a player has the ball, and you're running across the line of vision, you would never call for the ball. In the United States, if you're open, you're screaming.
I have learned that there's a little bit of a danger in stressing ourselves out and living in the future - worry affects how we are today.
My family is a little ridiculous. They're wild - really colorful and animated and big personalities.
With yoga, it works every part of the body and increases range of motion. People think you get super flexible and you lose your power in sport. I'm getting back to normal because I'm so wound up and tight.
I haven't had many injuries, and I know that's because I take care of my body, and I do the things that I need to do to keep it strong.
Whether I'm running up and down the field or running errands, I make it a point to ensure that my skin is protected.
I used to be so focused on winning, I had a really hard time enjoying soccer. If I missed a shot, I would spend a lot of time thinking about how I'd disappointed my teammates. Then I learned how moments of struggle make you stronger.
I try to practice mindfulness at all times, including the times where I'm nervous and I'm stressed.
I think that a lot of women experience that balance between feeling insecure about and appreciative for their bodies. I definitely have.
Serena Williams is my sports idol.
When you've learned to love yourself, you get all the things that come with that. Friends, passion, success.
I think, a lot of my career and my life before I went to Sweden, I felt like I was trying to be someone else.
If I put my pinkie to my thumb, I can cover my wrist all the way to the knuckle. When I get a watch, I always have to go and get extra holes put in or get a special bracelet that's adjustable.
My restlessness leaves my mind racing as I try to wind down at the end of mandatory recovery day. It keeps me tossing after poor performances. And if I played well, well... playing well makes me itch to play better; there is always room for improvement.
I've never been cold during a big game. It's the adrenaline. You're always moving.
As a professional athlete, part of my job is to make sure I'm consuming high quality nutrients.
I want barriers to be broken down for women.
I gave up on the national team - I thought to myself, 'Well, that's just not something that's going to happen for me.' The national team was in residency camp; I was 6,000 miles away. Nobody was watching, nobody cared... I'm just going to go play for myself and my team and try to be great... and I had more fun than I'd have ever had.
Before I found my peace, I was way too much in my head. I found myself on the field in my own thoughts. I've learned that there's a time and a place for my thoughts. The most important thing when I'm on the field is to just be in the moment and let it all go.
At the end of the day in our sport, you just have to sacrifice yourself completely to put the team first. That's not easy for us because we're so competitive, but that's the most important thing when it comes to World Championships.
Wherever I am, I always do yoga every day. I think it's so important for my physical health in sport.
I always want to take on the giants.
Everyone, especially athletes and fans everywhere, need to make sunscreen and sun protection a priority.
I'm very grateful for the way that I feel when I play. I feel very powerful, I feel fast, I feel unstoppable, and that's because of my body.
My mom is just authentically herself all the time. She loves herself. She loves her sense of humor. She brings people in when she talks. She brings people in when she laughs. Watching her, I think that that's when I first learned and was encouraged to be myself and to sort of love and live in that way.
No hidden talents, but I have a lot of hobbies. Acrylic painting - I got a whole set, and I light candles at night and sit there and paint and look out on Lake Michigan.
I actually rid myself of superstitions, but I do a quick 20-minute meditation before games.
I would like to fight as hard as I possibly can in each and every game and win or lose, leave it at that, and move forward. I know in my heart that that is the mindset I need to be a successful and happy athlete.
