I took a $40k pay cut to leave my technical copywriter job and work for $6k a year.
— Jill Ellis
I don't read social media.
We have to constantly be looking to improve.
What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.
You've got to turn over every stone; you've got to look for every advantage. You need to make sure you're doing everything you possibly can, not just on the field but off it, to give your team an advantage - from having a sleep expert coming to talk to your team to having an independent analysis of your team done.
A win's a win in a World Cup.
When you have a group of players with self-belief... nine times out of 10, players can be very talented to make the roster, but they need that quality, and it is pivotal at a World Cup.
You coach to coach. You don't coach to satisfy media, satisfy fans.
My whole British culture in growing up is still with me for sure. I'm very grateful for that.
I have been a Man United lass since I was seven.
Especially in the States, at every level - whether it's collegiate, whether it's our professional league - we need more women in coaching, 100 percent.
Every game you play, you gain. There's always valuable lessons.
I grew up playing in the schoolyard with the boy, and on the side of the grounds my dad coached on. I have a lot of fond memories.
I get a text every day from my dad: 'Enjoy the challenge.'
I was just fortunate to move to the States and have an opportunity to play organized football.
There are a lot of programs, a lot of teams now that have the backing of federations, the growth of the game domestically. You see this with Holland; you see this with Italy. It's a matter of time. I had to leave my home country to go and experience the game. Now, it's delightful that these countries are actively supporting women's football.
I love pace. I love it.
You have to be able to adjust with the moment, whether it's an injury, a result.
I grew up in a military family, and my dad was gone for long periods of time. Families make it work because you know you care for each other.
When you weigh putting a player in with 10 minutes left in a game, and they know their role on a set piece, and the moment doesn't get too big for them, those are the pieces you just - you can't buy that experience.
World Cups are about winning.
It's incumbent on you to play games outside your region that will really test you. That's important to keep your edge.
I haven't seen many pretty games in a World Cup.
I think that what we did in 2015 as a team was phenomenal, and I think in, now, 2019, we have similar players but a lot of different players.
It's important that our team has confidence.
I never thought I'd end up coaching. It wasn't the plan.
I have a lot of fond memories of my life in England.
World Cups aren't moments to invest in players.
You don't go into coaching if you're not willing to step into that moment and go, 'OK, this is what it's going to take, and this is why you do it.' Everything hinges on winning and losing, right?
Coaches understand that pressure is part of the rush of coaching. The challenge of trying to outplay your opponent is part of the fun, the adrenaline, the preparation, seeing your team evolve. It's why coaches become coaches.
I think people get hung up on starters and 11s, and that number kind of rings through a lot of media's heads.
I just love the sport, love the game.
I grew up playing with boys in the yard and my brother in the backyard and boys in the schoolyard.
When all is said and done, I always used to say this to recruits: 'I don't remember one goal I scored. I don't remember one result. I just remember the people that touched my life and that connected with me.'
When we went into 2015, we had our way of playing, and we were fairly rigid in what we were doing.
My job is to bring in players I think can help this team, regardless of where they're playing.
You spend a lot of time as a coach going through every possible scenario. That's the kind of level of depth and versatility you have to go through. When I did that, things started to really fall into place.
If a team has multiple looks, it's so hard to stand in front of your team and say, 'This is the scouting report. This is what you have to prepare for.'
One of the things we recognized coming out of 2015 is we had to get more and more high-level competition.
Sometimes it is the mentality that is really important. To have players with self-belief makes my job a lot easier, as they are certainly motivated and hungry.
I went into coaching never worrying about what I was coaching for other than trying to make sure that I can prepare my team, select my team, have an amazing staff around me.
I had zero opportunity to play football over the years.
I was a Pompey lass - I can't say I supported Pompey all the time.
I'm an American except when I'm in the supermarket or at the candy store.
Coming out of 2015, I just realized it's OK not to look perfect. It's OK to make sure that your players remain in that bubble, stay focused and true to who we are, and keep the belief internally.
Opportunity only knocks so many times.
My dad's always had an unbelievable, positive attitude about everything.
You can't just live cautiously, I think, when you're in a knockout game.
I truly think if I had stayed in England, I'm not sure I would be coaching. So what America gave me was kind of a dream and the opportunity and ability to follow that path, which I really had never dreamed about. I just feel very fortunate to be here.
The challenge for young players is always stepping into the next level in terms of how much faster the game is.
