Quotes from Christen Press

I've always felt like my job is to protect my sister. Even growing up, on the playground, when my sister was too shy, I would speak for her... I even had dreams where I had to save her, growing up, all the time - like, she was falling, and I had to save her.

I think that a lot of women experience that balance between feeling insecure about and appreciative for their bodies. I definitely have.

I didn't have any natural instincts toward heading. It cost me lots of opportunities to score.

The tactics in NWSL are so chaotic. It's so about physicality. It's both teams attacking with nine players, and it's just so open on the transitions, really fast-paced to the point of being out of control. The Damallsvenskan is a little extreme on the other side: it's so under control, there are 20 passes strung before you even go forward.

I meditate daily, and I think it's sort of a life skill.

Wherever I am, I always do yoga every day. I think it's so important for my physical health in sport.

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.

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.

The tremendous honor of playing on the world stage is even more rewarding when I am able to use my accomplishments to help others.

If I couldn't get to the national team, I wanted to get as much as I could out of soccer, and I think moving abroad was my opportunity to do that. I think that, in turn, playing with that freedom and that spirit allowed me to play a lot better. I escalated my game quickly just by being happy.

Of course I have other passions and other interests, but soccer's always my priority.

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.

I think I approach pressure by having discipline and learning to be calm in everyday life. I do this with a daily mindfulness practice and commitment.

It's something special being able to build a program up.

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.

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?

I really feel gratitude every day in my life that I'm able to do what I love, and I think, because I have that passion and spirit, I've had success.

In my time abroad, I learned to become a more complete player.

When I left the U.S., I sort of left that frustration and that pressure to make the national team behind me.

You can be one inch from the national team and the opportunity to make so much money and a life out of it. That's why people hang on so long.

I want soccer to be a stable profession that attracts young female athletes when they graduate from college.

Stanford's an amazing, amazing school. It was an extraordinary soccer program.

I was in front of the goal so much at Stanford. I still amassed a lot of goals, but there were so many opportunities that I wasn't scoring.