Quotes from Julie Foudy

We women are great at underselling ourselves and not so great at owning our awesome.

I have these vivid - some fabulous, some not so fabulous - childhood memories of driving to Lake Tahoe.

Do your homework. Find your voice. Be authentic. And then dive in with purpose.

I would be doing anything to avoid a 9-5 job and high heels. Lifeguard, beach volleyball player, whatever.

Most sports federations, corporations, and governments don't change voluntarily. Change is brought by the disenfranchised demanding better.

I want to go back to college for sure! Who doesn't, right? All your bills are paid for. You're there with all of your friends.

People will say, 'Who are your role models, and who are your pioneers?' And the first person that comes to my mind is Billie Jean King because we didn't have women that we could watch when I was growing up.

Athletics brings out a side of you that is wonderful. It brings out so many good attributes like competing, intensity and playing at the highest level.

For too long, I equated leadership with a position. I thought leaders were presidents or politicians or celebrities or four-star generals with a horse and sword.

Sports help women stay in school longer and make them less likely to use drugs, break the law, or get pregnant at an early age.

Sports build good habits, confidence, and discipline. They make players into community leaders and teach them how to strive for a goal, handle mistakes, and cherish growth opportunities.

I remember the day I met Cammi Granato, a former star on the U.S. women's hockey team. We were at a Women's Sports Foundation dinner in 1996, and she came over to introduce herself. She had watched the U.S. women's soccer team win gold at the Atlanta Olympics and was hopeful the U.S. women's hockey team could do the same.

Once I was walking with teammate Joy Fawcett in a hotel in Haiti. We were barefoot, and the lights went out to save electricity. Joy felt something crunch beneath her feet, and she felt the need to shine her flashlight on the floor. It was, I swear, a five-foot cockroach.

When people tell you, "No," just smile and tell them, "Yes, I can."

Girls are so quick to say they can't do something, and they won't even try, whereas boys tend to just go for something even if it's probably a bad idea.

The pressure to perform is actually a privilege. Being left out of the starting rotation is a sign you must work harder.

I grew up watching the Lakers and the Dodgers and the Rams, all local men's professional teams, and never really had any women that I grew up watching.

Ask any coach in any sport, and they'll tell you that cutting players is their least favorite thing to do. No coach enjoys having to tell players who have worked so hard and for so long on a dream that they are no longer on the team.

Whether you empower one person or the free world, that is leadership.

It is so easy to be pleasant and charming and positive when life is going swimmingly well. You are winning. You are healthy. You are happy. But what happens when life throws darts at you?

When they asked me what charity I wanted to play for on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' the first thing that came to my mind was that this would be a great opportunity to let people know about TOPSoccer.

When I think about Abby Wambach's last days with the U.S. team, I am reminded of her first days with the U.S. team. The 21-year-old came bouncing in, laughing, joking and, of course, talking. An enormous personality matched only by her thirst for purpose. Because Abby didn't subscribe to external boundaries or predetermined molds.

Leadership is loud. It is quiet. It is thoughtful and emotional and cerebral and nerdy and goofy and joyful and motivating.

We should teach kids, whether you're on the varsity team or not, that movement is a great thing in your life.