Crystal Dunn

As a black woman I always felt growing up I had to do above and beyond stuff to be noticed, to feel like I could hang with everybody else.

When I put on our U.S. kit, I do it for my family and for my country. But I understand now that I also do it for every single American girl out there who wants to see someone who looks like them - someone whose story reminds them of their own - when they watch their women's national team.

I think I'm always learning, I'm always trying to be at my best.

I like to be on the pitch, I like to perform and impact the game.

I feel like I am definitely an attacking player. I don't really know where specifically that is, whether it's centrally or out wide. I do feel like I just naturally have a mindset to go to goal or create goals or things like that.

As a player you need to make whatever decision you think is best for your career.

If I focus on the short-term goals, then the long-term goals are going to be in my favor.

I played on many a team where I was the only black girl.

In the early stages, when I realized I was going to be probably the shortest player on the teams I was on, it was hard. I felt like girls were getting recruited over me strictly because of their height, and it made me self-conscious.

If I didn't have quads and hamstrings, soccer would be a lot different for me than it is now. I would be pushed all over the field. My lower body is something that has made me the player I am today, and it makes me feel strong.

I remember when I was young, before we started lifting and working out, I looked like I was bench-pressing other humans. I looked different than other girls. I had to be OK with the fact that I had a strong physique, no matter if people looked at me in an accepting way or not.

Being a player that plays multiple positions, that's my mindset every single day because I don't have the luxury of just being really good at one thing.