When players go out and train on their own, they usually do it at half speed. This kind of training is valuable, but it doesn't prepare you for competition, where you must perform at full throttle. So the trick is to schedule regular sessions of intense practice, while always leaving time to juggle and generally goof around with the ball

I played soccer because my friends did. Besides we got sodas afterwards.

I don't want to sit and look at all the trophies. I don't want to live in the past -- I want to live now!

Sports can do so much. They've given me a framework: meeting new people, confidence, self-esteem, discipline, motivation. All these things I learned, whether I knew I was learning them or not, through sports.

Sports are not about awards or world championships, though those are great. They're about the relationships we have with each other.

Being a good teammate is when you try to sprint down a ball that everyone thinks is going out of bounds. But you go after it anyways and you get it.

I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.