Although there will soon be another to wear the number 20 jersey, the memories made while Abby Wambach wore it will always be a part of US Women’s Soccer history. Growing up playing soccer, I found myself looking up to the US Women’s National soccer team for inspiration. One player stands out the most to me: Abby Wambach.

I was unable to go to her final match this year because I still had a week left of classes to go through before the break. It definitely would have been an awesome experience to have right before Christmas. However, seeing the many clips of the game and tributes made by many individuals has made me laugh, cry, and smile. Thanks to YouTube and Facebook, my last moments of seeing Abby in all of her glory will forever be an amazing memory for me.

She came in as the underdog, as most rookies do, but as her career progressed, she turned into a born leader. When I would watch her play, seeing how genuinely kind she was with her fans, and pouring all of her heart into the game truly inspired me to be a better person. From this I knew that one day I too could be a top dog if I followed her example.

For me, life is like a soccer field; I lace up my cleats and step on the pitch, playing my heart out match after match because without heart, everything I do would be pointless.

Since I graduated high school two years ago, I haven’t played on a team. After spending 14 long years on a team, I have taken the lessons learned from those days and found ways to apply them to my daily life. I feel that being a go-getter like Abby is something I should strive to be in order to achieve my goals; I want to be as fearless as she is on the field and take every challenge head on.

I hope that women like Abby Wambach continue to work hard and inspire others with their strength and drive in the world. She may be retiring this year, but nothing that she has done will be forgotten, only built upon for the future generations of athletic warriors to come.

The legacy she will leave behind is the way she inspired myself, as well as many others out there to fight to the finish and always follow through on all decisions that need to be made in life.

No matter what comes next, the world will keep the ball rolling forward for you Abby.