As soccer players, many girls dream of being on the World Cup team to represent their country, and play the game they love most. Getting there though, is one very tough road. Heather Mitts is a prime example of how much work and dedication it takes to finally be one of the twenty-one players to get to go to the 2011 World Cup hosted in Germany. However, her way of getting on the team was not easy. The one thing that can hold some of the greatest athletes back are injuries. Mitts was diagnosed with a severe hamstring injury back at the end of January. Hearing that it would take up to three to four months to recover from this injury, her hopes and dreams of making the World Cup team were not looking good. How Mitts responded to this issue though, was what allowed her to finally reach her dream. She battled back from an injury that was supposed to take at least 3 months to heal, and recovered in only six weeks. These six weeks were the most grueling six weeks of her life. She went to therapy for hours everyday while undergoing any type of surgery or procedure to make her heal faster. She even spent long hours away from her husband when it was some of the only days she could have spent quality time with him. Her mind was focused on one thing; getting healthy in hope of getting to the World Cup for the last time. Mitts knew she had one last shot so she had to do everything she could to get back onto the field because then if she did not get picked, at least she would know she would have no regrets. As the day came when head coach, Pia Sundhage, announced the roster, her name was called.
Seeing how much dedication and work Mitts put in to get back and prove everyone wrong really motivates and inspires many young athletes that they can over come anything. To see how she does on the field this summer, follow the US Women's National Team in Germany beginning in June.
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