Player Style Files: Balancing Soccer And Family With USWNT's Christie Rampone

By David Heim 

U.S. women’s soccer player Christie Rampone may be all soccer all the time now, especially as she’s trying to help the U.S. national team to a World Cup title this summer, but that certainly was not the case growing up.

“I played multiple sports growing up—I played basketball, soccer, field hockey, ran track, kind of went from one season onto the next and never played one sport for a year round,” Rampone said.

But Rampone admits that soccer is a completely different animal.

“The U.S. team is a lot of pressure and you’re constantly competing,” Rampone said. “Soccer—you can never master and that’s what’s great about it. The game is made up of mistakes so it’s like who can capitalize on them more.”

How does Rampone keep up with the constant demand that comes with soccer? Christie took CBS Local Sports behind the scenes of her training room.

“It’s all about interval training where I get my speed, my strength all in one—usually about a 35-45 minute workout,” Rampone said.

Rampone admits the training has benefited her career more than anything.

“Structured routine has definitely helped the longevity of my career,” Rampone added.

Another thing that keeps Rampone going is her kids, which has consumed her life like soccer has.

“The kids are very competitive, which is great but also tough at times because there’s a lot of fighting that goes on, kind of like organized chaos,” Rampone said. “I do best under pressure, making sure the kids are eating right and making their best choices and not overdoing it for them. The clock is always ticking.”

Being a mom as well as a competitor on the pitch is something Rampone holds dear to her.

“The thing I’m most proud of is being a mom and still being able to compete at the highest level,” Rampone said. 

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David Heim is a fan of the New England Patriots and New York Yankees. He’s also a contributor to CBS Local Sports and can be reached at david.heim@cbs.com or on Twitter @davidheim12.