Home
sports
news
20 examples of Alex Morgan's competitive drive that has made her a USWNT icon

20 examples of Alex Morgan's competitive drive that has made her a USWNT icon

Meredith Cash

USWNT star Alex Morgan has a "scary" competitive streak, according to her dad, but it's made her one of the most accomplished players in US history.AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani

USWNT star Alex Morgan is one of the most beloved players to ever suit up for the red, white, and blue.
She's also one of the most ruthless. The prolific striker has a "scary" competitive streak, according to her father.
As a child, she would play Monopoly against herself so she could beat her older sisters, write down her workouts while watching TV, and almost break her dad's hand while shooting on goal in their yard.
Her husband refuses to play board games with her and says she had already worked out by 7 a.m. on the first morning of their honeymoon.
Check out 20 examples of the extreme competitiveness that has made Morgan one of the most accomplished stars in USWNT history:
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Read the original article on Insider

Now check out the details of Morgan's deal maternity protections on her latest Nike deal:

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Alex Morgan's latest deal with Nike features groundbreaking maternity protections, including guaranteed pay for 18 months

She's not even giving herself a break when it comes to labor, as she plans to have a natural birth: "I should be able to give birth without numbing my body ... I feel like if I don't experience that, then I'll never really know what I can do, what I'm capable of."

I know it's a weird thing to admit, but I've always wanted to be pregnant. I wasn't sure about the whole mom thing, but pregnancy always looked so beautiful to me. It was a dream of mine, to feel my body change as a little human 100% depends on me for life. Some of the dream probably came from the fear of possibly not being able to have a healthy pregnancy, or from never having "my body" back. I think these fears inside of me ignited my passion of pregnancy even more. The last nine months have exceeded all hopes and expectations I had and then some. For all the pregnant(and post-partum) mommas, you are so beautiful. Each body, story, and journey is different and just as beautiful.

A post shared by Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) on Apr 19, 2020 at 10:17am PDTApr 19, 2020 at 10:17am PDT

Source: Glamour

Even when she's training alone, Morgan says she uses her teammates for motivation: "When I think of my teammates training hard on their own—whether it's going out and shooting or finding people to play with—it's my job to do more than them. I'm always hoping that I'm doing more. It's motivation."

Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports

Source: Men's Health

And, at seven months pregnant, she was still ripping shots on goal.

She’s still got it

A post shared by Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) on Jan 4, 2020 at 6:08pm PSTJan 4, 2020 at 6:08pm PST

Alex Morgan is still training and ripping shots while 7 months pregnant, and it may point to her readiness for the upcoming Olympics

In order to get there, she worked out as usual throughout her pregnancy.

Alex Morgan completed her regular, high-intensity workout schedule 6 days per week through most of her pregnancy

Before the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, Morgan was adamant that she would be ready to hit the field and compete for the USWNT just three months after giving birth.

REUTERS/Mike Blake

Source: USA Today

No move further encapsulates the striker's competitive spirit than her tea-sipping celebration after she scored against England during the 2019 World Cup.

AP Photo/Francois Mori

Alex Morgan pretended to sip tea after a goal against England in the World Cup, and then fans sang 'Happy Birthday' to her

Former USWNT head coach Jill Ellis — who has managed her fair share of competitive personalities in her career — said Morgan is "one of the most competitive people I've met. It's part of her psychological makeup ... She's always pushing herself, and she doesn't let anything sidetrack her."

REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Caballero (CHILE)

Source: Oregon Live

"She works so damn hard," Carrasco added. "It's not so much that she has skills and ability, it's her commitment. She has such a desire to be the best. It's that desire that sets her apart."

Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports

Source: Orlando Magazine

During the couple's two-day honeymoon, Morgan refused to take any breaks. "That first morning, I woke up at 7 a.m., and Alex had already gone running, did a hard workout, and now she was doing squats and pushups in our room," Carrasco said. "I looked at her and thought, 'Well, I better get my ass out of bed.'"

Kamee June Photography/Handout/Getty Images

Source: Orlando Magazine

Carrasco said, "she's all or nothing in every aspect of her life." When they both played soccer at UC Berkeley, Morgan recovered from an ACL injury in six months, "which, if you know anything about sports, that's pretty crazy," he told Glamour.

In this July 18, 2018, file photo, LA Galaxy's Servando Carrasco, left, and U.S. women's national soccer team player Alex Morgan arrive at the ESPY Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

Source: Glamour

Her husband, fellow professional soccer player Servando Carrasco, noticed the same thing. "It can be absurd at times. Card games like gin rummy can turn into a fight... I mean, it's always fun, but afterward, there can be that awkward silence for two or three hours."

Reuters

Source: Orlando Magazine

One of her Cal teammates agreed: "She's the most competitive person I've ever seen," Megan Jesolva told SI. "You can't play board games with her. She goes crazy if her team's not winning. On one hand, it's funny, but on the other hand, you say, 'Wow, you're taking this a lot more seriously than the rest of us."

Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports

Source: Sports Illustrated

Morgan can't even picture herself doing anything with her life that doesn't involve competition: "If I wasn't a soccer player, I would be... a volleyball player. If not that, a softball player. I'm too competitive not to play a sport!" she said in her Cal player bio.

Collegiate Images via Getty Images

Source: Cal Bears

The Morgan family had a system in place that rewarded the three girls for their accomplishments in school, on the field, and more with points that they could cash in for their first car. The eldest two girls wound up with a Mercury sedan and Chevy truck. Alex got a new, silver Lexus IS 350.

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Source: Orlando Magazine

Her dad used to play goalie for her out in their yard, but once she turned 14 or 15, he couldn't be in goal anymore because Morgan's shots got too hard. "Eventually, I think that I almost broke his hand, and he had to step out," she said.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File

Source: US Soccer

She always took training seriously, too. "She would have a notepad and be counting all of her crunches while watching TV," Jenny said. "She would be doing squats, lunges — I mean, at nine years old!"

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Source: Glamour

But in organized sports or otherwise, Morgan always had to win. "I was so keen on beating the boys in everything," she told Men in Blazers. "Whenever we had a race or played kickball, I had to be number one. It didn't matter who I was playing against."

Stephen Lam/Getty Images

Source: US Soccer

Morgan once described herself as "the most competitive kid ever" and said she played up on her 13-year-old sister's softball team when she was just seven years old.

REUTERS/Gerardo Garcia

Source: US Soccer

The youngest of three girls, Morgan grew tired of losing board games to her older sisters as a child. "She would sit in her room for hours and play Monopoly to try to beat herself," her sister, Jenny, said. "She's always been like that."

REUTERS/Tim Shaffer

Source: Glamour

Alex Morgan has been ridiculously competitive since she was a kid — to the point that her father, Mike, has gone on the record describing her ruthless mentality as "scary."

REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito

Source: Orlando Magazine

20 examples of Alex Morgan's competitive drive that has made her a USWNT icon

Meredith Cash

Now check out the details of Morgan's deal maternity protections on her latest Nike deal:

She's not even giving herself a break when it comes to labor, as she plans to have a natural birth: "I should be able to give birth without numbing my body ... I feel like if I don't experience that, then I'll never really know what I can do, what I'm capable of."

And, at seven months pregnant, she was still ripping shots on goal.

Alex Morgan is still training and ripping shots while 7 months pregnant, and it may point to her readiness for the upcoming Olympics

In order to get there, she worked out as usual throughout her pregnancy.

Alex Morgan completed her regular, high-intensity workout schedule 6 days per week through most of her pregnancy

Before the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, Morgan was adamant that she would be ready to hit the field and compete for the USWNT just three months after giving birth.

No move further encapsulates the striker's competitive spirit than her tea-sipping celebration after she scored against England during the 2019 World Cup.

Former USWNT head coach Jill Ellis — who has managed her fair share of competitive personalities in her career — said Morgan is "one of the most competitive people I've met. It's part of her psychological makeup ... She's always pushing herself, and she doesn't let anything sidetrack her."

"She works so damn hard," Carrasco added. "It's not so much that she has skills and ability, it's her commitment. She has such a desire to be the best. It's that desire that sets her apart."

Carrasco said, "she's all or nothing in every aspect of her life." When they both played soccer at UC Berkeley, Morgan recovered from an ACL injury in six months, "which, if you know anything about sports, that's pretty crazy," he told Glamour.

Her husband, fellow professional soccer player Servando Carrasco, noticed the same thing. "It can be absurd at times. Card games like gin rummy can turn into a fight... I mean, it's always fun, but afterward, there can be that awkward silence for two or three hours."

Morgan can't even picture herself doing anything with her life that doesn't involve competition: "If I wasn't a soccer player, I would be... a volleyball player. If not that, a softball player. I'm too competitive not to play a sport!" she said in her Cal player bio.

The Morgan family had a system in place that rewarded the three girls for their accomplishments in school, on the field, and more with points that they could cash in for their first car. The eldest two girls wound up with a Mercury sedan and Chevy truck. Alex got a new, silver Lexus IS 350.

Her dad used to play goalie for her out in their yard, but once she turned 14 or 15, he couldn't be in goal anymore because Morgan's shots got too hard. "Eventually, I think that I almost broke his hand, and he had to step out," she said.

She always took training seriously, too. "She would have a notepad and be counting all of her crunches while watching TV," Jenny said. "She would be doing squats, lunges — I mean, at nine years old!"

But in organized sports or otherwise, Morgan always had to win. "I was so keen on beating the boys in everything," she told Men in Blazers. "Whenever we had a race or played kickball, I had to be number one. It didn't matter who I was playing against."

Morgan once described herself as "the most competitive kid ever" and said she played up on her 13-year-old sister's softball team when she was just seven years old.

The youngest of three girls, Morgan grew tired of losing board games to her older sisters as a child. "She would sit in her room for hours and play Monopoly to try to beat herself," her sister, Jenny, said. "She's always been like that."

Alex Morgan has been ridiculously competitive since she was a kid — to the point that her father, Mike, has gone on the record describing her ruthless mentality as "scary."

READ MORE ARTICLES ON

Popular Right Now