Soccer star Rose Lavelle says 'I still get nervous' competing for the US women's national team

• Rose Lavelle is one of the most tenured players on the latest US Women's National Team roster.
• But the star midfielder says she "still get[s] nervous" when she's called up to represent the USWNT.

Rose Lavelle is one of the most electric players on the US Women's National Team.

The 5-foot-4 midfielder burst onto the international soccer scene with her stunning left-footed goal that secured the USWNT's victory in the 2019 World Cup final. And in the three years since that breakout performance, she's become a bona fide superstar.

Now, at just 26 years old, Lavelle is one of the most tenured players on head coach Vlatko Andonovski's most recent USWNT roster. Just five players — goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Abby Dahlkemper and Kelley O'Hara, and fellow midfielders Lindsey Horan and Sam Mewis — have more caps than her 68.

"It was kind of funny because going into camp [in November], I was like, 'Oh, I guess I'm one of the more experienced players here now,'" Lavelle told Insider while discussing her partnership with Icy Hot. "That was new territory for me."

"The last time that we went through this kind of transition period, I was one of the new players — one of the players coming into camp and getting a feel for things," she added.

But even as she's cemented herself as a mainstay for the world's top-ranked national team — and tallied career-highs in both goals and assists for Andonovski's squad in 2021 — Lavelle still gets the jitters when she's gearing up to compete for the USWNT.

"To be honest, I still feel nervous sometimes at camp," she said. "That's just part of the environment. You go in and you're constantly pushed and uncomfortable, but it's great because it makes you better."

"Nerves are a natural thing," she added. "Like I was saying, I still get nervous going into camp and I don't think that'll ever go away. I don't ever want it to go away, because I don't ever want to get complacent in that environment."

Over the years, Lavelle has found that "the more that you're in camp, the more you're able to manage" the pressure and anxiety. And she's trying to relay that message, and share her experiences more generally, to help the group of newcomers acclimate after joining the team for the first time at recent camps.

"It's definitely an exciting time with a lot of new players coming in and I'm excited to see what this group can do," Lavelle said. "I've definitely been there and been in all their shoes. And having that experience myself definitely helps me usher them in and make them feel comfortable and help teach them everything that goes into being a national team player."