Jill Ellis

“My dad has a certain spirit, a twinkle in his eye, someone who can set a certain standard for players but also convey it with humor. What I learned from him is that coaching is, more than anything, about connecting with people.”

“I grew up playing in the schoolyard with the boy, and on the side of the grounds my dad coached on. I have a lot of fond memories.”

“I went into coaching never worrying about what I was coaching for other than trying to make sure that I can prepare my team, select my team, have an amazing staff around me.”

“Ultimately, if you can have a very cohesive and tight unit, it obviously will pay dividends down the line.”

“Many people say, 'Your dad was so ahead of his time,' and he was a feminist in the truest sense, but he's very much for opportunities for all people... To him, a soccer player is a soccer player.”

“We've got to make sure we have players that can break teams down because there's no space in behind; we need to problem-solve in a different way.”

“If someone's off their line, they're off their line.”

“I grew up playing with boys in the yard and my brother in the backyard and boys in the schoolyard.”

“I was just fortunate to move to the States and have an opportunity to play organized football.”

“When all is said and done, I always used to say this to recruits: 'I don't remember one goal I scored. I don't remember one result. I just remember the people that touched my life and that connected with me.'”

“Coming out of 2015, I just realized it's OK not to look perfect. It's OK to make sure that your players remain in that bubble, stay focused and true to who we are, and keep the belief internally.”

“What soccer and coaching gave me was sort of a stage.”

“World Cups aren't moments to invest in players.”

“Especially in the States, at every level - whether it's collegiate, whether it's our professional league - we need more women in coaching, 100 percent.”

“I just love the sport, love the game.”

“My dad's always had an unbelievable, positive attitude about everything.”

“A rule is a rule.”

“The players come out and want to be as fresh as they can, press, keep a team in their end, create chances, create set pieces, and really try and get the upper hand early.”

“You have to be able to adjust with the moment, whether it's an injury, a result.”

“If we're looking at the pure development of our game, the challenge is not to have a 200-cap player because that means there is something better that is coming along.”