Heather Mitts

Heather Mitts , whi is still rehabbing from an ACL injury , has been busy at the NSCAA Convention signing autographs for Under Armour and Women's Professional Soccer.

Give us an update on the injury. You were in the mini-camp in December. Did you do any contact drills then ?

I wasn't supposed to , but I did. It's so hrad not to when you get out there. That's the thing that I talked about with Pia. I'm not ready for China because I'm not ready to go out there and be 100% , so we thought maybe February coming into camp which I'm going to do on the 1st and hopefully make the Algarve Cup , without the brace , being 100% and going forward from there.

How are you feeling ?

Great. I'm in Philly right now doing double days. It feels like it did before , now I know it's just a matter of me getting out there and getting used to playing with the new players and the old players and getting fit again.

Have you been following the Four NAtions Tournament ?

As well as I can. It's hard when you're not over there , but I know they've won both their games so far. Pia is going to do a great job. I know the players , I've talked to lot of them , are really excited about going forward and obviously the Olympics.

What were your impressions of Pia from the four-day camp in December ?

Luckily for me , she was my coach in Philly . so I knew her a little bit before hand. It was so much fun because I knew what to expect and it's the same old Pia. It's a completely different philosophy and I think it will be great for this US team to be able to go out there with a new coach and play a new style f soccer.

You're here signing autographs at the Women's Professional Soccer booth. What do you think now that it's really official ?

I'm so excited that it's coming back. We need it. Not only for those kids looking forward to coming out of college and playing and little girls growing up , but also the fact that it's going to help our Women's National Team with the pool. We saw that when it went away , we didn't have as many players that were training single everyday. I think it's so important to the growth of women's soccer in the states.

The WUSA was critical to your development as a player ?

I wouldn't have been on the National Team if it weren't for the league. It's just so important for so many of those girls coming out of college that don't have the means to be able to play every single day with the Women's National Team. I've gotten so lucky from it and I know Shannon Boxx and Abby Wambach are the same story. You look at them and they are two of the best players on the team. It was detrimental not to have a league and I know we are alllooking forward to it being back.

i think she will be able to play olympics and come back strong

I'm hoping she will play a small part in the Algarve Cup , they have missed her at the back.

on her myspace heather said she will be in algarve bud only for training
pia dioenst want to risk that she have to miss the qualifiers

Stands to reason I suppose , I would prefer Mittsy to be fit for the qualifiers and then the Olympics.

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_5406726.html

I've never really understood why women players want to play in the olympics - I don't begrudge anyone who aspires to be there and attains their wish, but don't know why football players do, seeing as they have other tournaments

I think it's probably because, in a way, league is not as important as international play (because of pay and popularity issues). The leagues in Europe haven't really been around that long, and most still aren't professional. The top international women's teams get paid fairly well by their national teams, so they want the paychecks, and they show up for as much international duty as possible. The best players show up because of this and that's what makes the Olympics like the World Cup II for the women.

But the England players, at least, got paid poorly for the WC - some had mortgages to pay which were not covered, for instance.

Why would they want to go to China again?

As England aren't allowed to go it wont be a problem this time

Every cloud has a silver lining

The orignal majors of women 's international soccer/football (China, Germany, Norway, Sweden, USA) set the presidence for the importance of this event a decade or two ago, because of the above reasons, they made it historically important to women's soccer/football. History sets an events prestige, and women's soccer/football is different than men's. This history makes it important to the women's game today, and that's why an up and comming team like England want to be apart of it, no matter what they get paid, because they know it's a big deal in women's international soccer/football.

You have to remember that women's and men's soccer/football have different historys, and that's what makes different things important in the two sports, and why you really can't judge them on the same terms.

It's just a shame that the rules work against them in this competition, because they deserve to be there.

OK - I get what you are saying

Thanks

she will be back

stronger then ever

pic from a fiew days ago)

someone know how mittsy is now?

Mittsy played in the friendly against Australia and said the knee felt fine. It's good to have her back