Heather Mitts is perhaps better known for her striking good looks instead of her ball striking. But the 28-year-old defender for the U.S. National team is breaking out as one of the best female soccer players in the country and is SCF’s Female Athlete of the Month.

A member of the 2004 Olympic gold medal winners, Mitts starred at the University of Florida and a member of the inaugural WUSA, playing for the Philadelphia Charge. The demise of the domestic professional league hasn’t diminished her love for soccer, nor has it changed her advice for young athletes.

“Have fun,” she said. “Set your sights high. If you don’t achieve your ultimate dream, you will achieve a lot along the way, there are a lot of special things that come out of that. Being good but it’s most important to have fun.”

Mitts’ All-American looks and take-charge personality has helped her land a sideline reporting gig with ESPN, not to mention a slew of magazine covers, as she trains for national team play.

What makes her tick?

“I think the fact that I’m a very competitive person,” she said. “I want to be the best that I can possibly be. I set my goals extremely high.”

Mitts came to the national team as Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandy Chastain and the rest of the women’s soccer pioneers brought the game to the forefront of the American sporting scene. She feels lucky for her timing. “I think I’m playing with most of my role models,” she said before her elders retired. “(Growing up) I played with a lot of males. It is great that there are a lot more female role models out there today.”