"You want to be an athlete first," it's advice from US outfielder Jessica Mendoza. It’s short, sweet and to the point. And it applies to athletes of every gender, age and sport.

I met up with Jessica in Mason, OH on the 2nd stop of my Nike Final Five tour. She popped in on the girls’ varsity softball team. It’s safe to say they were surprised.

For several hours Jessica hung out with the girls, shared her stories of inspiration and pushed them in training. She took the time to play catch with each outfielder. And when offered a break to grab some dinner, she instead ordered a turkey sub to go and spent the time sitting in a circle with the team, chatting.

As president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, she challenges girls to stop defining themselves by their position or skill and focus on becoming a well-rounded athlete.

That’s easy for Jessica to say. Right? She’s US Softball Athlete of the Year, earned a gold and silver medal, two World Cup titles and consistently bats over .300. In fact in 2007 she hit .533 with 10 RBI’s.

But it hasn’t always been this way. Early in her softball career she describes her lanky uncoordinated self as “Bambi running down to first base.” Thankfully, her father instilled in her a good work ethic, and the importance of training.

“I learned at a young age it wasn’t about just going and hitting, or throwing a ball,” says Jessica. “And now I love training.”

-Meghan