London, 2012. It’s the final minute of the semi-final game in women’s Olympic soccer. The United States and Canada are tied 3 to 3. Suddenly, a young player called Baby Horse shoots a header into the back of the net. Goal! The team advances to the final. They earn the gold medal and go home champions.

Who is this amazing player? Her name is Alex Morgan. Called Baby Horse because of her age and running style, Alex is one of the top stars in U.S. women’s soccer. She was the youngest woman to join the United States soccer team in 2011. She was also the youngest player to make twenty goals in one season. Alex has played in many Olympic and World Cup soccer matches. She currently plays soccer professionally for the San Diego Wave.

In addition to her talents on the soccer field, Alex Morgan is a role model off the field. She wrote a series of books for kids called The Kicks. In these books she writes about being a part of a team. The girls on the team learn lessons about sportsmanship and friendship. These lessons are important to Alex. She says, “I think it’s huge, especially in team sports, for players to be able to rely on each other and to really trust in each other.”

Alex believes in equality for women’s sports. When she found out that female soccer players on the national team were only earning one-fourth of the salary of male players, she decided to fight back. She and a group of other female players won their battle to increase pay for women. Alex says, “People say, 'you run like a girl; you play like a girl.’ That shouldn't be negative. You should be proud to play like a girl!”