What cat wouldn’t want to prowl around in this environment, waiting for the perfect chance to pounce on a quick-moving ball?

Like another species that shares her nickname, Cat Whitehall certainly isn’t one to pass up the chance to run around and kick a ball with friends. But Cat doesn’t simply play with friends; she’s also competing in the Olympics.

She made her first appearance on the U.S. Women’s National Team in July 2000. Only three other women on the current roster have played in more games than Cat, so the experience is certainly there. However, as the team prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Cat is, at age 26, one of the younger members of the team.

When she first made it to the national team, there weren’t a lot of people around who wanted to help her out. There was a very real sense that she was on somebody else’s turf, that she was going to have to pay her dues.

The memories of having to prove herself to some of her soccer role models remain.

“I still believe that you have to earn respect, but I also believe that you can still help someone,” she says.

More Changes
Married on New Year’s Eve in 2005, Cat’s husband, Robert Whitehall, is currently a medical student at the University of North Carolina.

While she trains in California, Cat misses her husband and hopes he’ll be able to make it to China for this year’s Olympic games.

“There are days I want to be home with him and my dog, just hanging out,” Cat says. “But Robert and I both know that God has me here for a reason. He’s living his dream of being in med school, and I’m living my dream.”

As a defender, there are several areas of her game that Cat’s trying to improve, such as leadership qualities, communication on the field and remaining physically fit. During a 2006 game against Sweden, she scored on a stunning 70-yard goal. Although it was unofficially the longest goal in the team’s history, Cat still works on the long ball.

“I definitely work harder on my weaknesses, but I’m still working on my strengths,” she says.

In Control
How much longer does Cat expect to play? She says that’s a good question. At just 26, it would seem she still has plenty of time to continue living out her dream of playing at this level.

“I guess however long God wants me here,” Cat says. “I turned 26 and I’m like, ‘When do I want to start a family? When am I going to be too old, when these young kids completely school me every day in practice?’ I just have to keep making the team. We’ll see.”