Soccer champion Abby Wambach inspires kids in visit to Citi Field

FLUSHING (WABC) -- Soccer superstar Abby Wambach paid a special visit to kids in Queens Thursday, just before she threw out the first pitch at the Mets game.

Fresh off the US women's World Cup victory, she gave a motivational speech to dozens of kids from the non-profit group United Neighborhood Houses.

They got the treat of a lifetime when the soccer champion and New York native came to Citi Field to inspire the kids about reaching their goals.

"The one big thing I always want kids to walk away with is, don't ever let somebody tell you you're not good enough. Never, not for one second," Abby said. "If you have a dream if you believe you can do something, go after it."

And these kids have big dreams.

"When I grow up i want to be an NBA player," said 9-year old Gregory Drummond.

"My big dream is to be a part of the WNBA and to accomplish things nobody has accomplished before," said 10-year old Ola Matufofanah.

She may hold world records now, but before the Olympic gold medals, even Abby had her doubts about her own soccer career.

"I didn't know I'd be able to call myself a world champion, or World Cup champion," she said. "I can't just snap my fingers and do something, it takes a long time to get good at it."

Many of these children are considered at risk, and regardless of their age, the idea of working hard in the face of adversity isn't lost on them.

"Some people don't got money and you know it's hard for them to go out and buy food," said 10-year old Ashanna Carty.

"No matter what happens to you, you always have a choice how you respond to it," Abby said.

"If you do something, somebody tries to bring you down, turn those words into big things," said Ola.

"If you have a dream and go after it with everything you've got will you be successful?," Abby asked the kids. The answer was a resounding "Yes!!".