Olympian Alex Morgan's message to girls: Confidence in face of challenges

To be born a girl in Afghanistan is often to be ushered into a life of servitude, where girls have very little worth and very dim futures. Amina is forced to marry at 12, to bear a child though still a child herself -- while her own brother is given her dowry money to buy a used car. But Amina, whose name was changed and story portrayed by an actress out of concern for her safety, has had enough, and she is fighting back. 

CNN Films' "Girl Rising" tells the stories of Amina and other girls from around the world and how the power of education can change the world. Learn more about the girls' inspiring stories. 

(From 10x10)

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Alex Morgan writes an open letter to girls of the world

Editor's note: Alex Morgan is an Olympic Gold medalist, starting forward for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and author of "The Kicks," a children's book series. American soccer player Alex Morgan is an Olympic Gold medalist and author of "The Kicks," a children's book series. This open letter to the girls of the world is part of the "Girl Rising" project. CNN Films' "Girl Rising" documents extraordinary girls and the power of education to change the world.Watch on CNN International.

(CNN) -- Dear Girls of the World,

I didn't start playing soccer imagining I would be scoring goals in the Olympics or representing my country at the World Cup. I started playing soccer, and sports in general, as a way to simply make friends. On the field, I was able to hang out with kids my age, kick the ball around and just have a good time.

Alex Morgan

What I didn't realize at the time was that soccer would do more for me than I could ever imagine. At a young age, soccer taught me about leadership and sportsmanship and what it means to be a good teammate. Most importantly, it taught me the power of confidence.

Confidence is not something that is always easy to find. Often, being the new girl on a team or being in a group breeds insecurities. I have joined countless teams where I was the new girl, and I was never immune to those feelings of self-doubt.

I have learned that by pushing aside those insecurities and rediscovering my inner confidence, I become a better teammate and person.

That's why I wrote the book series, "The Kicks," to show girls the importance of maintaining confidence when faced with new (and sometimes scary!) opportunities. While the book is aimed at middle schoolers, the lessons in it are ones that I think hold true across all ages.

Confidence has carried me on and off the pitch, through high school in California, college at UC Berkeley and now professionally for the U.S. Women's National Team and the Portland Thorns. I have had to adjust to new surroundings, meet new people and have been challenged by different situations. All of those experiences, while nerve-wracking at the time, have empowered me to grow stronger.Joining the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team was intimidating to say the least. I joined a team with women who I had looked up to for years, and at just 20, how was I supposed to fit in with them? I was nervous and overwhelmed. But I knew that I was capable of competing with them so I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone in order to be the best player I could be. I now call these girls more than just my friends. They are my sisters, and together we support each other through thick and thin. I'm so grateful to have some amazing women around me to help me learn and grow.

It's important that as women, we stand up for ourselves, stand up for our peers and show the power that confidence can have for women everywhere.

-- Alex Morgan