Bay FC’s Kiki Pickett rolled up to PayPal Park on September 21 with her heritage on full display. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Pickett broke out custom sneakers with both the U.S. and Mexican flags.

Written on the heels for the club's Latino Heritage Night was her personal slogan: “Kick it like Pickett.”

She’s celebrating the month in a way that is true to her, and that’s important, simply put: “Because it’s me,” Pickett said with a big smile in a video posted to Bay’s Instagram.

“I feel like I'm able to represent my Mexican side for the next generation,” she said. “I think my message is just do what you love and keep finding the love in the game and just have fun.”

Pickett’s mom grew up in Tasco, a south central town in Guerrero, Mexico, and two years ago, Pickett and her family went to visit her hometown.

“We got to see where she grew up. A very congested town on a hill,” she said. “They’re just stacked up on each other. It’s actually really beautiful too.”

For Pickett, her Mexican heritage, family, and football all go hand in hand. Her grandfather played semi-professional soccer in Iguala, and when the family moved to the United States, her abuelo became the unofficial family coach.

“Every Sunday we would have the cousins' training session. We’d do the cones, the ladders, and then afterwards make our own sandwiches and have a family get together,” Pickett said. “So I guess that’s how it all started and then my mom was my coach and it kept progressing from there and I guess that’s where it started.”

Every time she plays soccer, Pickett is honoring those moments with her family – something that goes beyond the bounds of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

“If we could, we would have every month, every day, celebrate ourselves, so I don’t think it should be down to one month,” she said. “We should be able to celebrate ourselves every day.”

You can watch Pickett and her Bay FC teammates host the Utah Royals on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. EST on Ion.