Mia Hamm: Soccer

Hall of Famer

Photo: businessweek.com

Website: http://www.miafoundation.org/

Mia Hamm is arguably the greatest women’s soccer player to ever play the game. She made numerous appearances on the national and Olympic teams, and she broke almost every record imaginable. Although her name will probably remain in the record books indefinitely, her records alone cannot describe everything she has done, not only for the sport of soccer but for all women’s sports. Hamm has become one of the most recognizable females in sports, a cultural icon, and a hero for men and women around the world. Her popularity has brought attention to the sport of soccer, as well as creating other opportunities for women in sports.

Friends and family remember her athleticism from a very young age. Born in 1972, the same year Title IX was passed, Hamm spent most of her childhood trying to keep up with her older brother, Garrett. She played every sport, particularly basketball, soccer, and football. Although her athletic talent was prevalent across all sports, at the age of 14, she decided to focus solely on soccer. Hamm was so gifted at soccer that she moved from her home in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Virginia to finish high school and play on a superior soccer team. At age 15, Hamm made the record books for the first of many times as the youngest player to be named to the U.S. National Soccer Team.

Hamm took her talents to perennial powerhouse, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. She led the Tar Heels to four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s championships, earning multiple All-American, All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player, and ACC Female Athlete of the Year honors along the way. Hamm was so dominant on her soccer team and on UNC’s campus that she was nicknamed “Jordan” after fellow UNC student-athlete, Michael Jordan. Her legacy at UNC still remains, as she is the all-time record holder in the ACC for goals, assists, and total points. Realizing that there will never be another person quite like Mia Hamm, the University of North Carolina retired Hamm’s number, 19, in 1994.¹

Her incredible soccer career did not stop after college, as she continued to play on the U.S. National Team. Although Hamm plays the position of forward, she is often considered the best all-around player due to her versatility on the field. In fact, she has even played goalie. Over the course of her career, she participated in four World Cups and three Olympic Games and played a major role in the United States’ World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999 and the Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004. Seeing as she has scored goals in 13 countries against 25 different national teams, it is not surprising that she is the world’s leading scorer in international competition among both men and women with 158 goals. Her success has earned her numerous awards, including U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year, Team MVP, and ESPY’s Female Athlete of Year. Hamm retired after the 2004 Olympics, spending a remarkable span of 17 years on the U.S. National team.

Her achievements on the soccer field have catapulted her to celebrity status off the field. People Magazine named Hamm one of the 50 most beautiful people in 1997 and Nike, a long-time sponsor of Hamm, named the largest building on its corporate campus in Oregon after her.² She also authored a book entitled Go for the Goal: A Champion’s Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life. With all this success and attention, many would believe Hamm would overshadow her incredible teammates, but that was not the case. Hamm was quoted in the Boston Globe saying, “There’s no ‘me’ in Mia and no ‘Ham’ in Hamm.”³ Hamm and her teammates have symbolized the essence of team unity. Although Hamm may be the cover girl of soccer, she realizes that much of her success came with the help of her teammates. Her appreciation of teamwork extends to bettering society and her dedication to various causes.

In 1999, Hamm started the Mia Foundation, which focuses on raising funds to cure bone marrow diseases and developing programs for young women in sports. With the help from founding partners Nike, Mattel, and Gatorade, the Mia Foundation is able to focus on two very different missions, but they are similar in that they are both issues that Hamm is passionate about.⁴

In 1996, Hamm’s best friend, hero, and older brother, Garrett, died of aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder. As Hamm was preparing for the 1996 Olympics, she stood by her brother when the doctors told Garrett that there was nothing more they could do. With the pain of this news in her heart, Hamm went to Atlanta to compete in the Olympic debut of women’s soccer. Garrett watched from the sidelines, as even his illness could not stop him from supporting his sister and her teammates as they went on to beat China to win the Olympic gold medal. Since his death, Hamm has been committed to the research and fundraising efforts of bone marrow diseases. In 2001, the Mia Foundation held the first Garrett Game. The Garrett Game is an exhibition game that features all-star players as well as All-American college players. It has since become an annual event that raises awareness and funds for bone marrow disease research and causes.

Hamm also realizes how fortunate she has been in her life, and she wants to be able to provide young women everywhere with the same opportunities. Hamm credits the pioneers in her sport for the opportunities, and she wants to ensure that the progress of women continues to grow.

Now that Hamm is retired from soccer, she faces a new challenge: motherhood. In 2007, Hamm and her husband, baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, became the parents of twin girls. Since her retirement from soccer, she is anxious to devote her life to something else. Hamm admits that she will miss playing the game, but she will contribute to the sport in new ways. Not only will she be a spectator, but she plans on being involved in the women’s professional soccer league that will be launched in 2009.⁵ Although soccer saw an incredible player and pioneer for women’s sports hang up her cleats, Mia Hamm’s impact both on and off the field will be seen by generations to come.

Notes

1. “About Mia,” Mia Hamm Foundation, http://www.miafoundation.org/aboutmia.asp (accessed April 4, 2008).

2. Landon Hall, “Mia Hamm Deals with Celebrity Status,” AP Online, June 5, 1999.

3. John Powers, “No ‘me’ in Mia. She’s her sport’s most recognizable-and perhaps best-player, but for US star Hamm, the team comes first,” The Boston Globe, June 18, 1999.

4. “Our Mission,” Mia Hamm Foundation, www.miafoundation.org (accessed April 4, 2008).

5. Billy Witz, “Momma Mia facing the best women’s soccer teams was nothing compared to Hamm’s latest endeavor—being the mother of 9-month-old twin daughters,” Daily News, January 5, 2008.

This excerpt was written by Sara Jane Baker.

Mia Hamm was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 along with teammate Julie Foudy. Hamm appeared in the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.