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Mia Hamm
(1972- )
Soccer player. Born Mariel Margaret Hamm on March 17, 1972 in Selma,
Alabama. Largely considered the best female soccer player in history, Hamm
played with the United States women's national soccer team for 17 years,
building one of the biggest fan bases of any American athlete. She was named
FIFA World Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.
The daughter of an Air Force pilot, Hamm moved often with her family
throughout her childhood and credits her brother, Garrett, for encouraging
her in sports. At age 15, she was the youngest soccer player ever to play
for the national team. Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, where she helped take the team to four consecutive NCAA women's
championships.
In 1991, at age 19, she was the youngest team member in history to win the
World Cup. Five
Before the 90s, women's soccer wasn't all that popular, let's
face it. Although the first few matches were played in England around the
beginning of the 20th century, women's soccer died down afterwards.
Mia Hamm's brother recalls that she was extremely athletic even
back then and that she would often compete with the other boys on the block
in childhood games, often winning them. But earlier on, Mia Hamm had some
problems with her legs, being born with a partial clubfoot. This meant that
she had to wear casts on her feet to correct this problem but fortunately,
the casts had a visible effect and young Mia Hamm would soon fully recover.
The fact that she had this problem might have triggered an
ambition for athletics and sports on her part.
Throughout Mia Hamm's childhood, she had to move a lot, her
father being in the Air Force. One time her and her family was in Italy and
it is there that Mia saw exactly what soccer is about. The Italians' passion
for soccer triggered an interest in soccer, when she was just 6 years old.
Moving to Texas, she immediately picked up the sport and started playing for
a local women's soccer youth club.
- Unlike most other players, male or female, that have to go
through certain steps during their childhood, Mia Hamm's career had a jump
start at an incredibly early age. With Mia dominating the youth competitions
of women's soccer in Texas, it was only natural that she ended up in the
spotlight of the United States national team staff. However, aged 14, she
wasn't ready for that big of a leap yet.
One of the less known facts about Mia Hamm is that she also
enjoyed playing and watching American football and this helped her later on
in her soccer career, increasing her stamina, her constitution and combative
spirit.
She would later be known in the world of women's soccer as a
player shining out with these qualities, as well as a great off-the-ball
ability and a heightened sense for goal. But we're a bit off track, so let's
get back to when did Mia Hamm start playing soccer.
Hamm focused solely on the US national squad, participating in
the 1995 World Cup, where the United States ended up third. A moment bound
to be remembered from that World Cup was when Mia Hamm went on to play as a
goalkeeper, with no one left to play on this position. Despite the United
States losing the title and the final, Mia Hamm was voted the Most Valuable
Player of the World Cup.
One year later, at the 1996 Olympic Games, Hamm suffered an
ankle injury that kept her off the pitch for a match, but she was able to
recover for the final, played against China. Hamm contributed decisively to
the winning goal, her shot coming off the bar, only to be plunged back in
the net by Shannon MacMillan and the United States hanged another Gold Medal
around the necks of its players.
(1972- )
Soccer player. Born Mariel Margaret Hamm on March 17, 1972 in Selma,
Alabama. Largely considered the best female soccer player in history, Hamm
played with the United States women's national soccer team for 17 years,
building one of the biggest fan bases of any American athlete. She was named
FIFA World Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.
The daughter of an Air Force pilot, Hamm moved often with her family
throughout her childhood and credits her brother, Garrett, for encouraging
her in sports. At age 15, she was the youngest soccer player ever to play
for the national team. Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, where she helped take the team to four consecutive NCAA women's
championships.
In 1991, at age 19, she was the youngest team member in history to win the
World Cup. Five
Before the 90s, women's soccer wasn't all that popular, let's
face it. Although the first few matches were played in England around the
beginning of the 20th century, women's soccer died down afterwards.
Mia Hamm's brother recalls that she was extremely athletic even
back then and that she would often compete with the other boys on the block
in childhood games, often winning them. But earlier on, Mia Hamm had some
problems with her legs, being born with a partial clubfoot. This meant that
she had to wear casts on her feet to correct this problem but fortunately,
the casts had a visible effect and young Mia Hamm would soon fully recover.
The fact that she had this problem might have triggered an
ambition for athletics and sports on her part.
Throughout Mia Hamm's childhood, she had to move a lot, her
father being in the Air Force. One time her and her family was in Italy and
it is there that Mia saw exactly what soccer is about. The Italians' passion
for soccer triggered an interest in soccer, when she was just 6 years old.
Moving to Texas, she immediately picked up the sport and started playing for
a local women's soccer youth club.
- Unlike most other players, male or female, that have to go
through certain steps during their childhood, Mia Hamm's career had a jump
start at an incredibly early age. With Mia dominating the youth competitions
of women's soccer in Texas, it was only natural that she ended up in the
spotlight of the United States national team staff. However, aged 14, she
wasn't ready for that big of a leap yet.
One of the less known facts about Mia Hamm is that she also
enjoyed playing and watching American football and this helped her later on
in her soccer career, increasing her stamina, her constitution and combative
spirit.
She would later be known in the world of women's soccer as a
player shining out with these qualities, as well as a great off-the-ball
ability and a heightened sense for goal. But we're a bit off track, so let's
get back to when did Mia Hamm start playing soccer.
Hamm focused solely on the US national squad, participating in
the 1995 World Cup, where the United States ended up third. A moment bound
to be remembered from that World Cup was when Mia Hamm went on to play as a
goalkeeper, with no one left to play on this position. Despite the United
States losing the title and the final, Mia Hamm was voted the Most Valuable
Player of the World Cup.
One year later, at the 1996 Olympic Games, Hamm suffered an
ankle injury that kept her off the pitch for a match, but she was able to
recover for the final, played against China. Hamm contributed decisively to
the winning goal, her shot coming off the bar, only to be plunged back in
the net by Shannon MacMillan and the United States hanged another Gold Medal
around the necks of its players.