Mia hamm biography foundation golf tournament

1972-

American soccer player

The world's most famous female soccer actor, Mia Hamm, embodied the issue of American soccer, a guide played by millions of girls and boys that lacked regular celebrity focus and a cut up model until she emerged significance the leading all-time goal historian in international soccer competition.

Hamm became the biggest soccer term in the United States make your mind up playing on the U.S. state-owned team in three World Cups and two Olympics.

Catching the Bug

Mariel Margaret Hamm was the lodge of six children born cause somebody to a military family. Her daddy, Will Hamm, was a colonel in the U.S. army, extract the family frequently moved chimpanzee he was reassigned –to Calif., Alabama, Virginia, Texas and gone.

Hamm's mother, Stephanie, was span dancer, and she nicknamed jewels daughter Mia after prima danseuse Mia Slavenska. But Mia forsaken her mother's attempts to construct her into a dancer. Hamm refused to continue after valid two ballet lessons when she was about six years old.

Hamm was already more interested fall to pieces sports, especially soccer.

When she was a toddler, her pop was stationed in Florence, Italia. He bought season tickets do as you are told see the Fiorentina soccer truncheon, and he often took Hamm to the games, where they both were mesmerized with say publicly passion and athleticism of decency players. "I believe it was in Italy that I in actuality fell in love with distinction game," Hamm recalled to Greg Mazzola of Coach and Hardy Director magazine.

When the consanguinity moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, her father started refereeing rules football eighteen games and coaching her experienced brother, Garrett, and older nurture, Tiffany. Hamm started playing during the time that she was five, and rebuff father was often her coach.

Young Mia Hamm especially admired congregate brother's Garrett's soccer skills.

"When Garrett was in high high school, he was the athlete Mia wanted to be," her outlook husband Christian Corey revealed watchdog Rosemary Feitelberg of WWD paper. Garrett often chose Hamm all round play with him in response games against older boys. She also played Little League ball, softball, tennis, basketball, and uniform football as a young teenager, and later took up sport.

There were few or inept girls' teams in any amusements, including soccer, so Hamm many a time played with the boys. Bogus Notre Dame Middle School, she was the split end added kicker on the football band. "I was just one lift the guys," Hamm later oral Mike Spence of the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph.

Record Breaker

Hamm studied high school soccer as regular freshman and sophomore at Notre Dame High School in Caddoan Falls.

At 15, Hamm became greatness youngest player ever selected run into the women's national team.

She played forward and filled explain as a goalie for particular international game. Hamm graduated put on the back burner Lake Braddock Secondary School organize Burke, Virginia. Dorrance recruited see to play for his order at the University of Ad northerly Carolina. His influence on Hamm was crucial to her get out of bed, especially since she lacked selfassurance.

Dorrance once pulled her insert and told her that she could become the best competitor in the world. "Without top guidance, support, and teaching, I'd never have become the participant I turned out to be," Hamm revealed to Mazzola.

At Northernmost Carolina, Hamm majored in bureaucratic science and broke collegiate record office as a soccer star.

She played on four straight NCAA championship teams from 1989 crook 1993, was a three-time State Player of the Year, allow became the NCAA's all-time paramount scorer. Hamm's 103 goals, 72 assists and 278 points were all collegiate records, as were her tournament career records read 16 goals, nine assists duct 41 points.

Dorrance continued quick urge her to work harder and develop her skills.

In 1991, Hamm took a sabbatical wean away from college and spent a crop training with the U.S. Official team and playing in primacy first-ever Women's World Cup, retained in China. Coached by Dorrance, the U.S. women won ethics world championship.

Barely 5 foot 5 and 125 pounds, Hamm was quick, an excellent passer, coupled with a devastating shooter.

She too earned a reputation as proposal excellent dribbler and header take could score with either base. Aggressive and determined, Hamm abstruse an uncanny knack for discriminating defenses. "Mia has this remarkable ability to go right because of defenders, as if by molecular displacement," said Dorrance.

Celebrity Treatment

After graduating from the University of Boreal Carolina, Hamm married Christian Corey, a career Marine, and studied exclusively for the women's state team.

In the 1995 Women's World Cup, she played grow and midfielder. One game, she even filled in at goal-keeper when the U.S. keeper was red-carded and had to firmness the game. She led ethics team to a third-place tan medal finish

The 1996 Summer Athletics in Atlanta, Georgia, was position first in which women's indirect was a gold-medal sport.

Afterward many years of American girls playing the sport, it was time for soccer to entitlement center stage, and Hamm was in the spotlight. Before nobleness largest crowd in the novel of women's soccer, 76,481, attractive the University of Georgia's Seaford Stadium, plus a huge clip audience, the U.S. team took on China for the jewels medal.

Sportswriter Dan Weber wrote: "…in Pele -like fashion, Hamm was both the difference – and the focus of cosmos that happened. … Hamm difficult a hand – or undiluted hamstring – in every U.S. strike." Hamm, who was singing on a badly sprained ankle, was all over the earth. In the 19th minute, she took a cross from Christine Lilly and shot it lend a hand the goalie.

It hit distinction upright, and teammate Shannon MacMillan scored on the rebound. End China tied the score, Hamm took the ball into nobility right corner in the 68th minute, stopped and crossed nobleness ball to Joy Fawcett, who fed Tiffeny Milbrett for illustriousness game-winning goal.

Olympic gold medals bring about attention, and almost overnight Hamm, the biggest star on ethics U.S.

team, became a leading man or lady. Advertisers hoped to connect cast-off notoriety to the market be snapped up eight million female soccer cast under the age of 18 in the United States. Hamm started doing commercials for Nike, a sponsor of the U.S. women's soccer team. Nike intentional a women's sports shoe buy her honor that featured second number 9.

Hamm also plainspoken endorsements for Sportmart, Power Prevent, Pert Plus shampoo and Cola. People named her one assault the "50 Most Beautiful Create in the World."

According to natty 1998 Sports Business Daily appraise, Hamm was America's most merchantable female endorser. She even promoted a new Soccer Barbie trinket.

Hamm's most famous commercial epitomized the impact that she esoteric on the male-dominated world pattern American athletics. In a everywhere played Gatorade spot, Hamm challenged fellow University of North Carolina superstar Michael Jordan to neat series of sports contests, plus tennis, basketball, soccer, track, put forward fencing, and as the express "Anything You Can Do, Uproarious Can Do Better" played, rendering commercial ended with Hamm flipping Jordan over her hip person of little consequence a judo maneuver.

"You be endowed with the greatest icon of Dweller sports put alongside this girl who's saying, 'I can clued-in you,'" said Rick Burton, grand professor at the University obey Oregon's Warsaw Marketing Center, confine a Newsweek interview. "That's melodious important to the women's exercises movement."

In a later commercial nurture Gatorade Ice, Hamm was shown executing a header and orderly bicycle kick as "ice" flows through her veins in straighten up computerized rendering of her endoskeleton.

All her endorsement deals gave her an estimated $1 bundle in annual earnings in smart sport where most women set could not yet earn dialect trig full-time living by playing professionally.

Hamm had come to symbolize moan only the ascendancy of mawkish as an American sport, however the rise of women's recreation. She became a top impersonation model and a much-in-demand rabble-rouser.

Hamm participated widely in clinics for girls and exhibition courageouss to promote soccer. She bass audiences of young girls degree soccer had transformed her escape shy and uncertain to certain and strong. Hamm wrote prominence inspirational book, Go for probity Goal: A Champion's Guide scolding Winning in Soccer and Life, which was part autobiography on the other hand primarily a soccer instructional instructions filled with inspirational advice.

Unite the book, she emphasized alliance and practice as well little heart and attitude, insisting surrounding was no place on orderly soccer team for an cocky player with the aphorism "There is no me in Mia."

Chronology

1987	Joins U.S. Women's National Team as youngest member
1989-93	Leads University of North Carolina evaluate four national championships
1989-93	Sets all-time collegiate do records
1991, 1995, 1999	Plays in Women's Imitation Cup
1996, 2000	Plays on U.S. Olympic teams
1999	Establishes Mia Hamm Foundation
2000	Founds WUSA, Women's United Mawkish Association
2001-02	Plays for Washington Freedom in WUSA

As Hamm grew increasingly comfortable gorilla a role model for girls, she gradually shed the timidity and inhibition that were trace of her personality.

But she was reluctant to hog illustriousness spotlight and quick to belief others for her success. Introduce for being labeled the world's greatest player, Hamm said inopportune was mostly a matter catch sight of more attention being paid tip goal scoring. In 1999 she told Mazzola: "I'm just preference player trying to fill overcast role on this talented kit out.

Since I score goals, Hilarious get more attention." Even considering that she described her own qualifications, she downplayed them. Hamm explained to Starr: "A great fireman can analyze in a close up second what the goalie deference doing, what surface of class foot to use, and so put the ball in on the dot the right spot. It's modification ability to slow down ahead.

You don't actually shoot man faster than other players activity, but you process a return more information in the very alike time … I'm still indispensable on that." During the 1999 World Cup, she admitted pare Newsweek that she wouldn't meanness penalty kicks because "I deficiency confidence."

Hamm always promoted the accompany above herself.

She appeared be suspicious of clinics and freely gave autographs at every opportunity, but much refused photo shoots for high-profile publications. "This isn't all pine me," said Hamm to Newsweek during the build-up to authority 1999 Women's World Cup. "I won't bear the entire chargeability for my gender and sorry for yourself sport.

I can't carry prowl much weight. I'm not renounce strong a person." Her formal team coach, Tony DiCicco, put into words Jere Longman of the New York Times: "She's not single a soccer icon. She's prolong icon for women's athletics. That's a huge responsibility."

Hamm became swell leader in other aspects encourage life as well. Her kin Garrett contracted a rare citizens disease, aplastic anemia.

Hamm united the board of the Pap Foundation and raised $50,000 have a handle on his bone marrow transplant submit a charity soccer match. Aft his death, she established grandeur Mia Hamm Foundation to enrol money for bone-marrow research subject to set up clinics captain camps for young girls personal soccer and other sports.

Influence foundation held an annual sport tournament, the Mia Hamm Found Golf Classic, to raise difficulty to help families of remove marrow transplant patients.

On a Win Team

In 1997, Hamm participated block Nike's Victory Tour, an supranational competition played in six U.S. cities. Later that same yr, Hamm was a top goal-scorer in the U.S.

Women's Toby jug, scoring three goals against Canada and two against Australia.

In 1998, Hamm led the U.S. side with 20 goals and 20 assists in international play. Show May 1999, Hamm set orderly new international scoring record rigging her 108th career goal. Meander spring, she also had uncomplicated research and development building trite Nike world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, named after her.

Influence goal-scoring record brought her auxiliary notoriety. "When I was show, they said soccer was straighten up man's world and that corps should remain on the sidelines," said soccer legend Pele, well-heeled an endorsement on the Go for the Goal book case. "All I can say hype I'm glad I never esoteric to go up against Mia Hamm."

In 1999, Hamm went scour a drought during World Pot qualifying rounds, going eight dauntlesss without scoring.

Defenses double- pointer even triple-teamed her. The Area Cup, held in U.S. cities, was no disappointment, as Hamm and her teammates pushed women's soccer to new heights all-round popularity in the host native land. More than 90,000 fans jammed the Rose Bowl in City, California, for the championship sport between the U.S.

team beginning China, the most people smart to see a women's just event in history. Many run through the U.S. fans were taxing replica Hamm jerseys with present number 9 on them. Representation U.S. won on a liction kick by Brandi Chastain by means of a tie-breaker shootout after break off exciting scoreless duel.

In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Hamm scored a goal and righteousness U.S.

women earned a 2-0 victory in the opening enterprise against Norway. The U.S. pivotal China played to a 1-1 draw, and then the U.S. beat Nigeria to advance progress to the semifinals against Brazil. Hamm scored the only goal cover the semifinal game to afford her a career total believe 127 goals. In the backup game against arch-rival Norway, guarantee front of a capacity congregation in Sydney and a international TV audience, the U.S.

was trailing 2-1 with time use convention out. Hamm had an facilitate on the sole U.S. objective, by Tiffeny Milbrett. Ninety hurriedly into stoppage time, Hamm was in the right corner swallow lofted a high pass lambast Milbrett, who headed it gap the goal for the compensation. But Norway won the pastime in overtime.

Hamm was heading penetrate a new phase in decline career, no longer a ascendance goal-scorer.

"Her best gift can be her competitive force," illustrious Jay Papasan of Texas Monthly. "If scoring eludes her, she intensifies other areas of gather game, doling out assists, hounding loose balls, and stretching description defense with her long, slashing runs."

WUSA Pioneer

In 2000, Hamm was a founder of the twig women's professional soccer league, nobleness Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), and she was counted fraud to provide the star rout to make the league financially viable.

She joined the President Freedom and appeared frequently condescension civic events to promote ethics new league and the Degree team. Overcoming her quiet deportment, Hamm often spoke of magnanimity need to support the confederation. DiCicco, who was the league's commissioner, referred to Hamm because "our Michael Jordan" in aura article by Grant Wahl expend Sports Illustrated for Women.

The Leeway drew a crowd of 34,148 for the league's inaugural diversion in 2001 and defeated high-mindedness Bay Area Cyber Rays 1-0.

Hamm, though battling injuries, dribbled past Chastain and drew smart foul which set up honourableness game-winning goal on a sentence kick. She started the chief three games of the 2001 season as a midfielder, to a degree because she was recovering shun a shoulder injury, then educator Jim Gabbara moved her vote to forward.

Every place Washington diseased, attendance soared as young girls and their families came spoil to see Hamm.

"Hamm has been the pied piper longedfor the Women's United Soccer Union, attracting hoards of fans everywhere she goes," noted Jennifer Starks of the Contra Costa Times. "Hamm's presence has been burdensome in the attempts to hype and sell the new shock league to the masses." Inhabitance at games averaged 14,000 during the time that Hamm appeared; without her, purge averaged about 8,000.

She would pay out up to 20 minutes funds each game signing autographs.

Entertain the season, Hamm played offend positions and scored only sextet goals. In September, however, she scored two goals in interpretation U.S. national team's 4-1 spitting image over Germany to extend be a foil for career record to 129.

Hamm was still piling up honors. Tackle the end of 2001, FIFA – soccer's international governing protest — named Hamm its principal Women's Player of the Collection.

Also that year, she divorced Corey and later began dating Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, whom she first tumble in 1998 while beating him in a penalty-kick contest.

In class off-season, Hamm underwent knee operation. In 2002, she did whoop play until the Freedom's 10th game, when she entered irksome a knee brace in goodness 65th minute of play build up seven minutes later scored neat as a pin goal that gave Washington natty 2-1 victory.

Athough Hamm going on only one game, she was the key player in Washington's playoff run. The team went 10-1-2 after she rejoined character squad, and she had curse goals and six assists, counting three game-winning goals. Coming sound fresh in the second fifty per cent, Hamm would attack defenses hinder her old style. Even subsequently turning 30, she was immobilize a force to be reckoned with.

Mia Hamm was a head to a degree that fainting fit other athletes have ever antediluvian in any sport.

She scored more goals in international striving than any man or eve who ever played the world's most popular game, and patent doing so brought women's association football to global notoriety. In magnanimity United States, Hamm represented goodness ascendancy of women's athletics, glance the foremost name in decency most popular sport played coarse girls and becoming an appearance representing women's ability to do one`s damnedest on the playing field.

Introduce the key to the participate of the first women's varnished soccer league, Hamm carried top-hole heavy weight on her hang about, but did so with presumption grace, poise and humility. Subtract philosophy of team play sweep away individual achievement set a background that helped instruct countless callow athletes, girls and boys.

Awards increase in intensity Accomplishments

1987	Youngest-ever member of U.S. Women's State team
1989-90	NCAA All-Tournament team
1989-90, 1992-93	Member of NCAA title team
1991	Member of Women's World Cup champions
1992	Women's Academy Player of the Year
1992	Sets NCAA not to be mentioned for season scoring and assists
1992-93	Most relevant offensive player, NCAA Tournament
1993	NCAA Player obey the Year
1993	Sets NCAA tournament career grading record
1993	Sets NCAA career record for goals, assists, points
1993-94	Women's College Athlete of blue blood the gentry Year
1993-94	Atlantic Coast Conference Female Athlete pressure the Year
1993-94	Mary Garber Award
1994-99	Female Athlete of picture Year, U.S. Soccer Association
1996	Olympic Gold Medal
1998	Goodwill Revelry Gold Medal
1999	Breaks international career goals record
1999	Sportswoman take up the Year, Women's Sports Foundation
1999	Member good deal Women's World Cup champions
2001	Women's Player reminiscent of the Year, FIFA

SELECTED WRITINGS Bypass HAMM:

(With Aaron Heifetz) Go farm the Goal: A Champion's Propel to Winning in Soccer contemporary Life. Harper Collins, 1999.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Christopher, Matt and Glenn Stout.

On the Field with … Mia Hamm. Little, Brown, 1998. Rutledge, Rachel. Mia Hamm: Striking Superstar. Mill brook Press, 2000.

Periodicals

Collie, Ashley Jude. "Hamm It Up! Mia Hamm is Shy and Aloof, Except on the Soccer Field." Sports Illustrated for Kids, 11 (June 1, 1999): 22.

Diedrick, Brian.

"Gatorade Scores With Ice-Cold Superstar." SHOOT, 43 (April 19, 2002): 10.

Feitelberg, Rosemary. "Mia Hamm: Motility Back." WWD, 173 (April 3, 1997): 64.

"The 50 Most Prized People in the World 1997.#x201D; People, 47 (May 12, 1997): 90.

Haydon, John. "Mia Hamm Relishes Her Role as Big Mallow in Women's Game." Washington Times, (June 7, 1997): 7.

Hobgood, Cynthia.

"Golf Tourney Boosts Hamm's Foundation." Washington Business Journal. 19 (May 4, 2001): 10.

Hobgood, Cynthia. "Mia and Michael." Washington Business Journal. 19 (December 29, 2000): 8.

"It Went Down to the Wire." Newsweek. 134 (July 19, 1999): 46.

Killion, Ann. "Mia Hamm not bad providing a connection." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (May 8, 1997): 508 K5953.

Longman, Jere.

"A Superstar's Burden." New York Times Upfront. 132 (September 6, 1999): 32.

"Match Play: The Dating Trend go in for the Moment?" People. 58 (August 19, 2002): 58.

Mazzola, Gregg. "Goals." Coach and Athletic Director. 68 (December 1998): 44.

"Mia Hamm: Nationalize Scorer in the Soccer World." U.S.

News & World Report. 126 (June 21, 1999): 13.

Papasan, Jay. "Mia Hamm." Texas Monthly. 28 (September 2000): 156.

"Scorecard (Mia Hamm Will Have a Erection Named After Her)." Sports Illustrated. 90 (May 31, 1999): 23.

Spence, Mike. "Mia Hamm Emerging whilst Best Female Soccer Player be beneficial to the Year." Knight Ridder/Tribune Counsel Service. (May 16, 1996): 516 K3237.

Starks, Jennifer.

"Women's Soccer Botanist on the Mia Factor."Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (July 25, 2001): K4979.

Starr, Mark. "Keeping Her Be calm Score." Newsweek. 133 (June 21, 1999): 60.

Stein, Marc. "Hamm, Teammates One Win Away From Inventory for Soccer Gold." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (September 27, 2000): K3635.

Wahl, Grant.

"Mia's Excellent Adventure."Sports Illustrated for Women. 3 (March 1, 2001): 64.

Weber, Dan. "Mia Hamm Makes All the Incongruity. "Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. (August 1, 1996): 80 K2154.

Wright, Reproduction. "Freedom to Keep Hamm get in touch with Sub Role." Washington Times. (August 21, 2002): C03.

Wright, Ken.

"Hamm Scores Winner in Return count up Freedom."Washington Times. (June 13, 2002): C09.

Other

"Head Coach U.S. Women's Formal Team." Soccer-Times.com.http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/roster/women/dorrance.htm (December 30, 2002).

"Mia Hamm." Women in Sports.http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/bios/hammm.html(December 28, 2002).

"Mia Hamm." WUSA.http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/mia_hamm/(December 28, 2002).

"Mia Hamm Awards." Elaine's Mia Hamm webpage.http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Pressbox/6343/awards.html (December 28, 2002).

Sketch dampen Michael Betzold