Mia Hamm: Difference between revisions

Mia Hamm

Hamm in June 2008
Personal information
Full name	Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra
Date of birth	(1972-03-17) March 17, 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth	Selma, Alabama, United States
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1986–1988	Notre Dame Knights
1989	Lake Braddock Bruins
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1989–1994	North Carolina Tar Heels	95	(103)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2003	Washington Freedom	49	(25)
International career‡
1987–2004	United States	275	(158)
Medal record Women's soccer Representing the  United States FIFA Women's World Cup 1991 China Team 1999 USA Team 1995 Sweden Team 2003 USA Team Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Team 2004 Athens Team 2000 Sydney Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 28, 2007 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 29, 2007

Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra (born March 17, 1972) is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. She played as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team from 1987 to 2004 and was a founding member of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001–2003.

Hamm held the record for international goals, more than any other player, male or female, in the history of soccer,^[1] until 2013 when fellow American Abby Wambach scored her 159th goal to break the record and Christine Sinclair of Canada passed her in August 2016.^[2] Hamm's 275 international caps rank third for the most caps on the U.S. national team behind former teammates Kristine Lilly (354) and Christie Pearce (311). Her 144 international career assists rank first in the national team record books.^[3]

Twice-named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 (the first two years that the award was given to women players), Hamm was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and was the first woman player inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame.^[3] Haled by Pelé as one of FIFA's 100 best living players, Hamm, along with teammate Michelle Akers, were the only two women included in the FIFA 100.^[4]

Author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life, Hamm appeared in the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, Nine for IX:The '99ers, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos and numerous television shows. The Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon called her, "Perhaps the most important athlete of the last 15 years."^[5] She is a co-owner of the Los Angeles FC.^[6]

Born in Selma, Alabama, Mia was the fourth of six children born to Bill and Stephanie Hamm.^[7] She wore corrective shoes as a toddler after being born with a club foot.^[8] Hamm spent her childhood on United States Air Force bases with her parents and siblings. The family moved many times and resided in several places including San Antonio, Texas, and Italy.^[9] Florence, Italy is where Hamm was first introduced to soccer. Soon her entire family became involved in the sport.^[10]

Hamm played sports from a young age. While in junior high school, she excelled as a football player on the boys' team. As a high school freshman and sophomore, she played soccer for Notre Dame Catholic High School in Wichita Falls, Texas. At age 15, she played at the 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival and was the youngest player to play for the United States women's national soccer team. As a new player, she often started as a forward but did not score a goal during her first year on the team.^[11] Hamm later attended Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia for one year, and helped the Lake Braddock soccer team win the 1989 state championships.^[12]

Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she helped the Tar Heels win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championships in five years. She red-shirted the 1991 to focus on preparation for the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China.^[3] North Carolina lost 1 game of the 95 she played on the team.^[13] She earned All-American honors and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year three consecutive years.^[7] She was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994.^[14] She graduated from North Carolina with the ACC records for goals (103), assists (72), and total points (278).^[15] In 2003, she and Michael Jordan were named the ACC's Greatest Athletes of the conference's first fifty years.^[16]

Hamm was a member of the United States women's national college team that played at the 1993 Summer Universiade in Buffalo, New York.^[17] The team won a silver medal after being defeated by China.^[18]

Hamm joined the United States women's national soccer team at the age of 15, becoming the youngest ever to play on the national team.^[19] In 1991, she was named to the roster for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in China under North Carolina coach, Anson Dorrance. At 19 years old, she was the youngest player on the team.^[20] During the team's first match of the tournament, 14,000 people were in attendance as Hamm scored the game-winning goal in the 62nd-minute leading the U.S. to a 3–2 win over Sweden.^[21] The U.S. faced Brazil during their second group stage match on November 19. The U.S. won 5–0 with goals scored by Carin Jennings, Michelle Akers, Hamm, and two by April Heinrichs.^[22] The U.S. squad finished first in Group B after a third win against Japan on November 21 and advanced to knockout stage of the tournament.^[23] During the quarterfinal match against Chinese Taipei, the U.S. easily defeated their opponents 7–0.^[24] After defeating Germany 5–2 during the semi-final, the U.S. faced Norway in the final. In front of 63,000 spectators, the U.S. clinched the first World Cup championship title after a 2–1 win.^[25]

During the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden, Hamm made her second World Cup appearance for the United States at age 23 - this time led by head coach Tony DiCicco.^[26] During the team's first match of the tournament on June 6, she scored the team's third goal in the 51st minute in what resulted as a 3–3 draw against China PR.^[27] The U.S. faced Denmark during its second group stage match. Goals from Kristine Lilly and Tiffeny Milbrett led to a 2–0 win for the U.S. Hamm played goalkeeper for a few minutes after the goalkeeper, Briana Scurry, received a red card and was removed from the match.^[28][29] After defeating Australia 4–1 on June, 10, the U.S. advanced to the knock-out stage and defeated Japan 4–0 in the quarter-final.^[30] The U.S. was defeated by eventual champion Norway 1–0 in the semi-finals^[31] and captured third place after defeating China PR 2–0 on June 17. Hamm scored the U.S.' second goal of the match in the 55th minute.^[32]

Hamm was a key part of the U.S. team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The tournament marked the first time that women's soccer and softball were included.^[33] The U.S. faced Denmark in their first preliminary round match. Hamm scored a goal and served an assist to Tiffeny Milbrett to lead the U.S. to a 3–0 win.^[34] The team defeated Sweden 2–1 next in front of 28,000 spectators at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.^[35] After tying China 0-0 in their preliminary round match, the U.S. finished second in Group E and advanced to the semi-finals to battle Norway.^[35] A sudden-death goal scored by Shannon MacMillan in the 100th minute advanced the U.S. to the Olympic final to face China.^[36] Despite entering the final with foot and groin injuries suffered during the match against Sweden and team training,^[37][38] Hamm played until the final minute of the match when she was removed by stretcher.^[39] The U.S. won their first-ever Olympic gold medal with a 2–1 win over China, a game witnessed by 76,481 fans in the stadium - the largest crowd for a soccer event in the history of the Olympics and the largest crowd for a women's sports event in the United States.^[40][41][42]

Hamm again played for the national team at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, hosted by the United States.^[43] During the team's first group stage match against Denmark, she scored her 110th international goal in the 17th minute and served an assist to Julie Foudy in the 73rd minute. The U.S. went on to win 3–0 in front of 78,972 spectators at Giants Stadium in New York.^[44] During the team's next group stage match against Nigeria, Hamm's low free kick was knocked into the goal by a Nigerian midfielder in the 19th minute.^[45] Within a minute, Hamm scored another goal off a free kick.^[45] She served an assist to Kristine Lilly in the 32nd minute before being subbed off in the 57th minute.^[46][45] The U.S. won 7–1 and secured a berth to the quarter-finals.^[47].^[45] During the team's final group stage match, head coach Tony DiCicco rested a number of players, including Hamm who subbed out at halftime. The U.S. defeated Korea 3–0 and finished Group A with nine points.^[47] The U.S. defeated Germany 3-2 in the quarter-finals^[48] and advanced to the semi-finals against Brazil at Stanford Stadium. Late in the second half, Hamm was knocked down in the penalty area and the U.S. was awarded a penalty kick which Michelle Akers converted to lift the team to a 2–0 win and berth to the final.^[49]

After 90 minutes of scoreless regulation time and 30 minutes of sudden death, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final was decided by an intense penalty shootout between the U.S. and China. Each of the five American players who took the penalty kicks (Carla Overbeck, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Hamm, and Brandi Chastain) converted while China missed one.^[50] The final surpassed the 1996 Atlanta Olympic final as the most-attended women's sports event, with more than 90,000 people filling the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.^[51][52]

Hamm represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. During the group stage, she scored a goal against Norway in the 24th minute to lift the United States to a 2–0 win.^[53] The team tied China 1–1 in their next group stage match before defeating Nigeria 3–1 to finish first in their group.^[54] After advancing to the semi-finals where the U.S. faced Brazil, Hamm scored the game-winning goal in the 60th minute.^[55] The goal marked the 127th of her international career and set a new record for most goals scored in international play by a woman or man.^[55] The U.S. faced Norway in the final and were defeated 3–2 in overtime to earn the silver medal at the Games.^[56][54]

Originally scheduled for China, the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was moved to the United States due to the SARS outbreak.^[57] Hamm was named to the U.S. roster in August.^[58] Age 31, she stated that it would be her final World Cup appearance.^[59] During the team's first group stage match, Hamm's three assists helped lift the U.S. to a 3–1 win over Sweden.^[60] She scored a brace against Nigeria and served the assist for the team's third goal to lead the U.S. to a commanding 5–0 win.^[61]

Hamm helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and was also chosen by her fellow U.S. Olympians to carry the American flag at the Athens Closing Ceremonies. After the Olympics, Hamm and her teammates went on a "farewell tour" of the United States, which ended on December 8, 2004 against Mexico at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. In the game, which the U.S. won 5–0, Hamm assisted on two of the goals. Hamm is one of three longtime national team members who announced their retirements from international play at the end of the tour; the others are longtime captain Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett (Fawcett did not play due to back surgery after the Olympics). Hamm retired at age 32 with a record 158 international goals.^[62] Upon her retirement, Hamm's #9 jersey was inherited by midfielder Heather O'Reilly.^[63]

Hamm competed as a member of the United States national soccer team in four World Cup tournaments: China 1991, Sweden 1995, United States 1999, and United States 2003; and three Olympics tournaments: Atlanta 1996; Sydney 2000; and Athens 2004. All together, she played in 38 matches and scored 13 goals at seven global tournaments.^[64] With her teammates, Hamm finished third at two World Cup tournaments in 1995 and 2003, second at the 2000 Olympics, and first at the four other international tournaments.

Goal	Match	Date	Location	Opponent	Lineup	Min	Score	Result	Competition
China 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
1	1	1991-11-17[m 1]	Panyu	Sweden	Start	62	3–0	3–2 W	Group stage
2	2	1991-11-19[m 2]	Panyu	Brazil	Start	63	5–0	5–0 W	Group stage
	3	1991-11-21[m 3]	Foshan	Japan	{{{4}}}. on 41' (off Jennings)			3–0 W	Group stage
	4	1991-11-24[m 4]	Foshan	Chinese Taipei	Start			7–0 W	Quarter-final
	5	1991-11-27[m 5]	Guangzhou	Germany	Start			5–2 W	Semi-final
	6	1991-11-30[m 6]	Guangzhou	Norway	Start			2–1 W	Final
Sweden 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
3	7	1995-06-06[m 7]	Gävle	China	Start	51	3–1	3–3 D	Group stage
	8	1995-06-08[m 8]	Gävle	Denmark	Start			2–0 W	Group stage
	9	1995-06-10[m 9]	Helsingborg	Australia	Start			4–1 W	Group stage
	10	1995-06-13[m 10]	Gävle	Japan	{{{4}}}. off 61' (on Keller)			4–0 W	Quarter-final
	11	1995-06-15[m 11]	Västerås	Norway	Start			0–1 L	Semi-final
4	12	1995-06-17[m 12]	Gävle	China	Start	55	2–0	2–0 W	Third place match
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Women's Football Tournament
5	13	1996-07-21[m 13]	Orlando	Denmark	{{{4}}}. off 75' (on Gabarra)	41	2–0	3–0 W	Group stage
	14	1996-07-23[m 14]	Orlando	Sweden	{{{4}}}. off 85' (on Gabarra)			2–1 W	Group stage
	15	1996-07-28[m 15]	Athens	Norway	Start			2–1 aet W	Semi-final
	16	1996-08-01[m 16]	Athens	China	{{{4}}}. off 89' (on Gabarra)			2–1 W	Gold medal match
USA 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
6	17	1999-06-19[m 17]	E Rutherford	Denmark	{{{4}}}. off 88' (on Fair)	17	1–0	3–0 W	Group stage
7	18	1999-06-24[m 18]	Chicago	Nigeria	{{{4}}}. off 57' (on MacMillan)	20	2–1	7–1 W	Group stage
	19	1999-06-27[m 19]	Boston	Korea DPR	{{{4}}}. off 85' (on Milbrett)			3–0 W	Group stage
	20	1999-07-01[m 20]	Washington	Germany	Start			3–2 W	Quarter-final
	21	1999-07-04[m 21]	San Francisco	Brazil	{{{4}}}. off 85' (on Fair)			2–0 W	Semi-final
	22	1999-07-10[m 22]	Los Angeles	China	Start			0–0 (pso 5–4) (W)	Final
Sydney 2000 Olympic Women's Football Tournament
8	23	2000-09-14[m 23]	Melbourne	Norway	{{{4}}}. off 70' (on Parlow)	24	2–0	2–0 W	Group stage
	24	2000-09-17[m 24]	Melbourne	China	Start			1–1 D	Group stage
	25	2000-09-20[m 25]	Melbourne	Nigeria	{{{4}}}. off 70' (on Parlow)			3–1 W	Group stage
9	26	2000-09-24[m 26]	Canberra	Brazil	{{{4}}}. off 79' (on Parlow)	60	1–0	1–0 W	Group stage
	27	2000-09-28[m 27]	Sydney	Norway	Start			2–3 aet L	Gold medal match
USA 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup
	28	2003-09-21[m 28]	Washington	Sweden	Start			3–1 W	Group stage
10	29	2003-09-25[m 29]	Philadelphia	Nigeria	Start	6 pk	1–0	5–0 W	Group stage
11						12	2–0
	30	2003-10-01[m 30]	Foxborough	Norway	Start			1–0 W	Quarter-final
	31	2003-10-05[m 31]	Portland	Germany	Start			0–3 L	Semi-final
	32	2003-10-11[m 32]	Carson	Canada	Start			3–1 W	Third place match
Athens 2004 Olympic Women's Football Tournament
12	33	2004-08-11[m 33]	Heraklion	Greece	Start	82	3–0	3–0 W	Group stage
13	34	2004-08-14[m 34]	Thessaloniki	Brazil	Start	58	1–0	2–0 W	Group stage
	35	2004-08-17[m 35]	Thessaloniki	Australia	{{{4}}}. off 67' (on Tarpley)			1–1 D	Group stage
	36	2004-08-20[m 36]	Thessaloniki	Japan	Start			2–1 W	Quarter-final
	37	2004-08-23[m 37]	Heraklion	Germany	Start			2–1 aet W	Semi-final
	38	2004-08-26[m 38]	Piraeus	Brazil	Start			2–1 aet W	Gold medal match

For most of Hamm's career, there was no professional women's soccer league in the United States. As a result, she played only three seasons of professional soccer. In 2001, she was a founding player in the newly established Women's United Soccer Association, the first professional soccer league for women in the United States, and played for the Washington Freedom.^[65] During the league's inaugural match between the Freedom and Bay Area CyberRays in front of 34,148 fans at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Hamm was granted a controversial penalty kick that her teammate Pretinha took and scored the first goal in the league. The Freedom won 1–0.^[66] In addition to the in-stadium attendance being greater than any MLS game that weekend, the Turner Network Television (TNT) broadcast reached 393,087 households: more than two MLS games broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2.^[67] The league suspended operations indefinitely in September 2003, but Hamm finished her short club career as a champion when the Freedom won the Founders Cup in 2003.^[68]

On May 14, 2004, Hamm announced her retirement effective after the 2004 Athens Olympics, expressing an interest in starting a family with her husband, Nomar Garciaparra.^[69][70] She retired from the sport in 2004, after playing her last game in the 2004 Fan Celebration Tour to commemorate the U.S. women's national team's victory in the 2004 Olympics.^[71]

Hamm was named the 1997 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation.^[72] On May 22, 1999, she broke the all-time international goal record with her 108th goal in a game against Brazil in Orlando, Florida. In June of the same year, Nike named the largest building on their corporate campus after Hamm.^[73] In December 2000, Hamm was named one of the top three female soccer players of the twentieth century in the FIFA Female Player of the Century Award, finishing behind only Sun Wen, and compatriot Michelle Akers.^[74]

In March 2004, Hamm and former U.S. teammate Michelle Akers were the only two women and Americans named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players selected by Pelé and commissioned by FIFA for the organization's 100th anniversary.^[75] Other accolades include being elected U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five years in a row from 1994 to 1998,^[76] and winning three ESPY awards including Soccer Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.^[77]

During a friendly game against Australia on July 21, 2004, Hamm scored her 151st international goal setting the record for most international goals scored by any player in the world, male or female. She held the world record until Abby Wambach scored her 159th goal on June 20, 2013.^[78] The Australia match also marked Hamm's 259th international appearance; only two of her teammates, Kristine Lilly and Christie Rampone, have played in more international games.^[79]

In 2006, Hamm was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame followed by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on March 11, 2008.^[80][81] In 2007, during her first year of eligibility, Hamm was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2008, an image of her silhouette was used in the logo for the second professional women's soccer league in the United States: Women's Professional Soccer^[82]

In 2013, Hamm became the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame located in Pachuca, Mexico.^[83] She was named to U.S. Soccer's USWNT All-Time Best XI in December 2013.^[84] In 2014, Hamm was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25;^[85] she was also the recipient of the Golden Foot Legends Award.^[86]

Regarded as one of the greatest female footballers of all time, and by many as the best ever,^{[87][88][89][90]} Hamm was an athletic, dynamic, and technically gifted striker, renowned for her speed, skill, footwork, stamina, and ability on the ball, as well as her consistency.^{[89][91][7][92]} An excellent, agile dribbler, she was highly regarded for her control, as well as her grace, pace, and elegance in possession.^{[93][91][94][95]} A prolific goalscorer, she was known for her powerful and accurate striking ability, although she was also a creative and hard-working forward, and a team player, who was equally capable of assisting many goals for her team-mates, due to her accurate passing, and was also willing to aid her team-mates defensively when possession was lost.^{[87][89][90][91][96]} Due to her many attributes, she was capable of playing in any offensive position.^[94]

Hamm was first married to her college sweetheart Christiaan Corry, a United States Marine Corps helicopter pilot; they divorced in 2001 after being married six years.^[97][98][99] She married then-Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra on November 22, 2003, in Goleta, California in a ceremony attended by a few hundred guests.^[99][100] On March 27, 2007, Hamm gave birth to twin girls, Grace Isabella and Ava Caroline. Though born five weeks early,^[101] each girl weighed over 5 pounds (2.3 kg) at birth.^[102] The couple had a son, named Garrett Anthony, in January 2012.^[103]

Hamm has been called the most marketable female athlete of her generation.^[104] During her time as an international soccer player, she signed endorsement deals with Gatorade, Nike, Dreyer's Ice Cream, Pepsi, Nabisco, Fleet Bank, Earthgrains, Powerbar, and Mattel.^{[105][7][106]} Nike named a building on their corporate campus in Beaverton, Oregon after her.^[107] In 1999, Hamm was featured on a Wheaties box.^[108]

In 1999, Hamm founded the Mia Hamm Foundation following the death of her adopted brother Garrett in 1997 from complications of aplastic anemia, a rare blood disease he had endured for ten years.^{[7][109][110]} Dedicated to promoting awareness of and raising funds for families in need of a bone marrow or cord blood transplant, the foundation encourages people to register in the national bone marrow registry and provides funds to UNC Health Care and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. It also focuses on creating opportunities to empower women through sport.^[104] Hamm hosts an annual celebrity soccer game in Los Angeles to support the foundation.^[111]

Hamm is a global ambassador for FC Barcelona.^[111][112] She is the author of the national bestseller Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life and juvenile fiction book Winners Never Quit^[113] and appeared in the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.^[114]

In 2012, after Pia Sundhage's departure as head coach of the United States women's national soccer team, Hamm joined Danielle Slaton and Sunil Gulati as a member of the search committee for Sundhage's successor.^[115][116] In 2014, she was named to the board of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.^[117]

In October 2014, it was announced that Hamm was a co-owner of the future Major League Soccer team, Los Angeles FC.^[118] The same month, Hamm joined the board of directors of Serie A club A.S. Roma, owned by American investors.^[119] Hamm joined Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill as members of the United States delegation at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final in Vancouver, Canada.^[120]

• List of women's association football players with 100 or more international goals
• List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Olympians
• List of FIFA Women's World Cup goalscorers
• List of Olympic medalists in football
• List of 1996 Summer Olympics medal winners
• List of 2000 Summer Olympics medal winners
• List of 2004 Summer Olympics medal winners
• List of Young Global Leaders
• List of athletes on Wheaties boxes

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