• Two-time Missouri Athletic Club and Hermann Award winner in 1992 and 1993
• Won 4 NCAA championships with the North Carolina Tar Heels: 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993
• Three-time NSCAA All-American: Mia completed college as the ACC's all-time leading scorer in goals (103) assists (72) and points (278)
• The NCAA's 1993-1994 Honda Broderick Award Winner for all female college sports

TIDBITS

• Best game moment: To stand on the Olympic Podium after their 1996 win. "It was such a privilege to be there next to my sixteen best friends. The fact that my family was there made it more perfect"
• Team's official Gatorade Taster
• Inspiration: brother Garrett Hamm, Anson Dorrance

  

  LINKS

  • MIA HAMM WEBSITE
  • ELAINE'S MIA HAMM PAGE
  • ALLISON'S MIA HAMM PAGE

  MISCELLANEOUS FACTS

  • Sponsors: Nike, Gatorade, Powerbar, Mattel, Earthgrains
  • Causes: Bone Marrow Foundation, Smokefree kids
  • Coaching/Camps: Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy Coach, Julie Foudy Soccer Camp, UNC Soccer Camps
  • As a kid, Mia joined various sports teams to make friends
  • On being a role model: "By being here, we offer another choice, a choice we didn't growing up. Now girls can say, 'I want to be a nurse, I want to be a doctor, or I want to be a professional soccer player.' I like that."

  U.S. National Coach Tony DiCicco:

  • "One of Mia's best qualities is her sense of team, so she's uncomfortable with the label "Best woman soccer player in the world." But when she's on her game, I would agree with that label"

  Mia Hamm is one of the most recognized and commended soccer player who has impacted young soccer players all over the world. She has won the female athlete award five times in a row - an achievement no other female athlete has accomplished before. Hamm spent most of her childhood traveling to different bases throughout the world with her five siblings and parents (Col. Bill and Stephanie Hamm) because of her father. Mia was urged to play soccer in Italy by her father, but she played whatever was in season. When Mia was 14, she dominated girls school soccer. This attracted attention to Anson Dorrance, who had coached UNC and the U.S. National Team from 1985-1994. As a result, Mia joined the American national team at 15, which is the youngest ever. Under Dorrance, she led the Tar Heels in 4 national championships while earning all-american honors for 3 years and finishing with all-time leading scorer.

  In 1991, the U.S. went up against China where Mia and the team won the first inaugural women's world cup. In 1995 the U.S. suffered a heartbreaking 3rd place finish in the 2nd world cup, but came back strong, winning the gold in the 1996 Olympics.

  Currently, Mia and the U.S. team have claimed another victory in the world cup final against China, where the United States won 5-4 in penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless play