MIA HAMM"S CAREER & LIFE
Vital Statistics
about Mia Hamm
Name: Mariel Margret Hamm (Mia is her more popular nick name)
Birthday: March 17, 1972
Birthplace: Selma, Alabama
Height: 5'4" (or as she says)
Weight:125
Husband: Christian Corey of the Marine Corps. Anniversary is Dec. 17, 1994
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
About Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm is a shy and soft spoken person. She has been called notoriously shy, humble and strikingly attractive.
Poised, articulate and honest, Mia is a pioneer in her sport and a role model for athletes and fans alike who believe in equal opportunity, Title IX legislation, and the love of the game.
In April of 1999, Nike named the largest building on its corporate campus after Mia.
Recognition of her skill has come by winning the female athlete award 5 times in a row (94, 95, 96, 97, and 98). This is something no other female athlete has done before.
Mia joined the American national team at 15, becoming its youngest member ever.
Her Superstition: She must tie her right shoe then her left
Ambition: to be happy
Quotes About Mia
Hamm
“When I was playing, they said soccer was a man’s world and that women should remain on the sidelines. All I can say is I’m glad I never had to go up against Mia Hamm.”
--Pele
“Mia, you can become the best soccer player in the world.”
--Anson Dorrance to a fifteen-year-old Mia
“She has got good talent and might someday want to take golf a little more seriously. She’s a quick learner and is very athletic. It might come easier for her than it does for some. She has the ability to become a single-digit handicap player if she wants.”
--Mike McGetrick, Professional Golf teacher
Quotes from Mia Hamm
"I played soccer because my friends did. Besides, we got sodas afterwards."
MIA HAMM'S TOP 5 FITNESS TIPS
1. Have FUN! "I can't stress this enough. You should look forward to working out. This is your play time."
2. Write down your goals, small and large. "Do you want to lose 5 pounds? Run 10 miles? I write goals as specific as spending 10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, or in the weight room Mondays I do upper body, Tuesdays lower body, and so on. My program changes with my goals. Sometimes I keep a journal to gauge how I'm doing."
3. Drink plenty of water. "One of the biggest reasons for lack of energy is dehydration. Get at least 48 ounces a day. More is better."
4. Use weights in your routine. "I don't mean building mass like Hercules, but weight training is the best way to tone and strengthen muscles. Consult a weight-training specialist and a doctor first; correct technique is crucial to avoid injury."
5. Have FUN! "Yes, this stands repeating."
To win on the field, your body needs every edge it can get off the field. That means eating good foods, staying hydrated by drinking water, juices and sports drinks, and of course, avoiding drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. Learning what foods work for you, how much rest your body needs, when you can push yourself to your hard work and training. But after you’ve, say, run the stadium stairs, done your 40-yard sprints, and lifted weights for an hour (in other words, done a half-baked Carla Overbeck workout), remember to take time for yourself. The real winners have balance in their lives. When training camp gets too intense, I recommend doing what we do - goof off. That means playing hearts for Oreo cookies, cruising the local mall, and watching a tape of any Adam Sandler movie.
If you are not having fun, something is wrong, because soccer is all about enjoyment, no matter what level you play. If you are a casual player and you stop having fun because your interests go to other activities, it’s not a big deal. But for those of us who live the game, sometimes the fun disappears, and that is a problem.
Soccer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has helped me grow as an athlete and as a person. I’ve made lifelong friends, learned to embrace competition, and gained self-confidence, all the while having a ball. I feel like I’m the luckiest woman in the world.
I would hope that young girls now know that it is okay to be tough, to be competitive, and to defeat an opponent. Girls should be encouraged to fulfill their athletic potential and to be winners. One of the most gratifying aspects of being part of the U.S. Women’s National Team is that we are constantly showing that women can be hyper-competitive and super-tough while still being positive role models.
Two
Causes Close To Heart
I am very excited to dedicate my time and energy to The Mia Hamm Foundation. The Foundation represents two causes very close to my heart. Separately, these two issues have had a profound effect upon me as an individual and I am committed to raising funds and awareness for them. My goal is to leave a positive and lasting legacy in the research of bone marrow diseases and for every female athlete to have the opportunity to play the sports they love.
The Mia Hamm Foundation is a reflection of my life experiences. I created this foundation to benefit important issues that have directly affected me throughout my life. The foundation is focused on providing support for two important causes: raising funds and awareness for bone marrow diseases and continuing the growth in opportunities for young women in sports.
I understand the pain of bone marrow disease first hand. In 1997, my brother Garrett died from complications related to aplastic anemia. Last April we helped stage an all-star exhibition game to raise awareness for bone marrow diseases. At halftime we brought together marrow donors with recipients for the first time. It was clearly my most satisfying moment away from the field.
All-time leading scorer in NCAA women's soccer history with 103 goals and 72 assists for a combined total of 278 points over 91 games.
Three-time first-team All-American
Three-time ACC Player-of-the-Year (1990, 1992 & 1993)
Three-time National Player-of-the-Year (unanimously in 1992 & 1993)
1994 recipient of the Honda Broderick Cup, given to the most Outstanding Female Athlete in all of college sports
Scored a goal once in every 4.1 shots during her college career with an average of 1.12 goals per game
All-time leader in career assists with 72
Coach Anson Dorrance said of her season in 1992, "The greatest season ever by a collegiate soccer player."
Holds NCAA Tournament career records for scoring (41 points), goals (16) and assists (9)
Inducted in 1993 into the Order of the Golden Fleece, the highest honorary society at UNC
Member of the US Senior Women's National Team since 1987
At age 19, she was the youngest member and starter for Team USA when it won the first-ever FIFA World Championship played in China in 1991
Youngest woman ever to play for the US National Team at age 15 on December 12, 1987
Had her UNC number (19) retired
Member of the Gold Medal winning US 1996 Olympic team in Atlanta
Named to People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" list
Number 14 on "Soccer Business International's" Most Influential People in Soccer
US Women's Cup MVP in 1997
One of Esquire Magazine's "100 Best People in the World" in 1997
Women's Sports Foundation Team Athlete of the Year in 1997
US Soccer Federation Female Athlete of the Year, Fourth consecutive year in 1997
First US player to score 100 goals in her career, scored at US Cup in Rochester in 1998
Named US Soccer Player of the Year, 5th consecutive year in 1998
Became the world's leading goal scorer in international competition, male or female in 1999
Formed The Mia Hamm Foundation in 1999
Led USA to World Championship at Women's World Cup in 1999