Mia Hamm

Mariel Margaret Hamm aka:Mia Hamm-Forward
Birthdate: March 17, 1972
Place of Birth: Selma, Alabama

Probably soccer’s greatest female player. Hamm was selected for The U.S. National Team at the age of 15, the youngest ever to do so.

Hamm has a great list of accomplishments that include 2 Gold Medals from the Summer Olympic Games, including one from the 1996 Centennial games in Atlanta,Georgia.

Hamm won four NCCA National Titles with The University of North Carolina, resulting in her becoming The Atlantic Coast Conference’s all time leader in points, assists and goals.

Mia had her number "19" retired at The University of North Carolina.

At the age of 19, Hamm was the youngest player to be on a World Soccer Championship winning team at The World Cup in 1991.

Hamm lead the nation in scoring at the collegiate level in 1990, 1992, 1993).

In 1993,Mia was the leading scorer at The University Games where her team won a Silver Medal.

Hamm was named female athlete of the year from 1994-1998.

Hamm was the first player to score 100 goals at The U.S. Cup in Rochester, New York.

Probably Hamm's biggest accomplishment in soccer was the women's U.S. National Team winning The World Cup in 1999, in a win against China at The Rose Bowl. It was considered one of the most watched women's sporting events of all-time.

In 2000, she became the world’s leading scoring in goals for men and women in international competition with 158 goals.

Mia was a member of the silver medal Olympic team in the 2000 Sydney, Australia games.

Hamm is a founding member of The Women’s United Soccer Association which began in 2001.

Mia played for The WUSA’s Washington Freedom and named FIFA Women’s Player of The Year for 2001 & 2003. The Freedom won The Founder’s Cup Championship in 2002.

Mia won a bronze medal with The U.S National Team in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Hamm won Gold at The 2004 Olympic Games and the first soccer player to carry The U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic games.

Played her last international game in 2004, and in 2007, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

In between all of her soccer accomplishments Mia Hamm is a proud mother of two children and she is married to former baseball star Nomar Garciparra.

In 1999, Mia Hamm created the Mia Foundation to help raise money for bone marrow research.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUsH0LfaiTE&feature=related Hamm Tribute

http://www.miafoundation.org/ Mia Hamm Foundation Website.