Born: March 17, 1972, Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Mia Hamm is an American soccer player, one of the greatest female players ever. In 1999 Hamm scored her 108th career goal, making her the all-time leading scorer in international soccer-women’s or men’s.
Mariel Margaret Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama. Her father served in the military, and Hamm’s family moved frequently as she was growing up. When Hamm was in her early teens, her soccer skills attracted the attention of the United States national team coaches. At 15, she became the youngest player ever to win a spot on the national squad. While remaining a member of the national team, Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There she was a three-time All-American and helped lead the Tar Heels to four consecutive national championships (1990-1993).
In 1991, Hamm and the U.S. team played in the first-ever Women’s World Cup, which took place in China. Hamm, at 19 years old, the youngest member of the team, started five of six games and scored two goals as the United States won the world championship. In the 1995 World Cup, Hamm scored two goals to help the American team finish third. She was also a key member of the team during its gold-medal performance at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 1999 Women’s World Cup tournament was held in the United States, and the U.S. team was considered one of the favourites to win. As Hamm and her teammates advanced through the rounds to the finals, they attracted more media attention than they ever had before. The championship game between the United States and China was decided by penalty kicks after a scoreless tie during regular play and overtime. Hamm converted her shot to help the United States triumph. The game was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in front of more than 90,000 people-the largest crowd ever to attend a women’s sporting event.
Hamm’s great success led her to become an ambassador for women’s soccer, and she has appeared in a number of high-visibility commercials and product endorsements. In 1999, she announced the creation of the Mia Hamm Foundation. The foundation supports sports programmes for young women and raises funds to fight bone marrow disease, which Hamm’s older brother, Garrett, died from in 1997.
