Mia Hamm

Lore & Background

Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama, the fourth of six children, and wore corrective shoes as a toddler after being born with a club foot. She spent her childhood on various U.S. Air Force bases around the world, first playing soccer in Florence, Italy. At age five she joined her first team in Wichita Falls, Texas, coached by her father alongside her adopted brother Garrett. In junior high she excelled as a football player on the boys' team, and later helped Lake Braddock Secondary School win the 1989 state championship. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1989 to 1993, helping the Tar Heels win four NCAA Division I Championships in five years. She red-shirted the 1991 season to prepare for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. North Carolina lost only one of the 95 games she played. She earned All-American honors, was named ACC Player of the Year three consecutive years, and graduated with ACC records for goals (103), assists (72), and total points (278). Her No. 19 jersey was retired by the university in 1994.

Reader's Guide

Mia Hamm's significance lies in her role as a foundational figure in women's soccer. She debuted for the U.S. national team at age 15 and over 17 years amassed 276 caps, 158 international goals, and a record 144 assists. She led the U.S. to two World Cup titles (1991, 1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004), with a silver in 2000. As a founding player of the WUSA, the first U.S. professional women's soccer league, she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003, winning the Founders Cup in 2003. She was twice named FIFA World Player of the Year, U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five years in a row, and won six ESPY awards. She was inducted into multiple halls of fame and was the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, Pelé chose her as one of the 125 greatest living players. Her legacy extends off the field as a co-owner of Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC, a global ambassador for FC Barcelona, and author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life.

Did You Know?

• Hamm was born with a club foot and wore corrective shoes as a toddler.
• She played goalkeeper for a few minutes during the 1995 World Cup after Briana Scurry received a red card.
• She scored her 100th international goal on September 18, 1998, in a friendly against Russia.
• Hamm and Michael Jordan were named the greatest athletes of the ACC's first fifty years in 2003.