Mia Ham Essay, Research Paper
Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm! What an athlete and role model for all women in the world. I picked her because I think she s awesome. She had many achievements while growing up and had friends and family that supported her and helped her get through the difficulties in life. Before we get to the important facts, here is some general information about her just to get to know her better. She likes to eat Italian food, watches Seinfeld, her favorite Number is five of course, and is married. Well, lets move on now, shall we.
As one of six siblings in the family. Mia grew up a military brat, moving many times throughout her childhood from Selma, Alabama, to Monterey, San Antonio to Lake Braddock, Virginia, and ending up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There, she played on a couple of all-girl teams but mostly played with the boys. This gave her a competitive edge and a combative spirit. While growing up, Mia fell in love with soccer while her father was serving in Italy. By the age of 14, she was dominating women s soccer in Texas and attracting attention from soccer circles around the country.
At the age of 15, after a scouting trip to watch Mia play in action, Coach Anson made Mia the youngest member of the national team. The ultimate compliment to her was getting her number retired from a school. Her number was retired at halftime of Duke Vs. North Carolina basketball game. Basketball is a huge sporting event in North Carolina and with rival Duke, it was a good time to do it.
Mia had many accomplishments during college, but I ll just name some of the highlights. In 1992-93, she was two-time Missouri Athletic Club and Hermann Award winner, three-time all- American, Conference s all time soccer in goals (103), assists (72), and points (270). She also had her number 19 retired. In 1994-1996, while on the national team was first-ever there time U.S. soccer Female Athlete of the year, member of the Gold Medal Winners at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlantic, and first player named U.S. Soccer s Female Athlete of the year.
Mia had many influences in her life. One was Garrett Hamm, her older brother, who was adopted when he was eight and became her instant role model. More than any other sibling, he shared her love in sports and nurtured that important part of her life. He passed away in 1997 from a bone-marrow disease. It was a difficult time for her, but with the support of her teammates she had the courage to get through it. Garrett would always be an inspiration to her. Now she had dedicated her time and energy to the Mia Hamm Foundation. Her goal is to leave a positive and lasting legacy in the research of bone-marrow diseases and for every athlete to play the sport they love.
One of the other people was Coach Anson Dorrance. He has probably been the most influential person in her life. In her many years on the National Team, he was the driving force behind her growth as a person and a player. When she arrived at North Carolina, he quickly became a father figure to her. When she was only 17, her parents went to Italy, so he became her legal guardian. She grew very close to his family and picked his brain about soccer all day.
In conclusion, I think Mia Hamm is an extraordinary athlete and an excellent role for all ages. She believed in herself and accomplished what she wanted. If u try hard and continue to believe in you, anything can happen.