The two-time World Cup and Olympic champion discusses the challenges of parenting and remaining healthy off the field in this exclusive interview. Mia Hamm is still working hard to attain her objectives eight years after retiring from soccer glory. The former American international and FIFA Women's Player of the Year is now a television analyst for ESPN and remains very active on the field of advocacy with many projects focusing on promoting women's sports.
Mia Hamm was born on March 18, 1973 in San Diego, California. She started playing soccer at the age of 5 for the La Jolla Shores team. In 1980, she moved with her family to North Carolina where she continued playing for Duke University until 1988 when she had to stop due to an injury.
After graduating from college, Hamm returned to play for the United States women's national soccer team. In 1995, she won the last of her three World Cups with the USA when they defeated China 1-0 in the final. Two years later, she finished second behind Norway at the Olympics. In 1999, Mia Hamm announced her retirement from soccer after winning two more World Cups with the USA. She has since worked as a color commentator for various soccer games including the Women's World Cup and the Men's International Champions Cup.
Mia Hamm is still working hard to attain her objectives eight years after retiring from soccer glory. The Olympic winner, now 44, is married to retired baseball all-star Nomar Garciaparra and the mother of twin daughters, Grace and Ava, 9, and Garrett, 4.
In this exclusive interview, Hamm discusses what she teaches her children about sports and life, as well as how she helps her family's health by taking care of her own. On the soccer field, you exuded unflinching confidence.
She now leads the Mia Hamm Foundation, which promotes girls' sports and assists families in need of bone marrow and cord blood transfusions.
The foundation was created by former United States women's national soccer team member Hamm along with her husband, Eric D. Anderson; they are both investors who work with Goldman Sachs. The foundation has funded research related to female sports and health, including osteoporosis in athletes. It has also provided financial assistance to families who have needed it to help pay for medical bills resulting from donations of umbilical cords and bone marrow.
After ending her career as one of America's best-known soccer players, Hamm wanted to use her fame for good and help others. She has achieved this through her role at the foundation and other projects she has worked on over the years. Today, Hamm is very involved in efforts to bring attention to issues such as osteoporosis in athletes and donate money to worthy causes.
She has also authored several books about her life and career, including My Story: A Player's Journey Toward Balance. The latest book written by Hamm focuses on adolescent health and provides guidance for teenagers on how to make healthy decisions regarding their own lives.
Mia Hamm is a former professional soccer player from the United States. She has two Olympic gold medals to her name. She is currently married and the mother of three children. I work as part of a team and rely on it. I defer to it and make sacrifices for it because the ultimate champion is the team, not the individual. I believe that people are naturally kind and that we just sometimes need to give them reason to be otherwise.
She was born on January 4th in 1976 in North Carolina. Her family moved to Florida when she was very young so she could play soccer. She went to high school in Orlando and played college soccer at South Florida University, where she was a four-time All-American. The Chicago Red Stars drafted her with the first overall pick of the 1997 WUSA Draft. She turned down $100,000 per year to join the new league and instead accepted a contract worth $125,000 over two years. She was the only player who did this and immediately regretted it later when the WUSA collapsed after one season.
Hamm joined the national team in 1998 and has since then become one of its most important players. In 2001, she won a silver medal at the Olympics after the United States women's soccer team defeated Germany 2-1 in the final. Four years later, she won another silver medal at the Athens Games after the United States women's soccer team lost 1-0 to Brazil in the final.
Mia Hamm was a pioneer in a way that few other athletes in any sport have ever been. She scored more goals in international competition than any man or woman in the history of the world's most popular sport, propelling women's soccer to worldwide prominence.
The fact that she did this while dealing with health issues related to her body type (she was tall and skinny) only makes her story that much more impressive. When you consider that she came from a family who didn't know how to deal with her height and weight issue, it makes her even more of an inspiration for other girls who might not be as fortunate.
Hamm also became one of the first female athletes to earn a significant salary when she signed with Fox Sports after retiring from soccer. Before her contract was complete, though, Hamm had to take care of some business in another sport: American football. In 2002, she played a single game for the Houston Xplorers of the now-defunct Women's Football League. Although she spent just one season playing professional football, she still holds the league's all-time scoring record with 42 points.
After finishing her career as a player, Hamm went on to become one of the best coaches in the world. She has coached several teams in both the college and professional ranks, winning a National Soccer Hall of Fame induction in 2015 along with her husband Jeff.
Hamm retired from soccer after the 2004 Olympics after winning two Olympic gold medals and two World Cup titles, but her influence lives on in soccer players all across the world, particularly those on the current United States Women's National Team. Unsurprisingly, she remains active in the soccer scene. She is a co-owner of Miami FC, a women's professional soccer team that plays in the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League). The club began play in 2017 and will host the 2018 Championship Game. She has also been involved in some coaching activities with the team.
After retirement, Hamm moved back to America, this time to Florida, where she owns a home with fellow former player Abby Wambach. The two friends share their home with several other female athletes, including brothers Dave and Steve Ritchie who both play guitar for the band The Ritchies. The group writes songs about sports and life experiences that they hope will help people through hard times. They have released several albums so far and are considered one of the most successful bands in sports history.
Hamm is also involved in politics as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's congressional district 15. She has served since 2015 and is expected to seek reelection in 2020.
In addition to her work with Miami FC and Congress, Hamm is also engaged in several other projects related to soccer.
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