Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm in US National Team Jersey (Internet (http://www.celebs101.com/image--14-1526--Mia+Hamm+image+Gallery.html))

My hero is American, Mariel Margaret Hamm, better known as Mia Hamm, who is one of the most well-known female athletes in the world and probably the most famous female soccer player in the world. She was born on March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama, but constantly moved all over the country as her father was an Air Force pilot. Mia retired professionally from soccer in December, 2004. She currently lives in California with her husband, former Major League Baseball star, Nomar Garciaparra and their 4-year-old twin girls, Grace Isabella and Ava Caroline.

Mia Hamm was a superstar from a very young age. She was the youngest woman to ever play with the United States National Team at age 15 in 1987. That was only the beginning of her standout career. She went on to win four NCAA National Soccer Championships with the University of North Carolina, which is the nation's most storyied women's collegiate soccer program. During her collegiate career, she led the nation in scoring three of those four years as well as earned many conference and All-American awards. Mia was the youngest member of the US National Team when it won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991. She went on to have a legendary soccer career, leading her teams to two World Cup Championships, two Olympic gold medals and one WUSA (women's professional soccer league in the US) Championship and won many more individual awards. Mia Hamm continues to hold the record for most international goals scored for either male or female.

Mia Hamm's awards and championships have showered her with fame, but the 1999 Women's World Cup Championship made the greatest impact for women's soccer and even women's sports as a whole. During the 1999 Women's World Cup tournament over 650,000 tickets were sold, 40 million viewers tuned in on TV and a sellout of over 90,000 screaming fans witnessed Mia Hamm and the US National Team capture the title in a thrilling victory over China. This launched the sport of soccer, specifically the interest in women's soccer. A craze took over the nation and many young girls wanted to be like Mia and the other stars of the US National Team. She became the face of the national team and girls all over the nation wanted to be like Mia. She has been able to use her success and influence to create a The Mia Hamm Foundation.

The Mia Hamm Foundation was created in 1999 for two reasons. The first reason is because Mia Hamm wanted to support transplant patients and families, specifically marrow and cord blood transplant patients and their families. Her brother, Garrett passed away from complications related to aplastic anemia in 1997. Through her foundation she has also been able to bring together donors and recipients to meet face to face, which she says is her most satisfying moment away from the field. Her foundation also aims to grow opportunities and help develop programs for girls to participate in sports. She has also teamed up with former US National Team members Kristine Lilly and Tisha Venturini to operate Team First Soccer Academy, which hosts youth soccer camps throughout the nation.

Picture with Mia at Soccer Camp (Taken by personal digital camera)

I have been fortunate enough to meet Mia Hamm and I truly feel she is a hero because she has been able to use her success and talents to help others. As a soccer coach, I appreciate what Mia is doing because she is allowing girls to see that they can be successful and there's a place for them on the soccer field. She has truly transformed the game of soccer for young girls in the country and around the world. I have been around the sport for a long time and I am an advocator for the sport so I love to see when successful and powerful athletes like Mia use their name and image to promote the game. I also admire her for creating the foundation to help patients and their families deal with marrow or cord blood transplants. She has been able to turn her tragic family event into a positive by helping out other families that are going through the process.

Mia Hamm exemplifies the caring pillar of character because through her Foundation she has reached out and helped many people throughout the world. She has been able to use her popularity and fame to reach out and care for those that are in need. Specifically, she's working with patients and their families through the marrow or blood cord transplant process. She feels that there is a need to care for those that are in the transplant process, especially after her own family suffered through the process. Mia Hamm does not want what happened to her brother and family to happen to others and that's why she's supporting the cause.

Mia has been an advocate for girls and women participating in sports. It matters to her that females are given opportunities to play sports and be involved.  She cares that they are provided for. In order to support female athletes, she has hosted many soccer camps across the country, inviting many other professional women soccer players to work with the next generation of soccer players. Mia Hamm is a hero because she has been able to build on her experiences and successes and use them to contribute to today's society through the Mia Hamm Foundation. She has touched many lives through inspiration on the soccer field and continues to inspire off the field. Mia Hamm is truly a hero!