Mia Hamm

Donna Lopaino, executive director of The Woman's Sports Foundation, says that "...athletes serve as role models. Women need role models. They need to see other women in leadership roles that excelled in sport. It is through these role models that younger women develop a healthy understanding of their own potential." Until recently women's sports have been swept under the rug, ignored, as if they were trivial. Many female athletes have been making advances to show female sports are equivalent to male sports. One female athlete in particular has achieved greatness, causing her to emerge as a role model for other female athletes around the globe. This athlete is Mia Hamm. Known as one of the best female soccer players in the world, Mia is an inspiration to athletes everywhere. Mia was born in Selma, Alabama on March 17th, 1972. Her Mother was a dancer, and her father served in the Air force. Because of her father's job, Mia spent her childhood moving all over the country. Mia learned early on in her life that she was blessed with spectacular athletic ability. She dabbled in a wide array of different sports ranging from football to tennis, and before long she found her true love: soccer. Mia had supportive parents that gave her anything needed to succeed in the sport she loved, but her older brother Garrett was Mia's biggest inspiration. Garrett was adopted when Mia was a young girl; he too was an amazing athlete and he and Mia would play together all the time. Garrett would often run circles around Mia. He could run, jump, and generally think faster than Mia could and he pushed Mia to her limits. Because of her brother, Mia found herself playing in a boy's soccer league, and before long Mia was completely immersed in the game (Hamm). To be a hero one must possess the ability to go further. They must be able to go the limit, and do anything they need to do to reach their goals. They require determination, dedication, and an undying drive. But they also have to be the bigger person; doing what they know is ethical. If they need to put others before themselves, they will do it in a heartbeat. Mia Hamm's determination and dedication, many accomplishments, and astounding level of humility, make her a hero.

Mia learned early on, that if she was going to go anywhere with soccer, she would have to learn to push herself. When she didn't play well, or if she felt like she was behind, she knew she couldn't sit down and give up. Not succeeding would only fuel her to become better. She portrayed incredible dedication and determination, which bolstered her to become the player she is today. This is shown when Mia says, "By the time I joined the National Team, I realized I was behind the veteran players technically, tactically, and mentally, and that I had to start putting in some extra work with the ball. So I'd go out to the park by myself every day and practice my skills for hours" (Hamm 30). Because Mia was the youngest on the team, she felt she had much less experience than her teammates. As a players experience grows, they become better technically, tactically, and mentally. Mia was so young, she was just a ball of raw talent that needed molding to become an even better player than she already was. That included putting a lot of time in , to become a better player. But Mia didn't shy away from all the work that had to be done, she embraced it and this is what brought her to the top. An illustration of Mia's determination and dedication is, "Hamm was so talented at the sport due to her quick thinking as well as her dedication to practice she would usually be on the empty field by 8 a.m...trying to nail every shot possible" ("Mia Hamm." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines.) Natural talent can only be taken so far until work ethic is going to have to kick in. Mia's work ethic was fabulous, and even though her natural ability was strong, her work ethic was stronger. Because of this sheer determination to advance anyway possible, she often found herself on the field alone practicing soccer. Her willingness to completely immerse herself in soccer is the reason she is where she is today. We see more of her determination in this, "...Hamm still felt she had a lot to learn when she first arrived at UNC. 'That's where I learned soccer basically,' she stated. 'I played all through growing up, but that's when I started to study the game and kind of pick it apart.' She was surprised at how much more challenging it was... 'Tactically, I didn't know what to do,' she admitted. 'During fitness sessions, I was dying. I would cry half the time'" ("Mia Hamm." Mia). Although Mia manages to make everything she does look effortless, soccer is not an easy sport. It requires countless amounts of time, effort, and insane amounts of confidence. Feeling like the worst player on a team can shatter your confidence and shake your performance. However, Mia used this feeling to drive herself to become better; she pushed through everything she was feeling so she could become unsurpassable on the field. Mia shows us that through extreme devotion and perseverance any obstacle is surmountable, and any goal is reachable.

Mia has had a long and successful career and many great things have come from it. Her accomplishments are countless, and this is another reason why she is idolized. An example of this is seen when, "Hamm actually started playing with the U.S. national team in 1987, when she was still in high school. At 15, she was the youngest player ever to make the team" ("Mia Hamm." Mia Hamm).The USA Women's National soccer team is the top women's soccer team in the world, thus, it's a huge accomplishment and honor to be able to play with them. The fact that Mia was able to do this at such a young age is simply incredulous. The national team has an extremely high level of play, and one must possess great talent to play for them. We see more of Mia's accomplishments when she says, "Seven years later I found myself playing for the number-one college team in America after becoming the youngest player ever to suit up for the U.S Women's National Team" (Hamm 3-4). University of North Carolina is known for its amazing soccer program. Ranked number one in America, few other teams are able to compete with the level of play. Playing on that team, as well as the national team, is a huge honor. One must obtain incredible speed, skill, and mental toughness to play on either of these teams. It's obvious Mia possesses all of these, and because of it, was able to achieve what seems to be, almost impossible. She has many more accomplishments including how, "[she] has scored more goals than any other player in the history of women's soccer, 158...she has helped lead her college team, the U.S. national team, and the U.S. Olympic team to countless victories... became the first player to receive the U.S. Soccer athlete of the year award three times...and only the second player ever to receive the U.S. Soccer female athlete of the year award [from 1994 until 1998 and again in 1999.] In the summer of 1999...she led the women to triumph over China for the World Cup" ("Mia Hamm." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines.). Mia has attained so much in her career, accomplishing things no other woman has done before. She has set precedents for woman's soccer all over the globe, causing players from other teams to fear the name, Mia Hamm. The accomplishment of all these things shows how Mia is a hero.

Mia has become one of the most famous female athletes in the USA, but through all the fame that follows her occupation, she has managed to display humility. We see this when Mia says, "Many people say I'm the best women's soccer player in the world. I don't think so. And because of that, someday I just might be" (Hamm 3). For people to say Mia is the best women's soccer player in the world is a huge honor, the fact that she denies it and says she has more work to do confirms her high level of humility . A lot of people reach Mia Hamm's level of fame and turn into complete monsters, totally corrupted by the fame. However, even with Mia's status of fame, she is able to stay completely humble and live a normal life. Another example of how humble Mia is seen here, "Following her dramatic success in the Olympics, Hamm became a celebrity. Among her many appearances, she kicked soccer balls at David Letterman on his late-night television show, and she was named as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine. But despite all the attention, she remained soft-spoken and humble, preferring to focus on the team rather than talk about herself" ("Mia Hamm." Mia Hamm (Biography Today)). Mia's life has brought many exciting things, like her celebrity status, but she is able to remain, not focused on herself, but focused on other things in her life, including her soccer team and her family. Her humility is shown in the fact that she feels uncomfortable talking about personal achievements and would rather talk about team accomplishments. We see her humility again in this article, "Though she is, by all accounts, uncomfortable with her celebrity status, Hamm told Jere Longman in the New York Times Upfront, "It's very important for young girls to have female athletes they can identify with"("Mia Hamm." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines.). Mia Hamm doesn't enjoy the celebrity party of her occupation, which she has made clear many times. That is why she is able to be so humble about all that happens because she is a normal human being and she allows herself to act like one, which, in our generation, is an important thing. Mia shows us that no accomplishment is big enough to enable you to think you're better than everyone. Humility is the key to success and it's an important thing to grasp.

Considering Mia's determination and dedication, her accomplishments, and her ability to stay humble, she is the epitome of a hero. Mia exemplifies, that through hard work and determination , you can fulfill greatness, no matter how big or small. She has achieved a tremendous amount, where others have failed, and has vanquished any obstacle in her path with ease; proving female sports are just as important as male sports. Mia inspires people everywhere to try to be the best athlete, student, and person possible. She has a love for the sport of soccer that it is an inspiration for everyone to act on the things they love. Her affection for the sport drives her, not the fame, or the celebrity status. She's in it for the right reasons, which in today's world is difficult to find. Mia Hamm is truly a hero.

Works Consulted

A+E Networks. "Mia Hamm Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2013. Web. 02 May 2013.

Hamm, Mia, and Aaron Heifetz. Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. Print.

Loveday, Veronica. "Mia Hamm." Great Athletes Of Our Times (2011): 43. Biography Reference Center. Web. 2 May 2013.

"Mia Hamm." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Biography In Context. Web. 7 May 2013.

"Mia Hamm." Mia Hamm (Biography Today) (2010): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 7 May 2013.

"Mia Hamm." Notable Sports Figures. Ed. Dana R. Barnes. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Biography In Context. Web. 2 May 2013.