User talk:Abbyfish31

Mia Hamm By: Abigail Fischler

Mia is very important to women's soccer. She is an inspiration to alot of young girls. She has inspired a lot of girls to play soccer including me. She really inspired me to find my passion soccer. She has done that for a lot of other girls too.

Mia was born in Selma, Alabama on March 17, 1972. Mia was the 4th out of 6th child to Bill and Stephanie Hamm (Mia’s Parents). Her real name is Mariel Margaret, but she is known across the world as Mia. She was born with a partial clubfoot and wore casts on her feet when she was a baby to help correct them. Clubfoot is a birth defect in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position.When the casts came off, Mia's feet were healed. When she was 8 years old her parents adopted her new brother Garrett. Garrett died in 1997 from a rare bone marrow disease. Mia was in a lot of pain when her brother died. Her dad was in the Air Force so Mia grew living on different bases throughout the world. Mia’s mom (a.k.a.) Stephanie wanted MIa to be a ballerina, but she didn’t. Soccer is not just the only interest in her life. She also enjoys playing golf, reading and cooking. Mia started playing soccer when she was 6. One of Mia’s older brothers taught her how to play soccer when her family was living in Italy. In 1985 when she was 13 she was in the Texas All star Selection in women's soccer. Mia was playing in the game when she was spotted by the head coach of the us women's soccer team John Cossaboon. Mia joined the team only when she was 15, and she became the youngest player ever to be on the United States National Team, when she was 17 Mia scores her first goal against Canada. Mia was asked to come to the University of North Carolina, the college with the best soccer program in America. During her college years she led the Tar Heels to 4 straight national championships. In 1991, the first ever women’s World Cup took place. Mia and her team mates were eager for the chance to compete on an international level. They went on to become champions of the world after defeating Norway in the finals. She graduated from University of North Carolina in 1994. With a B.A. in political Science. Mia was named the 1997 Sportswomen of the year by the Women’s Sports Foundation. On, May 22, 1999 she broke the all time international goal record with her 108th goal in a game against brazil in Orlando, Florida. In June if the same year Nike named the largest building in their company campus after Mia. Also she was elected the US female soccer athlete of the year five years in a row from 1994 to 1998, and winning the ESPY awards including Soccer Player of the year and Female Athlete of the year. In 2007, during her first year of eligibility Mia was selected for induction into the national Soccer Hall of Fame. Mia got the kid’s choice award for best female athlete in 2004 and 2001. The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids Choice Awards, is an annual awards show that airs on the Nickelodeon which is usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, that honors the year's biggest television, movie, and music acts, as voted by Nickelodeon viewers. Mia was the Glamour Women for the game changer award in 2010.

Mia is an amazing girl. After she retired. She made a foundation. The Mia Hamm Foundation is a non-profit organization that promote awareness and raise funds for families in need of a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. It is also dedicated to the development of more opportunities for young women to participate in sports. Mia is such an amazing soccer player and a great inspiration for young girls who are learning how to play sports. Mia had a lot of goals and she accomplished a lot of them. Are you going to follow your goals like Mia Hamm? Well, I would try to!