I would like Mia Hamm because   at age 15 she was the youngest soccer player ever to play for the national team. Mia also went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and where she helped take the whole team to 4 consecutive NCAA women’s championships. Mia was born on March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama. On 1991, at the age of 19, Mia was the youngest women in history to win the World Cup. One thing that Mia and I have in common is that we both love sports and we both never give up on something or someone!!! I wonder about how her brother died from a disease.

Listen to An Interview with Mia Hamm

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrity/photos/mia-hamm.htm

The life of Mia Hamm

       When you hear the name Mia Hamm, you probably don’t think of a girl who grew up with a club foot or a girl who always got picked last for every game she played with her friends. But Mia Hamm worked hard to conquer her problems.  Mia Hamm has become an aggressive soccer player who anticipates what her teammates might do on the field. This talent has allowed her to be named U.S. Female Player of the Year 5 times!  

          Mia was born in 1972 in Selma, Alabama. People say that Mia has only one name which is Mia but actually Mia’s real name is Marial Margaret Hamm. Mia’s parent do different things like her dad Bob Hamm, is a fighter pilot, and her mom Stephanie Hamm, is a ballet dancer. Mia had 5 brothers and 5 sisters. But Mia was closest to her brother Garrett. Garrett was an Asian American orphan. He was adopted when he was 8 years old.

When Mia was born she grew up with a club foot which made it hard for her to play soccer. Since she was the youngest of the family she always got picked on. One day she was playing with her brother Garrett and his friends. They were picking teams and she got picked last again. The only person who actually understands her is her brother Garrett. Garrett knew how fast and aggressive Mia was! When they played soccer (every day) Garrett tells the leader of the team to pick Mia to go on his team. On every game they have played together Garrett has always called Mia his SECRET WEAPON.

    When Mia was about 19 years old she went to Notre High School in Wichita Falls. When there, everyone thought that she would be the top school girl player in Texas.

     Mia could never find anything that she could express her feelings. Mia’s mom thought about it and said that maybe ballet would let her steam out. But it didn’t work. Mia hated it so much that she only lasted 1 class. Mia’s dad said a sport would be better. So they thought about a sport that would help Mia let her steam out. Her dad thought soccer is a good sport. Since Mia moved a lot she joined new teams and that way Mia could make new friends too.

        In the spring of 1986 Anson Dorrance, the head coach of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and coach of Team USA watched Mia play. He was so impressed that he asked Mia to play on his Team USA, an international team. At age 15 she was the youngest women to play on the USA National Team. Later during her sophomore year of high school, Mia moved again to Virginia. Mia was excited though because she would be closer to UNC, where she hoped to go to college. Just a few years later Mia was offered a full scholarship to UNC. At UNC Mia’s teammates were so impressed by how focused she was and how she would watch where her teammates needed a lot of help. All of that led the team to winning the state championship. In 1990, FIFA said it would hold the first ever women’s soccer world championship, Mia’s life long dream!

                                                                                                                                                                                                      In 1997 Mia’s brother Garrett died of a blood disorder when he was 28 years old. Mia also had other problems too. Mia’s husband had to leave to go on a 6 month tour to Japan. Also when Mia was playing a game she hurt her ankle, and she moved A LOT.

  Some Mia’s favorites were that her favorite athletes were Michael Jordan and Jackie Joiner-Kersee. You might think that Mia’s individual sport is soccer but that when she plays with other people but when she’s a lone she likes to play golf. Mia played nine holes with Michael Jordan in 1998. Her favorite hobby is playing the guitar and singing. Her favorite toy since she was little was soccer Barbie. Her favorite book to read when she is alone is The Prince of Time. Her favorite food to eat would be pasta.

     On 1996 August 1 the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Mia won the Women’s World Cup on June 8, in Washington. Mia was named US female of the year 5 times. Also Mia had her number 19 retired. Mia was the youngest (19) on the US Team. Mia finally finished University of North Carolina. Sports Illustrator in September and she was in the cover 2 times.

     In Mia’s life she won 2 silver medals and 3 gold medals too. That was the life of Mia Hamm.

Mia Hamm

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrity/photos/mia-hamm.htm

 Rutledge, Rachel. Mia Hamm Striking Super Star. Brookfield, Connecticut. Mill brook Press. © 2000.

“Mia Hamm”. 5/6/10. htt://www.biography.org.