Newz Forum: PFL:SOCCER: Mia Hamm Sportznewz Soccer Profile

Since her prodigal beginning, at age 15, Mia Hamm has been an extraordinary soccer player. At age 32, she has effortlessly entered the football hall of fame.




The Great Mia Hamm




Mia Hamm, whose name is Mariel Margret Hamm, was born to Stephanie Hamm and Bill Hamm on March 17th, 1972. While Mia was born in Selma, Alabama, she spent her childhood in California, Virginia, Texas, Kansas and Italy. Bill Hamm was an U.S. Air force Colonel and his family was required to move frequently. As a shy girl, Mia found it much easier to make friends with fellow soccer players. Undoubtedly, Mia was under a lot of stress when she begun play, because she started playing professionally at a young age, had inevitable pressure placed upon her and grew up in a constantly changing environment. But as carbon forms into diamond, under high pressure, so has Mia, transforming herself into an internationally acclaimed player.






At age 15, in 1987, Mia Hamm joined the U.S. national team. This made her the youngest woman ever to play with the U.S. National Team at the age of 15.She played in three Olympic Festivals, winning gold medals in 1989 with the South and 1990 with the North and a silver in 1987 with the South. Mia Hamm joined the 1991 women's world championship team, at the age of 19, which made her the youngest member to ever join. She started in five of six games and scored a pair of goals for the USA in China in 1991. That same year the women's national team won the world cup for the first time, which made Hamm the youngest American woman to win a world cup championship at the age of 19.




Hamm did not score her first international goal until her 17th international match, but since then, has scored in at least 13 countries against 25 different national teams.In 1992 through 1993, Hamm was a four time member of the NCAA champion University of North Carolina. Around this period she married Christian Corry, a Marine Corps pilot. Between 1989 and 1993, Hamm was distinguished as a three-time All-American and completed her collegiate career as the conference's all-time leading scorer in goals (103), assists (72), and points (278). Her University of North Carolina number, 19, was retired in 1994.Hamm met her future husband Garciaparra before at a promotional even in Boston. The penalty-kick shootout was held in Boston, where she unsurprisingly beat Garciaparra. They became friends and became engaged. Despite her desire to remain out of the spotlight, Hamm just happened to fall in love with someone as famous as she is.



Hamm has said her marriage to Christiaan Corry, became to strained when their careers kept them apart for long stretches. Divorce proceedings begun in 2001. Her world-record tally of 142 international goals will certainly grow before she from the international scene after next year's Olympics.She had knee surgery. She left her military husband after six years of marriage. At age 32, she had some doubts about her ability. Her drive to constantly refine her play, which contributes to her notoriously fragile confidence, made her feel lost. But she easily found herself, 15 months ago, when Hamm scored the first goal for WUSA Freedom inside of 7 minutes. It was her first game after the knee surgery. On November 22, 2003, Hamm and Garciaparra were married at Fontana, California in a private ceremony. A few hundred guests attended. As of the end of the 2004 Algarve Cup, a major women's international tournament played each March in Portugal, Hamm had scored 147 goals in international matches, an all-time record for any player, male or female.


NOTES ON MIA HAMM

Name: Mariel Margret Hamm (Mia is her more popular nick name)
Birthday: March 17, 1972
Birthplace: Selma, Alabama
Age: 30
Height: 5'5"
Weight:125
Family: Stephanie(mom), Bill Hamm(dad), Garrett(brother), (4 other siblings)
Ex-Husband: Christian Corey
Married: Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox)
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
College: University of North Carolina 1994
Degree: Political Science
High School: Lake Braddock Secondary School and Notre Dame High School

Uniform Number: #9
Position: Forward
Full-International Goals: 147
First Appearance: August 3, 1987 vs. China
First Goal: July 25, 1990 vs. Norway

Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
College: University of North Carolina

SOURCES:

www.usatoday.com...
www.latinosportslegends.com...
www.charleston.net...
www.phillywire.com...
www.online-shrine.com...

excellant job on mia's profile, enjoyed reading it, she is a talented woman

She has achieved a lot in soccer in the states and i didn't know she was married to Garciaparra...