| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | seasons, scoring over 100 goals during her time here. |
| Women's soccer never would have been the same if | | | | Probably one of Mia Hamm's most important |
| Mia Hamm hadn't started up soccer when she was | | | | accomplishments is that she managed to bring |
| little. She had such an impact on women's soccer that | | | | women’s soccer to a level close to what men |
| she is often thought to mean as much for it as Pele | | | | are playing. She is one of the two women named in |
| or Cruyff meant for men's soccer. But before being a | | | | Pele’s "List of 125 Best Soccer Players of All |
| great soccer player and athlete that broke down | | | | Times" and she is a symbol of women's sports |
| almost every possible record at her level, Mia Hamm | | | | throughout the World. |
| is a great person and I'd like you to meet the human | | | | She also holds two FIFA World Player of the Year |
| behind the soccer god in this Mia Hamm biography. | | | | awards, which she got in 2001 (the first year the |
| If you're like me, you're probably wondering how and | | | | trophy was given) and 2002. Unfortunately, she |
| when did Mia Hamm start playing soccer and what | | | | would have gotten a lot more of these awards, but |
| events drove her to become a super star of | | | | with the World Player of the Year awards being |
| women's soccer. Mia Hamm's childhood circled around | | | | granted for women when Mia Hamm was already |
| sports and athleticism and as her brother recalled, she | | | | nearing the end of her career, she didn't really have a |
| was faster and more athletic than most of the boys | | | | chance to widen her trophy room. |
| on the block, so she was able to play competitively | | | | In numbers, Mia Hamm was the United States top |
| with and against them. | | | | goal scorer, with 158 goals in 275 matches, a |
| After taking up youth soccer training at her school's | | | | remarkable record that will probably dust and rust |
| football team when she was only 12 years old, she | | | | before it is beaten. She scored more goals than any |
| learned the basics of soccer and started enjoying the | | | | man or woman for her national team, although many |
| sport more and more. Little did she know that three | | | | soccer specialists will agree that the level of women's |
| years later, when she was just 15, she would be | | | | soccer is still in an early grade and cannot be |
| called up for the United States national | | | | compared to men’s soccer yet. |
| women’s soccer team, becoming the | | | | She won the Women's World Cup twice, in 1991 and |
| youngest player ever to play for her country at that | | | | 1999 and also put the US national team through a |
| level (one of her first broken records). | | | | Gold Medal at the Olympic Games in 1996. All these |
| That was kind of a weird situation, since Mia Hamm | | | | titles, records and awards make Mia Hamm one of |
| was a soccer player for her national squad but didn't | | | | the most important players in women's soccer and |
| have a fully professional playing contract with a club. | | | | the fact that Pele considered to put her on the same |
| But after seeing her performances, the North Carolina | | | | list as legendary male players such as Maradona, |
| Tar Heels quickly signed her and they made quite a | | | | Cruyff, Platini or Beckenbauer says a lot about the |
| deal, since Mia Hamm stayed with the club for 4 | | | | influence she had in the game. |