Chapter 1: Overview Who She Is Who is the greatest women’s soccer player of all time? This has been debated for decades, but there is no doubt that Mia Hamm might very well be the goat. Mia Hamm is a famous women's soccer player that is considered one of the best to play the game. In the national soccer hall of fame, she is recognized as a “forward who was the greatest goalscorer in women’s international soccer history”. Her talent and influence on her sport is compared to other legends such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. She had a transcendent and lasting impact on the women’s sports world, and has evolved into an icon for young women in athletics. Mia Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama in 1972 to a military family. She began playing organized …show more content…
She was the youngest woman ever to appear in a match for the national team. She was named to the roster for a tour of China in August of 1987. She played on the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) as a forward for 17 years, from 1987 to 2004. She played in three Olympic games during her time with the national team. In the 1996 summer games in Atlanta, the USWNT won gold. This was the first Olympics to feature women’s soccer. In 2000, they won silver, and in the 2004 games in Athens, they won gold again. Mia Hamm enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 1989 for college, and played soccer for the Tar Heels. In her four years there, Mia Hamm won four consecutive NCAA championships. She was named All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year three years in a row. Mia Hamm led the nation in scoring at the collegiate level in 1990, 1992, and 1993. She graduated holding the records of the most conference goals (103), the most assists (72), and the most total points (278). Mia Hamm was named the player of the year in 2001 and 2002 by FIFA. Additionally, during her career with the USWNT, they won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999. She is also a two-time World Cup bronze medalist. Mia Hamm retired after winning gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She then played a ten match victory tour with the national team as a send off for their star player. When she retired in 2004, she held the record for most international goals out of both men and women players - 158 goals in 276