Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra (Hamm), also known as Mia Hamm, is a former well-known American soccer player. Playing in the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s. With her ability to run fast, strategically move past defenders, and score goals, Hamm is considered to be the one of the best female soccer players in United States soccer history. Hamm was born on March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama. Her parents were Bill Hamm and Stefanie Hamm. Her siblings included, Garrett, Caroline, and Tiffany (Mia Hamm...Famous Football Players). Hamm was born with a clubbed foot, which led her to have to wear a special type of shoe. Stefanie, Hamm’s mother, was a dancer and wanted her daughter to become one as well. Hamm refused to choose her mother’s profession (Mia Hamm...Articles About Mia Hamm). Hamm’s father was in the Air Force which led to the Hamm family moving around a lot. Bill, Hamm’s father, was stationed to be in Italy when she was a year old. (Mia Hamm...Famous Football Players). “Hamm’s father bought season tickets to the Fiorentina Club games” (Mia Hamm...About Mia Hamm). There, in …show more content…
In his free time, Hamm’s father would “referee her brother’s and sister’s soccer games.” (Mia Hamm...About Mia Hamm). Hamm would always watch her siblings play soccer and wished it could be her. “Garrett, her brother, was always an athlete that Hamm inspired to be.” (Mia Hamm...About Mia Hamm). Hamm finally started playing soccer when she was five years old. She would play against her older brother and his friends. Hamm joined her first soccer team in Wichita Falls, her dad as the coach. This team was an all boys team with the exception of Hamm. At her secondary school, Lake Braddock, she joined the soccer team (Mia Hamm...Famous Football Players). Hamm went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989. Hamm decided to not focus solely on soccer and to get her