Title IX pioneers: Mia Hamm inspired a generation of American girls to play soccer
Mia Hamm was a scorer, a winner and a marketable icon that paved the way for women soccer players.
Hamm was born three months before Title IX became effective on June 23, 1972.
A generation later, she was the face of soccer in the U.S. Her popularity inspired many young girls to play the sport and gave older ones an opportunity to find a career when she co-founded the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2000.
Endorsement deals with Nike and Pepsi resonated with fans and helped promote equal opportunities for women in sports. Hamm created the Mia Hamm Foundation in 1999 as a non-profit organization that raised awareness for women in sports and raised funds for marrow or blood transplants.
“I would not have enjoyed the successful career I have without the efforts of other female pioneers who have worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for women in sports,” Hamm said on miafoundation.org. “Today, I see to follow in their footsteps. I am at once encouraged by the growth of opportunities for girls in recent years and eager to ensure that progress continues by working towards developing programs and initiatives for young women across the athletic spectrum.”
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Hamm scored 103 career goals and was a three-time All-American after leading North Carolina to four of its nine consecutive NCAA championships from 1989 to 1993.
In 2003, she and Michael Jordan were named the ACC’s Greatest Athletes of the conference’s first 50 years. Hamm took one year off from college soccer to help the United States win the Women’s World Cup in 1991. At 19 she was the youngest player on the team.
With the US Women’s National Team, Hamm participated in four World Cups and three Olympic Games. She led the U.S. to the gold medal in the inaugural games in 1996 and was the face of the 99ers, the 1999 USWNT that won the World Cup.
Those championships in 1996 and 1999 inspired many young girls across the country to play soccer, with Hamm being their role model.
“She understood that girls needed to see other girls playing sports,” former teammate Julie Foudy wrote on espn.com/espnw/ in 2012. "She understood that the popularity of soccer rested almost squarely upon her shoulders. Most of all, and perhaps most important to our team’s success, she understood that it was about the group, not about her.”
Hamm retired in 2004 at 32 with a then-record 158 international goals. She was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five times.
Hamm's success came amid the lack of equality in pay for women players. However, recently, an agreement was made to ensure women players will be paid at the same rate for game appearances and tournament victories as the men's teams.
Hamm is now a co-owner of Los Angeles FC, a global ambassador for FC Barcelona and is on the board of directors for A.S. Roma.
Chris Miller can be contacted via email at chris.miller@jdnews.com. Follow him on twitter @jdnsports.
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Mia Hamm continues to be an inspiration for female athletes
