Legacy
Mariel Margaret Hamm retired at the age of 32 with a record-breaking fan base. For Mia, soccer was a game that she loved, and she knew that it was what she wanted to do, but little did she know the impact it would have on the rest of the world. Prior to the 1990s, the world had little appreciation for women's soccer and women’s sports in general. Through Mia’s success, spirit, and personality, she was able to bring women’s sports into the limelight. As early as her college days, people would travel to watch Mia play. When Mia was on the field, she got her chance to show the world what she could do. Mia said, "I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match." This quote from Mia shows her dedication to the game and her goal. She shows us that, with hard work, anything is possible.
Mia didn't play soccer so that she could become rich and famous. She simply wanted to follow her dreams and to do what she loved. In addition to her passion on the soccer field, she showed her strength and determination in her daily life as well. In 1999, she started the Mia Hamm Foundation. The foundation’s goal was to help raise money for families in need of bone marrow transplants who could not afford them. She started the foundation after her brother died of a rare blood disease called aplastic anemia. The Mia Hamm Foundation has helped thousands of kids across the country.
When talking about Mia's legacy, you cannot focus on one last game-winning goal or winning a huge tournament, but you have to start from the beginning and see how she achieved her success and got to the top. Without her family behind her, without the fans cheering her on, and without her own self-motivation, she would not have made the impact that she did. Mia showed all young girls that they matter and that they should chase their dreams no matter how unattainable they may seem. She proved that girls are just as strong and capable as boys. The attention Mia brought to women’s soccer puts her among the greats in women’s sports, but her strength, humility and humanitarianism are the reason she is still relevant, admired and emulated even years after she left the limelight.