Mrs. Deal's Science Class - Meet Mrs. Deal



Mia Hamm: A Leader in Women's SoccerArticle0104775000Photo credit: / Armando Franca /AP fileMia Hamm is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time. She is now retired from professional soccer, but continues to devote her time to charity.LOS ANGELES, California (Achieve3000, April 14, 2010). She hasn't competed since 2004, but Mia Hamm is still one of the most important figures in women's soccer. In October 2009, Hamm, a former captain of the women's U.S. National Team and a two-time world player of the year, was appointed the international ambassador for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. For Hamm, it's one more accomplishment to add to a long list of championships, scoring records, and individual honors over her storied career.Humble, hardworking, and fiercely competitive on the field, Hamm is considered by many to be the greatest female soccer player of all time. She is credited with changing the game of women's soccer. She also inspired a new wave of young female athletes, both in the U.S. and abroad."[There have been] three athletes who just played at a level that added a new dimension to their games," said Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike. "That's been Michael Jordan in basketball,...Mia Hamm in women's soccer, and Tiger Woods in golf."Mia's Early Life Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm was born on March 17, 1972, in Selma, Alabama. The daughter of an Air Force pilot, Hamm moved often with her family throughout her childhood. Mia first discovered soccer as a toddler, when the family moved to Italy. Italy is a country with an intense passion for football, as soccer is called there.The Hamms returned to the U.S. and Mia joined her first soccer team at age 5. Hamm's unique talent was evident at an early age. By the time she was 14, she was being scouted by coaches from the women's U.S. National Team. Later in her high school career, Hamm was named to the All-America Team of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.College Soccer After high school, Hamm attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. She was a star forward on the women's soccer team. She helped take the team to four NCAA women's championships. She also earned All-American honors three times. Hamm led the nation in scoring for three years. She completed her college career with 103 goals and 72 assists. In 1994 and 1995, Hamm received the Honda-Broderick Award. The award is given to the nation's most outstanding female athlete. In 1994, UNC officially retired Hamm's jersey. No other women's soccer player in the school's history will ever wear her number 19 again.Pro Soccer Hamm posted a stellar college career. Still, she is perhaps most known for her play on the international and professional level. In 1987, at age 15, Hamm became the youngest soccer player ever to play for the women's U.S. National Team. At 17, she scored her first goal in an international match. At age 19, she won her first FIFA Women's World Cup championship with the U.S. team. Hamm and her teammates would win another World Cup in 1999. That year, the U.S. team beat China in a thrilling overtime victory that was decided on penalty kicks. An estimated 40 million people watched the game on television. It was the highest-rated soccer broadcast in U.S. history.It was after the success and popularity of the 1999 World Cup that women's soccer reached new heights in the U.S. In February 2000, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), a professional league for female soccer players, was formed. Hamm became one of the league's founding players and joined a team called the Washington Freedom. The WUSA was forced to fold after just three seasons. Still, the league helped to blaze a new trail for women in professional sports.Hamm continued her career with the national team. Along the way, she built one of the biggest fan bases of any American athlete. In 2004, she retired from international soccer after a 17-year career that included two World Cup championships and two Olympic gold medals. She finished her career with a total of 158 goals in 275 international games, a record that has yet to be broken by any other player in the world, male or female. In 2007, Hamm was voted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. She and former teammate Michelle Akers were also named to FIFA's list of the 125 greatest living soccer players. They were the only two women and only two Americans to receive the honor.Life After Soccer Although she's hung up her cleats, Hamm hasn't forgotten about soccer. She now spends her time working for charitable causes. She also still works to promote women's athletics, and the sport of soccer, in the U.S.In 1999, she founded the Mia Hamm Foundation. The charity is dedicated to bone marrow research in memory of her brother, Garrett, who died in 1997. The foundation is focused on providing support for two important causes: raising funds for families needing medical treatment and continuing the growth in opportunities for young women in sports. Every year, Hamm and her husband Nomar Garciaparra, a former professional baseball player, hold a celebrity soccer game to raise money for the foundation.Today, Mia Hamm's legacy in the sport of women's soccer continues. There is a new generation of female soccer players. Many of these players saw Hamm as an idol when they were younger, and now they are competing in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The new WPS league debuted in 2009. An outline of Hamm running with the ball is featured on the WPS logo. That logo is sewn onto every player's jersey in the league. It's a fitting tribute to the woman who forever changed the game of women's soccer.The Associated Press contributed to this story.Dig DeeperIn 2013, Abby Wambach broke Mia Hamm's record. Abby scored the most soccer goals. But Mia is happy for her friend. Both women are great athletes. And they both know a lot about soccer.What some people may not know is that soccer is all about force and motion. The reason a soccer ball moves has to do with force. When Abby gets ready for a kick, she uses her muscles and bones to create a force that moves her leg. When that force hits the soccer ball, it moves. The soccer ball keeps moving until other forces stop it.Good soccer players make the most of force and motion. They know that if they kick a ball off-center, the ball spins. This makes the ball curve. And good players learn how to control the spin so that the ball goes where they want it to go!Dictionaryambassador (noun) ? ?representativedimension (noun) ? ?a feature or part of somethinglegacy (noun) ? ?something handed down to a new generationpenalty kick (noun) ? ?a free kick to try to score a point after the other team breaks a rulestellar (adjective) ? ?exceptionally good1. Which of these happened after Mia Hamm retired from professional soccer?? Hamm was appointed international ambassador for the FIFA Women's World Cup.? Hamm received the Honda-Broderick Award as the most outstanding female athlete.? Hamm's soccer jersey was officially retired by the University of North Carolina.? Hamm moved with her family to Italy, a country with an intense passion for soccer.2. The best alternate headline for this article would be __________.? Soccer Star Mia Hamm Continues To Inspire? Soccer Star Mia Hamm Makes WPS Logo? Soccer Star Mia Hamm Works for Charity? Soccer Star Mia Hamm Marries Baseball Player3. The article states:There is a new generation of female soccer players. Many of these players saw Hamm as an idol when they were younger, and now they are competing in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The new WPS league debuted in 2009.Which would be the closest synonym for the word debuted?? Departed? Graduated? Commenced? Specialized4. The news article says all of the following except __________.? The WUSA, a professional league for female players, continues to sign young players.? Mia Hamm helped take her college team to four NCAA championships.? The Mia Hamm Foundation raises funds for families needing bone marrow transplants.? Mia Hamm and her teammates won a World Cup championship in 1999.5. Which is the closest synonym for the word stellar?? Agreeable? Patriotic? Unremarkable? Spectacular6. Which of these is a statement of opinion?? The Mia Hamm Foundation is a charity dedicated in part to bone marrow research.? Mia Hamm was scouted by coaches from a U.S. women's team when she was 14.? Mia Hamm is the most outstanding athlete to play soccer in the United States.? In 2004, Mia Hamm retired from international soccer after a 17-year career.7. Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?? In 1999, Mia Hamm founded a charity that is dedicated to bone marrow research, in memory of her brother, Garrett.? Nomar Garciaparra took part in a celebrity soccer game to raise money for charity.? The Women's United Soccer Association was only in operation for three seasons.? Mia Hamm retired from soccer after a very successful career that included many awards and championships.8. The reader can infer from the article that __________.? Most colleges were probably not interested in recruiting Mia Hamm to play soccer after high school.? Mia Hamm has probably inspired many young women to continue playing sports after high school.? The U.S. Olympic women's soccer team probably can't win any medals without Hamm's participation.? Mia Hamm could have joined the women's U.S. National Team at a younger age if her family had not moved to Italy. ................
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