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Mariel Margaret Hamm was born on St. Patrick’s day, March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama. Mia’s father was in the Air Force and soon had to be transferred to Florence, Italy. That’s where she saw her first soccer game. |
| Mia’s older siblings played soccer when she was not old enough, so she became the ball girl and helped gather the balls at practice. When she was three years old she took dance lessons and decided it wasn’t for her; she wanted to play soccer. |
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When Mia was 14 years old, a man named Anson Dorrance came to watch one of her games. |
| Dorrance was the coach of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer team. Even though Dorrance didn’t know what Mia looked liked, he soon found her on the field. He immediately noticed her athleticism, and when she was 15 she became the youngest female ever to play for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, where she played her first game in China. |
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Everyone has their favorite sports, colors, and pastimes. Do you know Mia’s? She loves to play basketball and also watch it on television. When she was in college she played basketball with Michael Jordan. |
| Her favorite color is green and she adores Italian food. Did you know Mia has to tie her right shoe before her left? She claims she will have bad luck if she doesn't. |
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As you can see, Mia Hamm has extraordinary talent when it comes to the game of soccer. Mia has had an amazing journey so far, but it isn’t over yet.
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