University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC head coach Anson Dorrance and Mia Hamm in 1994
Hamm Named Winner Of NCAA Prestigious Silver Anniversary Award
December 13, 2018 | Women's Soccer
Will be honored at NCAA Convention January 23
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - University of North Carolina women's soccer great Mia Hamm, UNC Class of 1994, has been named a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for 2019. The Silver Anniversary Awards are given each year by the NCAA to recognize six distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates.
The Silver Anniversary Awards were first given in 1973, when five distinguished former student-athletes were honored. In 1986, the number of annual honorees was increased to six. Hamm will receive her award at the organization's annual convention in Orlando Fla., on January 23, 2019.
In order to be eligible, the nominee must be a college graduate and a varsity letter-winner at an NCAA member institution and must have achieved personal distinction since his or her graduation. The selection criteria are weighted 40 percent to the nominee's status as a prominent collegiate athlete and 60 percent to the nominee's career achievement.
"Mia's extraordinary exploits on the field are well documented and legendary but she is so much deeper than her athletic resume," says UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance, who coached Hamm at the collegiate level from 1989-93. "Mia represented the best of selflessness and team above individual. She is so deserving of this honor."
Hamm will be honored with the other 1994 college graduates who are Silver Anniversary Award honorees – fencer Tim Cullen of Air Force, wrestler David Hirsch of Cornell, basketball player Lisa Leslie of USC, football player Heath Shuler of Tennessee and baseball player Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech.
Hamm's Comments On Her Silver Anniversary Award:
"My time at North Carolina made me the player and person I am today. I graduated from high school and two days later my parents left for Italy for six years. My parents weren't coming to watch my games. My Dad got to a couple of national championship weekends, but they couldn't see me play regularly. I was on my own. If I had a bad week, I couldn't just drive to my parents' house and unload and reenergize.
"My first season at North Carolina, I remember lying on the field after a game at Stanford and I kind of broke down. I was holding onto everything so tightly. I wanted to be successful. I wanted to have an impact. I wanted to do well in school and didn't feel I was being the best teammate and that really bothered me. Our assistant coach, Bill Palladino, came over and talked me through it. He said, "Mia, we recruited you because we knew you could handle this. We knew this was the best environment for you to grow and improve, so don't think that it's too much. You're strong enough.'
"He gave me an avenue to be a little vulnerable. He taught me it's OK to have those feelings of doubt and uncertainty, but also to know we're here, we're a team, we're a family. Everyone talks about creating environments for people to succeed, but they created an environment for us to fail, as well — to build up that grit and that resiliency.
"That was so important for the rest of my career and that I've been able to use in life. I'm very grateful to have those coaches who pushed me to excel and to believe that I could be a better person than I was the day before."
Hamm attained the status of being recognized as one of the world's most talented and well-known female athletes in any sport and she accomplished that status very early in her career. Almost 15 years after her retirement from soccer she is still one of the most respected and admired women's athletes in American history.
FIFA named her the Women's World Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002, the first two years in which the world's governing body bestowed the award.
Her fame expanded off the pitch. People Magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1997. Corporations contracted with her for major endorsements, including Gatorade, Pepsi and Pert Shampoo. Nike named the largest building at its world headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., after her in 1999. She has devoted her life after soccer to multiple philanthropic causes. She remains, 14 years after her retirement, a recognizable icon in American sports history. A modest and humble player, she is nevertheless one of the most charismatic and well-liked athletes in history.
Hamm was one of the stars of the U.S. team that won the title at the 1999 World Cup, an event which propelled the popularity of women's soccer in the U.S. to unheard of heights. Hamm converted a key penalty kick in the victory over China in the championship game.
Hamm was the 1994 recipient of the Honda Broderick Cup, given to the Outstanding Female Athlete in all of college sports. She is the only UNC athlete to ever win the award. She received the 1994 Patterson Medal as the outstanding senior athlete at Carolina.
The ACC honored Hamm with the 1993 and 1994 Mary Garber Awards as the ACC's Female Athlete of the Year. She also won the ACC Player of the Year award in women's soccer three times and was a three-time unanimous first-team All-America selection. In 2002, she was named the outstanding female athlete in the first half century of the ACC's history dating back to the league's founding in 1954.
Hamm helped lead UNC to NCAA championships in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993. She was the unanimous choice as college soccer's National Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993. Hamm won the NCAA Tournament MVP awards for offense in 1992 and 1993. In 1989 and 1992, she was the MVP of the ACC Tournament.
Hamm led the nation in scoring in 1990, 1992 and 1993, setting the NCAA single-season record for scoring with 97 points in 1992. Hamm also holds the UNC record for assists in a season with 33 in 1992. She scored 32 goals in 1992, the second-highest total in UNC history.
Before retiring from soccer at the conclusion of the 2004 season, Hamm had been a member of the U.S. National Team since 1987, when she was still in high school. She was 15 years old when she first played for the team, making her the youngest woman ever to play for the National Team.
She ended 2004 as the world's all-time leading scorer with 158 goals and 145 assists for 461 points. Her 158 international goals were the most of all-time in FIFA history, male or female, until that mark was broken by Abby Wambach in 2013. Hamm concluded her career on a high note by winning her second Olympic gold medal in 2004.
In 1999, she established the Mia Hamm Foundation to raise funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and families and also to provide more opportunities for young girls in athletics.
She received her degree in political science from Carolina in 1994. In 2003, she was married to Nomar Garciaparra, a former Major League Baseball All-Star and current ESPN commentator. They have twin daughters, Ava Caroline and Grace Isabella, born in 2007, and a son, Garrett, born in 2012.
What They're Saying About Mia Hamm's Silver Anniversary Award
Anson Dorrance, UNC Head Coach 1979-present, U.S. Women's National Team Coach 1986-94
"Mia's extraordinary exploits on the field are well documented and legendary but she is so much deeper than her athletic resume. Just recently, Tony DiCicco, her 1999 World Cup Championship coach was dying and Mia galvanized all of us to connect with him and his family to say goodbye. I know I could not have done it It was so painful. Her grace and love for her community is unmatched. In fact, when the investors were organizing the first women's pro league following that fantastic 1999 World Cup Championship run they offered her an unmatchable salary to get the league off the ground. She refused to take one dime more that the last player on that championship roster. She spent her life working hard to become the best player in the world and then refused to accept the title whenever the spotlight was aimed her way. What a wonderfully refreshing memory for what we used to admire before it all became about the "likes" on our social media platforms and the America first philosophy. Mia represented the best of selflessness and team above individual. She is so deserving of this honor."
Bill Palladino, UNC Assistant Coach, 1980-present
"Mia embodies all the positive qualities a coach could dream of in a student-athlete – conscientious, hard working on and off the field, commitment to excellence and intensely loyal. But what truly defines Mia's character can been seen in her humility, courage and strength to survive challenging life situations and in the process create opportunities for others to flourish."
Bubba Cunningham, UNC Director of Athletics
"Mia has inspired young girls and women for the last 25 years, and her contributions to Carolina and the world of soccer are immeasurable. Her accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in the community make her a role model for all Tar Heels then, now and in the future. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor."
Cindy Parlow Cone, UNC Class of 1999, Member of U.S. National Team 1996-2004
"Mia, in every sense of the word, is a team player. She always talked about her teammates and always deflected praise back to them. All the attention she was getting had to be challenging and exhausting for someone as introverted as her. But seeing her navigate all that and how selfless she was at every turn will always stay with me. She has taught me so much both on and off the field. She is a truly an amazing role model for everyone, male and female."
Keri Sanchez, UNC Class of 1995, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1991-93, Member of U.S. National Team 1991-2001
"Congratulations to Mia for this honor. The NCAA could not have picked a better candidate. Mia was an exceptional student-athlete and has since gone on to accomplish so much in the world of soccer and beyond. She continues to inspire me with her selflessness and work ethic in all she pursues."
Heather O'Reilly, UNC Class of 2007, Member of U.S. National Team 2002-16
"Mia is an icon. She represents grace and class, while being one of the fiercest competitors to ever take the field. The sport of soccer is better because of Mia Hamm."
Kristine Lilly, UNC Class of 1993, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1989-92, Member of U.S. National Team 1987-2010
"Mia Hamm has defined what it means to be a champion on and off the field. Her dedication to the game while she was playing and long after has been done with hard work, grace and humility. She is well deserving of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and I am so fortunate to have gotten to play with her at UNC and for 17 years on the US. Women's National Team."
Angela Kelly, UNC Class of 1995, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1991-93
"This award values consistency, resiliency, wisdom and perspective because the individual receiving this award would have walked the walk! This walk was made without the recognition of self but with a purpose greater than themselves. No one will ever know the amount of weight that Mia Hamm has carried upon her shoulders because she found it to be her personal responsibility to pave the way for the future. When Mia shares her story the world will be in awe. Thank You for recognizing Mia the way that we all should.
Lorrie Fair, UNC Class of 2000, Member of U.S. National Team 1996-2005
"As incredible of a competitor as she was on the field, off the field she is an even better person. She grew the game during her career and continues to do so even now, but she also helps grow the character of every one of us who has the honor of having her in our lives with integrity and humility. I would be overjoyed if my kids grew up to be half the person she is."
Hamm's Condensed Bio
Mia Hamm played on the United States Women's National Team from 1987 to 2004, making her the youngest player to ever play for the team at the age of 15. Hamm played soccer for four years at North Carolina, leading her team to four NCAA championships from 1989-1993. Hamm led the nation in scoring in the 1990, 1992, and 1993 seasons. In 1992, she set the NCAA single season scoring record with 97 points. By the end of her final season with the Tar Heels, she had set the national career scoring record with 278 points on 103 goals and 72 assists. Hamm was a two-time National College Player of the Year, a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Female Athlete of the Year, and a two-time ACC tournament MVP. She was also named the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1992 and 1993. Also in 1993-94, she was the recipient of the Honda Broderick Cup Award, making her the only Tar Heel in history to win the award. Hamm quickly emerged as ESPN's No. 1 Athlete of the Title IX era and was selected by league-sponsored blue-ribbon panel as the Greatest Female Athlete of the First 50 Years of the ACC. She was named one of the top three female soccer players in the 20th century by FIFA and one of just two women's soccer players to be named to the FIFA 100 greatest living players in 2004.Hamm was inducted to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the Alabama and Texas sports Halls of Fame and was the first woman inductee into the World Football Hall of Fame in 2013. She was named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for five straight years from 1994-1998 and was the Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 1997 and 1999. The two-time Olympic champion and two-time World Cup champion ended her international career as the world's all-time leading scorer in women's soccer history with 158 goals, 145 assists, and 461 points. Hamm actively raises funds for several children's hospitals including UNC Hospitals. She established the Mia Hamm Foundations in 1994 to raise money for bone marrow transplant patients and their families.
The Silver Anniversary Awards were first given in 1973, when five distinguished former student-athletes were honored. In 1986, the number of annual honorees was increased to six. Hamm will receive her award at the organization's annual convention in Orlando Fla., on January 23, 2019.
In order to be eligible, the nominee must be a college graduate and a varsity letter-winner at an NCAA member institution and must have achieved personal distinction since his or her graduation. The selection criteria are weighted 40 percent to the nominee's status as a prominent collegiate athlete and 60 percent to the nominee's career achievement.
"Mia's extraordinary exploits on the field are well documented and legendary but she is so much deeper than her athletic resume," says UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance, who coached Hamm at the collegiate level from 1989-93. "Mia represented the best of selflessness and team above individual. She is so deserving of this honor."
Hamm will be honored with the other 1994 college graduates who are Silver Anniversary Award honorees – fencer Tim Cullen of Air Force, wrestler David Hirsch of Cornell, basketball player Lisa Leslie of USC, football player Heath Shuler of Tennessee and baseball player Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech.
Hamm's Comments On Her Silver Anniversary Award:
"My time at North Carolina made me the player and person I am today. I graduated from high school and two days later my parents left for Italy for six years. My parents weren't coming to watch my games. My Dad got to a couple of national championship weekends, but they couldn't see me play regularly. I was on my own. If I had a bad week, I couldn't just drive to my parents' house and unload and reenergize.
"My first season at North Carolina, I remember lying on the field after a game at Stanford and I kind of broke down. I was holding onto everything so tightly. I wanted to be successful. I wanted to have an impact. I wanted to do well in school and didn't feel I was being the best teammate and that really bothered me. Our assistant coach, Bill Palladino, came over and talked me through it. He said, "Mia, we recruited you because we knew you could handle this. We knew this was the best environment for you to grow and improve, so don't think that it's too much. You're strong enough.'
"He gave me an avenue to be a little vulnerable. He taught me it's OK to have those feelings of doubt and uncertainty, but also to know we're here, we're a team, we're a family. Everyone talks about creating environments for people to succeed, but they created an environment for us to fail, as well — to build up that grit and that resiliency.
"That was so important for the rest of my career and that I've been able to use in life. I'm very grateful to have those coaches who pushed me to excel and to believe that I could be a better person than I was the day before."
Hamm attained the status of being recognized as one of the world's most talented and well-known female athletes in any sport and she accomplished that status very early in her career. Almost 15 years after her retirement from soccer she is still one of the most respected and admired women's athletes in American history.
FIFA named her the Women's World Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002, the first two years in which the world's governing body bestowed the award.
Her fame expanded off the pitch. People Magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1997. Corporations contracted with her for major endorsements, including Gatorade, Pepsi and Pert Shampoo. Nike named the largest building at its world headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., after her in 1999. She has devoted her life after soccer to multiple philanthropic causes. She remains, 14 years after her retirement, a recognizable icon in American sports history. A modest and humble player, she is nevertheless one of the most charismatic and well-liked athletes in history.
Hamm was one of the stars of the U.S. team that won the title at the 1999 World Cup, an event which propelled the popularity of women's soccer in the U.S. to unheard of heights. Hamm converted a key penalty kick in the victory over China in the championship game.
Hamm was the 1994 recipient of the Honda Broderick Cup, given to the Outstanding Female Athlete in all of college sports. She is the only UNC athlete to ever win the award. She received the 1994 Patterson Medal as the outstanding senior athlete at Carolina.
The ACC honored Hamm with the 1993 and 1994 Mary Garber Awards as the ACC's Female Athlete of the Year. She also won the ACC Player of the Year award in women's soccer three times and was a three-time unanimous first-team All-America selection. In 2002, she was named the outstanding female athlete in the first half century of the ACC's history dating back to the league's founding in 1954.
Hamm helped lead UNC to NCAA championships in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993. She was the unanimous choice as college soccer's National Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993. Hamm won the NCAA Tournament MVP awards for offense in 1992 and 1993. In 1989 and 1992, she was the MVP of the ACC Tournament.
Hamm led the nation in scoring in 1990, 1992 and 1993, setting the NCAA single-season record for scoring with 97 points in 1992. Hamm also holds the UNC record for assists in a season with 33 in 1992. She scored 32 goals in 1992, the second-highest total in UNC history.
Before retiring from soccer at the conclusion of the 2004 season, Hamm had been a member of the U.S. National Team since 1987, when she was still in high school. She was 15 years old when she first played for the team, making her the youngest woman ever to play for the National Team.
She ended 2004 as the world's all-time leading scorer with 158 goals and 145 assists for 461 points. Her 158 international goals were the most of all-time in FIFA history, male or female, until that mark was broken by Abby Wambach in 2013. Hamm concluded her career on a high note by winning her second Olympic gold medal in 2004.
In 1999, she established the Mia Hamm Foundation to raise funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and families and also to provide more opportunities for young girls in athletics.
She received her degree in political science from Carolina in 1994. In 2003, she was married to Nomar Garciaparra, a former Major League Baseball All-Star and current ESPN commentator. They have twin daughters, Ava Caroline and Grace Isabella, born in 2007, and a son, Garrett, born in 2012.
What They're Saying About Mia Hamm's Silver Anniversary Award
Anson Dorrance, UNC Head Coach 1979-present, U.S. Women's National Team Coach 1986-94
"Mia's extraordinary exploits on the field are well documented and legendary but she is so much deeper than her athletic resume. Just recently, Tony DiCicco, her 1999 World Cup Championship coach was dying and Mia galvanized all of us to connect with him and his family to say goodbye. I know I could not have done it It was so painful. Her grace and love for her community is unmatched. In fact, when the investors were organizing the first women's pro league following that fantastic 1999 World Cup Championship run they offered her an unmatchable salary to get the league off the ground. She refused to take one dime more that the last player on that championship roster. She spent her life working hard to become the best player in the world and then refused to accept the title whenever the spotlight was aimed her way. What a wonderfully refreshing memory for what we used to admire before it all became about the "likes" on our social media platforms and the America first philosophy. Mia represented the best of selflessness and team above individual. She is so deserving of this honor."
Bill Palladino, UNC Assistant Coach, 1980-present
"Mia embodies all the positive qualities a coach could dream of in a student-athlete – conscientious, hard working on and off the field, commitment to excellence and intensely loyal. But what truly defines Mia's character can been seen in her humility, courage and strength to survive challenging life situations and in the process create opportunities for others to flourish."
Bubba Cunningham, UNC Director of Athletics
"Mia has inspired young girls and women for the last 25 years, and her contributions to Carolina and the world of soccer are immeasurable. Her accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in the community make her a role model for all Tar Heels then, now and in the future. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor."
Cindy Parlow Cone, UNC Class of 1999, Member of U.S. National Team 1996-2004
"Mia, in every sense of the word, is a team player. She always talked about her teammates and always deflected praise back to them. All the attention she was getting had to be challenging and exhausting for someone as introverted as her. But seeing her navigate all that and how selfless she was at every turn will always stay with me. She has taught me so much both on and off the field. She is a truly an amazing role model for everyone, male and female."
Keri Sanchez, UNC Class of 1995, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1991-93, Member of U.S. National Team 1991-2001
"Congratulations to Mia for this honor. The NCAA could not have picked a better candidate. Mia was an exceptional student-athlete and has since gone on to accomplish so much in the world of soccer and beyond. She continues to inspire me with her selflessness and work ethic in all she pursues."
Heather O'Reilly, UNC Class of 2007, Member of U.S. National Team 2002-16
"Mia is an icon. She represents grace and class, while being one of the fiercest competitors to ever take the field. The sport of soccer is better because of Mia Hamm."
Kristine Lilly, UNC Class of 1993, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1989-92, Member of U.S. National Team 1987-2010
"Mia Hamm has defined what it means to be a champion on and off the field. Her dedication to the game while she was playing and long after has been done with hard work, grace and humility. She is well deserving of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and I am so fortunate to have gotten to play with her at UNC and for 17 years on the US. Women's National Team."
Angela Kelly, UNC Class of 1995, Hamm's UNC Teammate 1991-93
"This award values consistency, resiliency, wisdom and perspective because the individual receiving this award would have walked the walk! This walk was made without the recognition of self but with a purpose greater than themselves. No one will ever know the amount of weight that Mia Hamm has carried upon her shoulders because she found it to be her personal responsibility to pave the way for the future. When Mia shares her story the world will be in awe. Thank You for recognizing Mia the way that we all should.
Lorrie Fair, UNC Class of 2000, Member of U.S. National Team 1996-2005
"As incredible of a competitor as she was on the field, off the field she is an even better person. She grew the game during her career and continues to do so even now, but she also helps grow the character of every one of us who has the honor of having her in our lives with integrity and humility. I would be overjoyed if my kids grew up to be half the person she is."
Hamm's Condensed Bio
Mia Hamm played on the United States Women's National Team from 1987 to 2004, making her the youngest player to ever play for the team at the age of 15. Hamm played soccer for four years at North Carolina, leading her team to four NCAA championships from 1989-1993. Hamm led the nation in scoring in the 1990, 1992, and 1993 seasons. In 1992, she set the NCAA single season scoring record with 97 points. By the end of her final season with the Tar Heels, she had set the national career scoring record with 278 points on 103 goals and 72 assists. Hamm was a two-time National College Player of the Year, a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Female Athlete of the Year, and a two-time ACC tournament MVP. She was also named the NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1992 and 1993. Also in 1993-94, she was the recipient of the Honda Broderick Cup Award, making her the only Tar Heel in history to win the award. Hamm quickly emerged as ESPN's No. 1 Athlete of the Title IX era and was selected by league-sponsored blue-ribbon panel as the Greatest Female Athlete of the First 50 Years of the ACC. She was named one of the top three female soccer players in the 20th century by FIFA and one of just two women's soccer players to be named to the FIFA 100 greatest living players in 2004.Hamm was inducted to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the Alabama and Texas sports Halls of Fame and was the first woman inductee into the World Football Hall of Fame in 2013. She was named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for five straight years from 1994-1998 and was the Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 1997 and 1999. The two-time Olympic champion and two-time World Cup champion ended her international career as the world's all-time leading scorer in women's soccer history with 158 goals, 145 assists, and 461 points. Hamm actively raises funds for several children's hospitals including UNC Hospitals. She established the Mia Hamm Foundations in 1994 to raise money for bone marrow transplant patients and their families.
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