Mia Hamm Quotations

I've worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals. I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down.

I could sit there and eat pasta all day long and not worry about it when I was younger, and now I really have to focus on making sure I set a good example for my kids.

You may get skinned knees and elbows, but it's worth it if you score a spectacular goal.

I hope all you young girls see yourself up there... we were just like you.

If you don't love what you do, you won't do it with much conviction or passion.

I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.

Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them.

Follow your heart and make it your decision.

Soccer isn't very social. Plus, if you don't like someone on the other team, you can do something about it.

I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.

The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.

The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything.

You can't just beat a team, you have to leave a lasting impression in their minds so they never want to see you again.

True champions aren't always the ones that win, but those with the most guts.

Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.

I am happy that the young girls have a lot more choices these days and an opportunity to feel better about themselves.

There are always new, grander challenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one.

It is not sacrifice if you love what you're doing.

Being a good teammate is when you try to sprint down a ball that everyone thinks is going out of bounds. But you go after it anyways and you get it.

Chicken, brown rice, and veggies is a great healthy dinner option. It's full of whole grains and protein, and will keep you full for a long time.

I love watching gymnastics, swimming, and track and field.

I don't like to play rough, but I will if I have to.

English muffins with avocado is one of my favorite breakfasts.

I make a lot of mistakes, too, and I'm constantly re-evaluating how I'm doing things and trying to be better every day, whether it's as a mom or taking care of myself.

It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there.

Golf is social. It brings a lot of people together.

I got to experience soccer at the highest level at a young age; I decided I wanted to be part of that for as long as possible.

I could just have chips and salsa for dinner every day.

I don't like to stop. I'm a big person who looks at where the hubs are because I hate changing planes.

Sports have become increasingly more specialized, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be fun.

As a mother I think you often get so caught up in trying to take care of everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself. But I'm a much better wife and mother when I take the time to take care of myself.

I played basketball and soccer my freshman year in high school.

Many people say Im the best womens soccer player in the world. I dont think so. And because of that, someday I just might be.

I was this shy, introverted kid and through the game and through athletics I was able to gain a lot more confidence and express myself on the field. It is about enjoying themselves and that's what I could tell about all of these girls. They played hard, respected the game and just had fun doing it.

To me, one of the reasons we were so successful was that we respected and cared about the game and felt the same way about each other, ... (Teammates) always understood there was a greater purpose. That the opportunity to play was extremely special, and let's try to make sure as many young girls have that opportunity.

This is emotional, and I'm truly speechless, ... I was expecting to be a follower tomorrow night, just to go wherever I was pointed, and now I'm carrying the flag. It's a tremendous honor and I thank my fellow Olympians for thinking of me.

This is the last time I will get to play with this group of players. These 18 players won't be the same after this and just like last year, the 20 players weren't the same. Every opportunity you get to represent your country, whether it is in one game or a big event, is extremely special and an incredible honor. This tournament is no different. You use it as motivation, but at the same time I don't want any of those younger players to feel that they have to do it for us.

I've enjoyed every minute of it and to be able to do it as long as I've had, I've had a lot of support from my family. The game has yet to see so much more growth.

Sports can do so much. It's given me confidence, self-esteem, discipline, and motivation.

Many people say I'm the best women's soccer player in the world. I don't think so. And because of that, someday I just might be.

I will not let my teammates down and I will not let myself down.

I know I wouldn't be here, and all of us wouldn't be here, without certain sacrifices and certain stands that people have made -- not just women, but men stepping up and supporting what we do and how we do it.

Every single day I wake up and commit myself to becoming a better player. Some days it happens, and some days it doesn't. Sure, there are games I'm going to dominate and there are going to be games when I struggle. But it doesn't mean I give up.

Goals have never defined me as a player. What has defined me is my impact on the team. If that means passing or playing defense to win, I'll do it.

When players go out and train on their own, they usually do it at half speed. This kind of training is valuable, but it doesn't prepare you for competition, where you must perform at full throttle. So the trick is to schedule regular sessions of intense practice, while always leaving time to juggle and generally goof around with the ball

The most important attribute a player must have is mental toughness.

No-one gets an iron-clad guarantee of success. Certainly, factors like opportunity, luck and timing are important. But the backbone of success is usually found in old-fashioned, basic concepts like hard work, determination, good planning and perseverance.

Good players create opportunities. The great players and the great people seize them

The backbone of success is...hard work, determination, good planning, and perserverence.

I'm a part of a team, and I'm no better or any worse than any single player on this team. That's the approach I've always had and will continue to have. It's not about me. It has never been all about me. If it had, this would have been a really lonely journey.

Learn to differentiate between what is truly important and what can be dealt with at another time.

Sports can do so much. They've given me a framework: meeting new people, confidence, self-esteem, discipline, motivation. All these things I learned, whether I knew I was learning them or not, through sports.

Focus on what you know you can do. Know what you're capable of on any given day, and what you can count on. Do the simple things well, and then use the confidence to build up the rest of your game. Learn to differentiate between what is truly important and what can be dealt with at another time.

A winner is that person who gets up one more time than she is knocked down.

My coach said I ran like a girl, I said if he could run a little faster he could too

Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.

Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back... play for her.

Sport taught me how to goal set, it really gave me a voice and identity.

Golf is social. It brings a lot of people together. And the great thing about a scramble, there's less pressure because you don't feel like every shot has to be your shot.

Experience means you did a lot of things wrong.

You're worth the investment in yourself and what you feel, you can and want to be

After each game, I want to be able to say: I gave it all I could, I gave it my best.

I don't want to sit and look at all the trophies. I don't want to live in the past -- I want to live now!

Sports are not about awards or world championships, though those are great. They're about the relationships we have with each other.

I'm not someone who goes around the locker room before a game trying to motivate my teammates. I don't say a lot before the game. I don't say a lot in general. It takes too much energy to do that.

I play for the intense challenges that the game on the highest levels present. The whole team enjoys playng exciting soccer for the fans and my part in that makes me feel good about myself. The whole concept of teamwork is what keeps us all going. It's my role to create scoring chances, and to come through for my teammates is extremely satisfying.

If you've got hips, you can't be a gymnast or dancer. That ruled me out.

It isn't sacrifice if you love what you're doing.

I played soccer because my friends did. Besides we got sodas afterwards.

Every day I look for ways to be inspired, to learn and to grow. And trying to be the best for my kids, my husband and my family. One thing I really wanna do is being there for my kids, be part of my siblings and my parents.

People ask me, 'Would you ever want to play professional golf?' And I'm like, 'No. No, no, no, no. Just because I can hit a good shot every now and then doesn't make me a pro.'

If a team intimidate you physically and you let them, they've won.

I learned a long time ago that there is something worse than missing the goal, and that's not pulling the trigger.

The team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.

Every morning, I wake up trying to be the best mom and the best role model for my kids in a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

Every single day I wake up and commit to myself to becoming a better player.

Success breeds success.

We play because we love the game, we love each other, and we love to win.

I was given a tremendous gift in terms of athleticism. Maybe it was because I wasn't so confident in other areas.