| ||||||
|
Arts & Entertainment Books Comics Health & Body Media  Mothers Who ThinkNews People Politics2000 Technology - Free Software Project Travel & Food  Columnists
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - Also Today For a full list of today's Salon Mothers Who Think stories, go to the
Mothers Who Think home page. - - - - - - - - - - - - Search Salon - - - - - - - - - - - - Recently in Salon Mothers Who Think Column Complete archives for Mothers Who Think - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Hamm remains humble despite the hype. She uses media appearances to deflect attention from her personal achievements to those of the team. In a conference call with reporters after shattering the record for most international goals scored, Hamm described the historic play as "very reflective of our team, with lots of one-touch plays. I was fortunate to be at the end of it and knock it in." If ever there was a time to bask in personal glory, this was it. Yet Hamm declined. Hers is not the forced modesty of a media-savvy star. It is rooted in a relentless will to win coupled with an understanding that, at its heart, soccer is a team sport. On the field, she is a vocal and dominant competitor. Off the field, you get the sense that she would prefer to fade into the woodwork of the U.S. squad, to just be an athlete. But the sport's rising popularity and her status as an idol to girls and women across the country has made that impossible. "She's kind of become an entertainment icon," said DiCicco. "I think it's a role that she embraces because she knows it's a job the team and the sport need." Is DiCicco concerned that the hoopla surrounding the tournament will distract Hamm from the task at hand? "I'm not sure it has helped her," he admits, laughing a little nervously. He acknowledges that in the past he has seen a busy media schedule "hinder her because of the demands physically" but contends that this recent, heavier spate of attention does not affect her mental discipline.
Find books by and about Mia Hammat BARNES & NOBLE Still, Hamm has not shown herself to be immune from the effects of pressure. As World Cup media attention ratcheted up earlier this year, she endured an eight-game goal drought -- an eternity for a player who, on average, has scored in two out of every three games she has played. Furthermore, she has never been known as a big-game overachiever. Her play throughout the last Women's World Cup in 1995 could hardly have been described as dominant. In a significant setback to American women's soccer, the United States was eliminated from the tournament that year by Norway, which went on to win the championship. With her extraordinary intensity, Hamm can be her own worst enemy. She can allow small errors in her game to blossom into larger ones by being overly critical of herself. There is concern that the heightened attention of the past few months might compound that tendency. Saturday's victory for the Americans offered a storybook kickoff to the Women's World Cup. But whether that momentum will carry forward and allow them to win the tournament remains to be seen. The Norwegians still look strong, and just a few months ago the Chinese, another possible contender, beat the United States 2-1 in a warm-up at the Meadowlands. Inevitably, success or failure will depend on the collective effort of all 20 young women on the U.S. team. But, fair or not, Hamm will suffer the lion's share of the blame should the team fall short of its goals. Whether she flourishes or flounders in the glare of the media spotlight promises to be one of the great subplots of World Cup '99. If last Saturday's game is any indication, she should be more than up to the task.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - Search Salon | |||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
