Chapter 4-One By Mia Hamm

Summary 4: Chapter Four and Five In chapters four and five, the theme that is presented is for all soccer players to be mentally and physically tough. The team that shows up with a strong mentality will most likely win. In the 1995 women’s world cup in Sweden, the United States had to face Australia to advance in their division. Since the U.S. thought scoring would be easy during this match, Australia shot in the first goal during the first half. This made the U.S. toughen up, physically and mentally, and the U.S. knew they had to keep on scoring to beat China’s record to advance as well. The United States ended up winning 4-1 against Australia, and Hamm states this is a perfect example of achieving something that is possible. The difficulties

We must also understand that soccer is a very physical sport and it is probably the most physical women’s game today. The ideal player must dominate speed, fitness and strength to conquer the game. Fitness is one part of your game that you can control, and dedication to being fit will greatly improve you as a player. Hamm mentions at the highest levels of soccer, the space on the field gets tighter and defenders get nastier. The best way to get back at a dirty team is to score goals and win the game, since fighting is not beneficial. In college, Mia Hamm learned how to possess mental and physical toughness from her coach, Anson Dorrance. Hamm briefly explains that young girls should be pushed to be the best athletes they can be. An inspirational quote I find interesting is when Hamm states, “Before you win, you must have the will to prepare the win.” I find this quote highly moving because it is very realistic, if you want to win you must mentally and physically prepare yourself for the game and have confidence. I can relate to Hamm when she explains that young girls should be pushed to excel in sports, since my own soccer coach gives my team this advice. Once we have the people in our life to push us girls to succeed in

Heading is a very unique skill to soccer, and many times a head ball is won by the defense which the starts the attack, allowing forwards to retreat. If you head the ball properly, it will be painless and fun. To head the ball properly, the ball must come in contact with the sweet spot on your head. There are two types of headings: defensive heading and offensive heading. Defensive heading is a direct ball that is aimed towards a teammate so you can maintain possession. Offensive heading is heading the ball down so it bounces on the goal lines and goes into the back of the net. Every player must remember that if they have good technique but bad timing it will decrease their chance to succeed. The ideal players learn not to flinch when the ball is coming at them and to always keep their eyes open, heads up and mouths closed. To improve heading, practice heading progression, chip and head to score or clear drill and two versus two heading drill. Goalkeeping is the most difficult and important position played on the field. Mia Hamm has played goalkeeper in one of her games because the U.S. team used all their substitutes, so Hamm knows how pressured goalies feel during games. The goalkeeper’s reaction to a flying ball can determine the outcome of the game. Goalkeepers must always have concentration and be good with their eyes and mouth. An important quote that caught my eye is when Hamm says,