Mia Hamm As A Child

Lilly honored with Iba award

Lilly, who will be honored as the 2011 female recipient, announced in January her retirement from soccer.

In a farewell-to-competition journal entry on Lilly's website ( tulsaworld.com/kristinelilly13 ), she wrote that her soccer career began when she was a 6-year-old in Wilton, Conn. As a kid, her favorite things about the sport were the orange slices players ate at halftime and snacks they ate after games.

Lilly would go on to play for gold medals, instead of munchies. But she said during a recent telephone interview that, deep down, there was always a part of her that played for orange slices.

You can't spell "citrus" without "U.S." and Lilly's tour of duty with Team USA spanned 24 years. Her body of work should be envied by anyone in any sport.

Lilly set a world record with 352 caps, alias international matches played. She was in the starting lineup for 330 caps.

Lilly is the second-leading (behind Mia Hamm) scorer and assist producer in U.S. and world history. Lilly is the all-time leader in minutes played.

Lilly is the only person to compete in five FIFA Women's World Cups and she took part in three Olympics, helping the United States to four championships. She is the youngest and oldest player to score a goal for the United States, and she's the only player to suit up for the United States in four decades.

Lilly conquered almost as much territory as a Risk addict. She played against 39 countries (scoring against 30) and played in 21 countries (scoring in 16 of them).

The world tour started when other people Lilly's age were getting driver's licenses.

An early start Lilly was 16 years and 12 days old when she made her Team USA debut Aug. 3, 1987 (at that time, the U.S. women's team was 16 matches old). She and co-sprites Julie Foudy (16) and Hamm (15) came aboard at the same time.

Did Lilly comprehend the magnitude of what they were doing?

"I knew I was representing the country," Lilly said. "But you are 16, so you are like 'oh, I am playing soccer' so you didn't really get a good grasp on it. I don't know if I did until maybe the first World Cup in 1991."

Lilly said they grew up together, had fun and made a living "so it was all just pretty amazing." She thinks it's cool that she and longtime teammates remain friends.

Lilly also had male teammates.

Soccer Expert Mia Hamm Teaches Lesson in Sport Safety ...

ST. LOUIS (June 2, 2011) – Hall of Fame soccer star and mother of two, Mia Hamm is teaming up with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) to spread the word that when it comes to protecting your child’s smile on and off the playing field, expertise matters. Hamm joins the organization’s “Play It Safe” campaign to promote mouth guard use among junior athletes to avoid injuries to the face, mouth and jaw that can occur during practice and game play of contact sports such as football, basketball, soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. She also is helping to spread the word about a new Free Consultation coupon offer that is now available through the AAO.

The damage caused by a ball, knee or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child – often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of oral health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s why the experts at the AAO are turning to experts like Hamm to help make “Play It Safe” a mantra of youth sports.

“An orthodontist’s goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. As an orthodontist, I see too many kids with sports injuries to the mouth that could have been prevented,” said Lee W. Graber, D.D.S., M.S., M.S., Ph.D., president of the AAO. “Together with Mia, we are encouraging parents, coaches and young athletes to set a goal of protecting those smiles.”

According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), children are at risk on the playing field while many coaches and parents stand by on sidelines. In a recent survey, the AAO discovered that 76 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports, yet only 33 percent reported that their children wear mouth guards during organized sports including football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse.

“Sports offer a great outlet for kids to learn, grow and dream,” said Mia Hamm. “Together with the AAO, I want to help teach kids and parents that some obstacles to success, like preventable injuries, can be avoided by wearing the right gear every time.”

As part of the AAO’s “Play It Safe” sport safety campaign, Hamm will highlight the importance of kids’ sport safety in April. Hamm will visit Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Glendale, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, to meet with students, discuss the importance of facial protection and distribute mouth guards.

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