Mia Hamm talks about ECNL, USWNT, coaching
Mia Hamm in a name in the soccer world that needs no introduction. Her career accomplishments carry the weight for her.
Two weeks ago, she took part in the Gatorade Athlete of the Year ceremony as one of the distinguished presenters. TopDrawerSoccer was also in attendance and spent a few minutes with the legend.
Hamm talked about giving advice to Gatorade Player of the Year Katie Cousins, the new head coach of the women’s national team, and the ECNL. Check out the full Q&A below.
TopDrawerSoccer (TDS): What advice have you given Gatorade Player of the Year Katie Cousins?
Mia Hamm (MH): “We haven’t really sat down and talked about do this or do that. We’ve more been catching up on what she is doing, where she is going to school. I know she is going to the U18 national team. We were talking about the World Cup and what was your favorite goal. We talked about Cahill’s goal and how hard that was. That is more of what our conversation has been.”
TDS: What did you think of the shake-up of the coaching staff of the U.S. Women’s National Team?
MH: “You know, it was tough. I know Tom Sermanni really well. I competed against his teams. He is one of the best human beings that you will ever meet so that was tough. Jill [Ellis] has tremendous history with the women’s side being involved as an assistant and in the development. I think she is going to do amazing things with this team. It sounds like the team has rebounded really well. That was the thing that I was really worried about, is it too close to qualifiers? Do they enough time to get together and get everyone on the same page? There’s a little bit of a different style between the two coaches, but it sounds like Jill [Ellis] has just picked up and the women are excited about what is ahead of them.”
TDS: What does U.S. Soccer need to do to keep the edge against the growing competition in the women’s game?
MH: “I think we need to continue to talk about development and not just on the women’s side but on the men’s side as well. Everyone is raving about Germany’s organization, and granted their country is a lot smaller than ours so it’s easier to organize but they’ve invested in development. They’ve invested not only in their players but also in their coaches. There is continuity in what they are doing and the message that they are sending. They do it on the women’s side too. This is a mentality that they’ve all adopted.”
“One of the great things about our country is that we are extremely competitive, but sometimes that limits how much information we share with each other. I think it’s important for these young players for all of us to be on the same page especially in the national teams. I know Jurgen [Klinsmann] is doing that and making sure that all of our youth coaches are on the same page. The assimilation for a U17 player for when they are brought up to the senior women’s national team … the speed is different but it isn’t like they are playing a completely different brand of soccer or a different system.”
TDS: U.S. Soccer operates the Development Academy for the boys club soccer sphere, but ECNL does not have the same backing from the Federation. Do you believe it is time for USSF to back ECNL?
MH: “You can’t take anything off the table. You have to really look at what we are doing and make sure we are making the best decisions for that development. That is working not just on the side with the ECNL, but that they are moving us in the direction that we want to go.”
TDS: Have you thought about getting into coaching?
MH: “I love doing sessions. I love doing clinics and camps. I have a lot to learn before I jump into coaching. I’d love to help whether it is someone like Katie [Cousins] and sharing my experiences with her. I love the game and I want to see the game continue to grow in this country.”
Trending Videos
Headlines
- SIMA Recruiting Roundup: March 18-24
- How Do I Get Scouted by TopDrawerSoccer?
- IMG Academy Player Rankings: Boys 2025
- Dallas Cup U15 Boys to Watch
- U19 MNT Roster for Friendlies in Morocco
- Impactful NWSL Rookies to Watch
- GA Champions Cup Best XI
- Commitments: From the GA to the Ivies
- Jefferson Cup Girls Players to Know
- GA Champions Cup U16 Final: Nationals Renew