HarperCollins Signs Mia Hamm to Picture Book Deal

Posted on February 20, 2004

HarperCollins Children's Books announced that it has signed soccer star Mia Hamm for a picture book titled Winners Never Quit! (on sale: August 1, 2004). Editor-in-Chief Kate Morgan Jackson signed the deal with Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and the book will be illustrated by Carol Thompson.

Iin her first picture book, Hamm explores a subject rarely associated with her -- quitting. Hamm draws on her own experience growing up as one of six very competitive soccer playing siblings. She would often quit a game rather than lose -- that is, until her brother and sister refused to play with her at all. Eventually, she learned to stick with her team. Hamm now wants to spread the word to other young people and continue to get both girls and boys involved in team sports.

"When I was a kid, I thought if I'd quit before the game was over then I really didn't lose," said Hamm. "Now I know that I'm 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."

Mia Hamm is a 17 year veteran of the U.S. Women's National Team, participating in four Women's World Cups and, come Summer Olympics 2004, three Olympic Games. She is also the author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life (HarperCollins, 1999). At the age of 15, she was the youngest player for the U.S. National Team, and has been a member ever since. Due to her high number of assists, she would still be among the top-ten scorers in U.S. history even if she had never scored a goal. Hamm established the Mia Hamm Foundation in 1999 to raise awareness for bone marrow transplant research and development of more opportunities for young women in sports. Her foundation can be found online at miafoundation.org. She was born in Selma, Ala., and her hometown is Chapel Hill, N.C.