After retiring 10 years ago, former U.S. football player MIA HAMM was back in the spotlight following her appointment to Serie A side AS Roma’s board of directors at the club’s annual shareholders meeting at the end of October. The two-time women’s World Cup Champion told SBD Global she plans to use her experience and recognition to help make the Italian side a household name in the U.S.
NEW OPPORTUNITY: When Boston-based Roma President JAMES PALLOTTA approached Hamm with an offer to join the new 13-member board, she said she was eager to accept. “I just looked at it as an amazing opportunity to be associated with one of the best clubs in the world with such a rich tradition and history for me to continue to help grow both here and abroad,” Hamm said. Roma was a team she paid close attention to, even prior to Pallotta’s purchase in Aug. ’12. With her father working at the U.S. embassy in Rome during her college years, Hamm was familiar with the Giallorossi. “Roma was the club that I always saw on TV when I was over there. It was really the colors that I saw in the streets,” Hamm said. With Roma captain FRANCESCO TOTTI among her favorite players, Hamm said, “I paid attention to them. It’s a club that I’ve watched.”
WORK EXPERIENCE: Hamm said she thinks her extensive football career has equipped her with the experience to be a valuable member of the board. “I look at the skills and the lessons I’ve learned and what I can bring to the table, and I can relate. Maybe not so much into the business side, but how to build a strong team, the importance of leadership and making sure you’re all on the same page, on and off the field.” One of the aspects of Hamm’s role as a board member will be to utilize the fame generated from her playing career. Hamm: “I want to do the best job that I can, and if that’s making AS Roma a household name here in the States, that’s exciting for me.” A household name in her own right, Hamm said part of her role would be to help initiate a connection between the club and North American fans to help build the Roma brand. “They’ve been here for the past three summers, building that brand,” Hamm said, referring to the club’s participation in the Int’l Champions Cup and its multi-year agreement with Disney Sports. “So that to me is exciting and one of the ways I can make that connection and introduction with the players.” Hamm said she would like to see AS Roma camps, clinics and academies held in the U.S. Through the club’s formal partnership with Disney, Roma travels to Orlando every year to train and play a summer match at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Hamm said a youth tournament surrounding the event would be “an amazing way to create those relationships and make those introductions.”
GIRL TALK: While she said she hasn’t heard of any plans for a Roma women’s team, Hamm said, “It’s definitely something that I'm going to be a proponent of, just because I know the importance and what sports can do for young girls’ self-esteem and confidence and overall health and wellness, too.”
PLANTING ROOTS: In addition to Hamm’s new role on the Roma board, Hamm and her husband, former MLB player NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, were recently announced as minority shareholders of a new L.A.-based MLS team set to launch in '17. “Nomar and I talked about it and where we were in our lives," Hamm said. "It was an exciting opportunity. We were two people -- through our careers -- that were constantly on the go. Having our kids and settling down in the greater Los Angeles area really helped us plant roots. We’re excited about being a part of L.A. FC and helping it grow here."
