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Emotion Commotion: Mia Hamm on Self Esteem
Soccor, three-time Olympic medalist, two-time World Cup champion, four-time NCAA champion

My dad was in the Air Force, and so we moved every few years. That meant a lot of good-byes. It also meant getting used to a whole new community and a whole new school each time. It would be hard for any kid to do. But I was also really shy.

I can still feel what it was like to have to walk into the new school. All the kids already knew each other, sometimes for years. It would always take time to learn how everything worked, what was cool and what was not. It was always a struggle to find where I fit in – never a fun struggle either.

I remember feeling so nervous going into a new school. And not the good kind of nerves you have before a big game. It was like a rollercoaster – going up slowly to that first terrifying drop. I would think to myself, “I’m not going to make it! I’m not going to make it!” Worrying about being accepted was that tough. “Are they going to like me?” And then I’d have to do it all over again at the next school.

It took its toll on me. Already shy, I didn’t have much self-confidence in my friend-making abilities. I was the girl walking in the halls with her head down, fidgeting. I would check my clothes and hair every two seconds. When I spoke, you could hardly hear my soft voice.

It was very hard not having a history with everyone else. I was an outsider. But what I did have was soccer. Wherever I went I knew that I could fit in with the soccer ball. A team environment was familiar territory and immediate friends for me. I could express myself, get all my nervousness out — playing hard. It made fitting in just a little bit easier.

Even today, I am not confident all the time. I still think about getting people to like me. When I start feeling self-conscious, I just call my mom or sister or a friend and talk about it. Or I’ll do things that make me feel good, like cook or read.

It's how you treat others that gives you value in life.

There are always going to be things that make you nervous and uncertain. That’s life. And in my lucky life, I have it, too -- the beginning of the new sports season, meeting new people, making important decisions. I keep a small, core group of really good friends. Most have been my teammates for years. We have shared a lot together. They have seen the good, the bad and the ugly sides of me, and they still accept me. They have taught me that it’s how you treat others that gives you value in life. I guess I have history with friends now.