Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra headlining CL Sports Awards
The fourth-annual Clarion Ledger Sports Awards are going to see some spectacular changes to the night — including having two world-famous athletes for the time.
For the past three years, Mississippi’s best athletes have been celebrated with the likes of Dak Prescott, Tim Tebow and Drew Brees. This year, the Clarion Ledger is doubling the talent with one of the sports world’s most celebrated power couples.
Soccer legend Mia Hamm and former Red Sox standout Nomar Garciaparra are coming to Jackson to honor the best and brightest in Mississippi high school sports on May 22 at Thalia Mara Hall.
The awards show is presented by the Clarion Ledger in partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi, Baptist Health Systems, Entergy and Nissan.
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Hamm is largely considered the best female soccer player in history and the player who put women's soccer on the map. As a keynote speaker, Mia continues to inspire a new generation of young girls and audiences worldwide.
A former Major League Baseball powerhouse, Garciaparra currently serves as an analyst for the Dodgers Network. Nomar spent the majority of his career with the Boston Red Sox (1996-2004) before playing two seasons for the Chicago Cubs (2004-2005). He finished his career in California with the Dodgers (2006-2008) and Oakland A’s (2009).
“We are tremendously excited to have Mia and Nomar join us this year. They are both world-class athletes with phenomenal stories who also bring a unique perspective as a couple,” Executive Editor Sam R. Hall said. “This is going to be a great night with twice the star power, an ESPYS-like feel at Thalia Mara and — most importantly — the opportunity to honor our best high school athletes.”
Story continues below gallery.
Another big addition this year will be the honoring of athletes from Mississippi who will be participating in the Special Olympics this year in Seattle. This will be the first time these athletes have been included in the Sports Awards. This new special honor, which will become an annual part of the awards program, is sponsored by Sanderson Farms.
Mia Hamm
Hamm played with the U.S. women's national soccer team for 17 years, building one of the biggest fan bases of any American athlete. She won the Women's World Cup in 1991 and 1999, and took Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004. Hamm held the record for most international goals scored until June 2013, when her record was broken by fellow American player Abby Wambach.
At the age of 15, Hamm was the youngest soccer player to play for the national team. Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she helped take the team to four consecutive NCAA women's championships.
In 1991, at the age of 19, Hamm was the youngest team member in history to win the World Cup. Five years later, Hamm and her teammates, including Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain and Kristine Lilly, secured the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. (They would return to win gold again in 2004.)
Nomar Garciaparra
A first-round draft pick, Nomar began his MLB career with the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year Award and also capped the year with the Silver Slugger Award and an All-Star appearance. He went on to secure 5 additional All-Star appearances (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006) and also won as back-to-back AL batting championships (’99-’00). To round out his extensive awards, Nomar was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2006.
Nomar is one of 13 players in Major League history to hit two grand slams during a single game and the only player to achieve the feat at his home stadium. Known for his ability to hit for average, Garciaparra is a lifetime .313 hitter. He had the highest single-season batting average by a right-handed batter in the post-war era, batting .372 in 2000.
After an illustrious 15-year career, Nomar signed a one-day contract with Boston to enable him to retire as a member of the Red Sox. On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 it was announced that Garciaparra would be inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame along with former pitchers Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens and longtime radio announcer Joe Castiglione.
Additional information
This will be the first year at Thalia Mara Hall for the Sports Awards. The venue allows for an awards-show atmosphere and better seating opportunities. Unlike previous years, no meal will be served.
“Amid the overwhelming praise for these events, the major request we kept hearing was for more affordable tickets when there were several family members or friends coming to see an athlete be honored,” Hall said. “This year, we decided to make that possible by not serving dinner. That allowed us to look at changing the venue to have reserved seating, which makes it easier for people to order ahead of time and not worry about getting a good seat — especially when there really isn’t a bad seat in the hall.”
Approximately 2,000 people attend each year, and the new venue is expected to be a sellout.
The Clarion Ledger picks an all-state team in every high school sport, and every one of those honorees is invited to the event. In addition, the teams that win MHSAA and MAIS state championships are as well.
Tickets are on sale now. Athletes will be contacted this month via their school’s athletic director and/or coach with more information on how to attend.
At a glance
Who: Mississippi's beststudent athletes, Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra
What:Clarion Ledger Sports Awards
When: Tuesday, May 22. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson
Why: To celebrate Mississippi's beststudent athletes
Website: sportsawards.clarionledger.com