Hamm will retire after Olympics

NEW YORK — Mia Hamm knew it was time when she visited her parents during a recent break from soccer and couldn’t help but notice how much older they looked.

She knew it was time when it dawned on her that some of her teammates on the United States women’s national team were in diapers when she entered into her first international match some 18 years ago.

She knew it was time when the days away from her husband, Nomar Garciaparra, began feeling like months.

And she knew it was time when she heard tennis legend Pete Sampras talk about wanting to retire on his own terms and not sully his legacy by hanging on after his skills had eroded.

“Pete said it was just a feeling he had, a voice he heard in his soul, and I knew exactly what he meant,” says Hamm, who recently announced she will bring the curtain down on the most riveting career in women’s soccer history following the Summer Olympics in Athens this August.

“Will I miss playing soccer? Absolutely. But I’m at peace with my decision. It definitely is time to move on with my life.”