Mia Hamm helped popularize soccer in the U.S. and inspire a new generation of athletes.

Because of Her Story presents a YouTube miniseries where students speak with Smithsonian curators about four women who shaped American history and culture. In How Did Mia Hamm Inspire More Women to Play Sports?, Kamau, a student, speaks with Eric Jentsch, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, about Hamm's legacy.

See more YouTube videos from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, Because of Her Story. #BecauseOfHerStory