United States women’s national team icon Mia Hamm understands the difficult process of returning to match action after a serious knee injury.
The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion suffered a severe knee injury in 2002 while a member of the Washington Freedom of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).
Hamm knows firsthand the physical and mental demands that current USWNT defender and Gotham FC captain Tierna Davidson went through after suffering two ACL injuries in the span of three years.
South Ward Central recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Hamm to discuss several USWNT and Gotham topics at TYLENOL’s PainTalk event at The Lawn Club in Lower Manhattan.
Hamm on Davidson’s Mental Strength and Resilience
“I think, one, just her psychological dimension is incredibly strong,” Hamm replied when asked by South Ward Central about Davidson’s recovery and impressive return to top form.
“Because one of the hardest things to do as an athlete is the world doesn’t stop when you get hurt. Your team keeps moving and keeps progressing and pivots to how they’re going to look and perform without you. So your schedule changes.
“You want to stay connected with the team. So you are going in and trying to be at team meetings, functions, practices, while still rehabbing.”
Hamm on the Isolation of Rehabbing Away From the Team
Hamm can relate to the isolating experience of rehabbing separately from the rest of the squad.
“A lot of the time, there’s no one there with you rehabbing from the team,” she explained. “If you’re doing it at the facility, you’re either coming in before the team gets there or you’re there when the team leaves. When I was playing, I did it off-site because we didn’t have a physical therapist when I was playing for the Freedom. So I would go to practice, leave practice, go to the physical therapist in downtown D.C. and spend two hours hoping I’d be able to play soccer.”
Davidson returned to match action for the first time in 358 days when Gotham secured a scoreless home draw against the North Carolina Courage on March 21.
The 27-year-old soon returned to national team duty, making her first appearance for the USWNT after a 412-day absence when the United States played an international friendly against Japan on April 14.
Davidson has been instrumental in Gotham’s rock-solid defense that has allowed an NWSL-best five goals against through 11 matches played.
“Tierna’s such a special player that when she’s on the pitch, she’s probably one of the most technical players that play in the backline, probably in the world,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said earlier this season. “On top of that, she’s left-footed, which is also even more rare. She’s a great leader on and off the pitch. I think she’s so calm on the ball, but I think she’s just a different player for me.
“I would say – I don’t want to put pressure on her – but I think she’s probably the best left-footed center-back on the planet for the way I see the game.”
Davidson’s remarkable comeback to the top of the women’s game has been clear. Her efforts were recognized in being named to the NWSL Best XI of May.
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