Oklahoma State University Athletics
A Competitor For All Seasons
March 24, 2009 | Cowgirl Soccer
By Jordan Lindley
When the seasons change, so does her sport.
Freshman Melinda Mercado is a two-sport athlete at OSU competing in soccer and basketball.
Mercado, who was recruited to OSU for soccer, had no idea she would be dueling two sports and school.
“I actually didn't know I wanted to play two sports in college until I got to OSU,” Mercado said. “My high school basketball coach had asked me and I said no, but then when I came to OSU, my family and I met with Coach Budke and he asked me to play—I said yes.”
Although she has been playing both sports since she was around five or six years old, Mercado has always had more passion for soccer.
“My favorite part about soccer is the teamwork and the feeling after winning against a good team, especially because the games are much longer than basketball games,” Mercado said.
Mercado says that although soccer is her dominant sport, basketball has helped her in many different ways including making her footwork better and her jumping abilities more advanced.
The soccer coaches began recruiting Mercado when she was just a sophomore in high school, and saw her passion for the sport.
“Her tenacity and athleticism are amazing,” Head soccer coach Colin Carmichael said. “As I watched her more, her other great qualities started to become more apparent.”
Carmichael offered Mercado a scholarship, but at that time, she passed on the offer and had decided to attend another school for soccer.
Fortunately for OSU, Mercado changed her mind and called the coaches again to tell them of her decision.
Unfortunately for Mercado, by the time she had contacted the coaches again, they had no scholarships left to offer her because the coaches had reached their limit for athletic aid for the 2008 season from the NCAA.
After Mercado thought she wasn't going to be able to attend OSU, Carmichael stepped in and took an alternative route to getting Mercado to OSU.
“I approached basketball to see if they would have a scholarship to offer,” Carmichael said. “Eventually, they were able to offer her a scholarship and this was great for Mercado and her family financially.”
Mercado quickly became a two-sport athlete and started at OSU as a student in the fall of 2008.
Because both sports have a year-round training schedule in one form or another, the coaches had to come to an arrangement dealing with Mercado's busy schedule.
“Coach Budke and the basketball staff have been great,” Carmichael said. “Our agreement was that Mercado is with us until the end of the fall soccer season. She then joins up with them for the rest of their season and will then join us for the end of our spring season when basketball is done.”
With the hectic schedule of being a two-sport athlete, Mercado gets stressed sometimes, but tries not to let it affect her.
“I go to class, and then practice, lift weights, training table, tutoring and homework then go to sleep,” Mercado said. “The stress definitely gets to me sometimes. It's not so much physically, but mentally. The main thing that stresses me out the most is missing class for games and getting behind on work.”
Mercado isn't the only one worrying about her hectic schedule; Carmichael also had concerns when he knew she would be playing two sports during the school year.
“The only worries I have about Mercado are how she will deal with the academic side of things, how her body will react physically to the demands of two sports at this level, and will there be a negative affect with her missing half of the spring soccer season,” Carmichael said.
Although she enjoys being in basketball season, she does get a little jealous of her soccer teammates.
“The hardest thing is seeing all my soccer teammates getting a break, while I'm still in basketball,” Mercado said.
Even with the constant busy schedule that comes with her unique situation, Mercado has found one important thing that has come out of being a two-sport athlete.
“My favorite part about being a two sport athlete is being friends with both my soccer and basketball teammates,” Mercado said.
