Mary Joe Fernandez, Laurie Hernandez, Sofia Huerta, Gabriella Sabatini, Diana Taurasi.
Names synonymous with Latina athletes. Names that evoke determination, discipline, excellence and have inspired generations of young Hispanic girls to pursue their dreams passionately.
Another name that someday may be added to the list is Sam Meza, a junior midfielder on the UNC women’s soccer team.
Meza, who is of Mexican descent, is a two-time All-ACC performer, all-region performer and member of the United States Under-23 Women’s Youth National Team.
While she is making her mark on the field at UNC and across the world, that’s not where she wants her legacy to end; she hopes that she too can be an inspiration for the next generation of Hispanic girls.
“I hope I can inspire young Mexican girls to go for what they want, and it doesn’t have to be in sports,” Meza said. “The biggest thing for me is being an advocate for little Mexican girls. I hope that they look at me and see themselves in me and see that they could strive for whatever they want to achieve.”
Her love for soccer started at home in Texas with her parents – who were both excellent players – uncles, and cousins in her grandmother’s front yard. As much as she loved the camaraderie with her family, she didn’t feel the same way about playing with other kids.
“That’s where my mom saw that I really enjoyed playing it and she decided to put me onto a team, which was coached by her coach,” Meza explained. “I was a shy kid growing up and being around all those other kids made me nervous and uncomfortable. Once I got used to being with them and playing a team sport, it was just natural.
“I played for fun and then I got pretty good at it. That pushed me to meet new people and have new opportunities which pushed me out of my shell.”
One of those opportunities came courtesy of the United States Soccer Federation.
Meza switched youth club teams in the mid-2010s, moving to the Dallas Kicks of the National Girls League where the level of exposure she received increased.
After a trip to California to play in the prestigious San Diego Surf Cup, Meza received an invitation to a national training camp and worked her way onto the U.S. Under-15 Youth National Team.
She continued to climb the organizational age groups and was called up to play with U17, U20, and U23 national teams.
“I started playing and traveling with them in the eighth grade,” Meza explained. “It was different, but…
Names synonymous with Latina athletes. Names that evoke determination, discipline, excellence and have inspired generations of young Hispanic girls to pursue their dreams passionately.
Another name that someday may be added to the list is Sam Meza, a junior midfielder on the UNC women’s soccer team.
Meza, who is of Mexican descent, is a two-time All-ACC performer, all-region performer and member of the United States Under-23 Women’s Youth National Team.
While she is making her mark on the field at UNC and across the world, that’s not where she wants her legacy to end; she hopes that she too can be an inspiration for the next generation of Hispanic girls.
“I hope I can inspire young Mexican girls to go for what they want, and it doesn’t have to be in sports,” Meza said. “The biggest thing for me is being an advocate for little Mexican girls. I hope that they look at me and see themselves in me and see that they could strive for whatever they want to achieve.”
Her love for soccer started at home in Texas with her parents – who were both excellent players – uncles, and cousins in her grandmother’s front yard. As much as she loved the camaraderie with her family, she didn’t feel the same way about playing with other kids.
“That’s where my mom saw that I really enjoyed playing it and she decided to put me onto a team, which was coached by her coach,” Meza explained. “I was a shy kid growing up and being around all those other kids made me nervous and uncomfortable. Once I got used to being with them and playing a team sport, it was just natural.
“I played for fun and then I got pretty good at it. That pushed me to meet new people and have new opportunities which pushed me out of my shell.”
One of those opportunities came courtesy of the United States Soccer Federation.
Meza switched youth club teams in the mid-2010s, moving to the Dallas Kicks of the National Girls League where the level of exposure she received increased.
After a trip to California to play in the prestigious San Diego Surf Cup, Meza received an invitation to a national training camp and worked her way onto the U.S. Under-15 Youth National Team.
She continued to climb the organizational age groups and was called up to play with U17, U20, and U23 national teams.
“I started playing and traveling with them in the eighth grade,” Meza explained. “It was different, but…
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