Sam Meza hopes to leave inspiring legacy for young Latinas

Sam Meza playing soccer — (Photo by Jeffrey Camarati/GoHeels.com)

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 Carolina 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 I loved it. I got to go to a lot of cool places and meet a lot of people. I still have a lot of good friends from different age groups.

“Everybody doesn’t get to travel all around the world to play soccer,” she said with a smile.

Everybody doesn’t have their legendary coach calling them one of the best players he’s ever coached, either.

“Defensively, she is one of the greatest midfielders I’ve ever coached in my life,” UNC head coach Anson Dorrance said.

That is high praise on any level, but from Dorrance, it’s loftier considering the midfielders he coached on the 1991 U.S. World Cup championship team included midfielders Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Kristine Lilly.

“This is a player who can play at that level,” he continued. “She might be the best player in college soccer right now because, when she’s out there, no one can touch her.”

One of the reasons that she is held in such high regard is her style of play, which she deemed as Latin; playing with the ball at her feet with the freedom to create and focus on the attack, whether it be with short passes and quick touches or playing more one on one.

“She basically takes the game by the throat and says, ‘Give me the ball; everyone get out of my way,'” Dorrance said. “‘And if you dare invade my territory, I’m stripping you. I’m going to dominate any ball near me.’ It’s not complex, and it’s not calming. It’s the gift of fury. It’s a territorial imperative.”

Meza has been a mainstay in Dorrance’s lineup ever since she arrived in Chapel Hill, starting 44 of 45 games played. As a freshman, she was named to the ACC All-Freshmen team and was tabbed third-team all-conference.

The following season she earned second-team all-league accolades and has developed into an ACC Defensive Player of the Year candidate as well as a potential first-team All-America performer.

“I don’t like a lot of attention,” Meza said. “For me, it’s a lot of just staying focused on myself and not paying attention so much to what others are saying because you can get a big head. I try to stay grounded to what’s going to help the team and not so much on what’s going to help me. And I think that’s what kind of helps me a little bit. It’s more for the team, and it just kind of elevates me, and it makes me better game by game.

“My passion and love of the game is what has gotten me where I am now.”