Spanish-born Lucia Garrigues-Melendez makes impact on USF women鈥檚 tennis team
TAMPA, Fla. (BVM) – Spanish-born Lucia Garrigues-Melendez has had quite the experience as a division one tennis player ever since her big move to the United States.
It is not every day that you see someone pack up all of their belongings and move to another country, much less become a collegiate athlete. There are many things to keep into consideration: a new language, a new style of life, and most importantly, the choice to leave your family behind. However, Garrigues-Melendez, born and raised in Valencia, chose this challenge in order to continue to play the sport she loves at the University of South Florida.聽
Before she was on the Bull鈥檚 roster, Garrigues-Melendez had quite the illustrious tennis career in her home country of Spain. She took part in many tournaments managed by the International Tennis Federation as a junior player. Her tennis game took her to many parts of Spain, Portugal and Northern Africa as she competed to climb in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings. When Garrigues-Melendes was little, she was one of the top three players in the Valencian community and a top-15 player in Spain. This unsurprisingly caught the attention of many college scouts.聽
The process of coming to America to play as an international student is quite challenging. Luckily, there are agencies available to help aid athletes with their communications with scouts, needed documentation and required exams in order to qualify and play abroad. The process of talking to coaches from American schools is extensive and Lucia’s experience was no exception. She received a plethora of college attention and at one point was in talks with 10 or 12 universities. After speaking with USF’s coach for months on end, it became clear to Lucia and South Florida was the right fit for her.
鈥淭he main reasons that made me choose the University of South Florida were location and academically it is really good,鈥� Garrigues-Melendez said.
Prior to her arrival, she had some connections on the tennis team, a men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 player, both of whom are from Valencia as well. They were the ones who told her about the schools wonderful environment and tennis team. USF鈥檚 coach, through many FaceTime calls, helped attract Garrigues-Melendez through what the program had to offer and ultimately enticed her to become a Bull.
College sports are very similar to professional sports in that scouts from top universities go and find the best talent and try to bring them to the United States. In turn, these programs provide international athletes with the best resources, facilities, and most importantly, a top-quality education. According to the NCAA, there are currently more than 20,000 international student-athletes competing in their respective sports.
Being a Division I athlete in the U.S. may have its perks but it is definitely not a walk in the park. There are a lot of things that are sacrificed by these athletes whether it may be other extracurricular activities, a social life, or busy weekends filled with practices and tournaments. For Garrigues-Melendez, being from another country added another level of difficulty.聽
鈥淭he transition was super difficult, for me at least,”聽Garrigues-Melendez said. “I did not know a lot of people and my English was super bad. The balance between classes, practices, and tutoring as well as the rehab was tough.鈥�
However, being a student-athlete does have its perks because of the top talent that athletes provide for the university. It is a given that colleges reciprocate and make these competitors feel welcome and loved. Garrigues-Melendez has been able to grow as a player, and person because of the accessibility to resources that the school arranges for her.
鈥淚ts great being a student athlete,”聽Garrigues-Melendez said. “There are a lot of resources that help make my experience better, tutors that help me individually with my classes, and trainers that help me to be in the best shape possible. In addition, there are a lot of networking and internship opportunities and I am just super grateful.”
Being a student athlete has its advantages but at the same time the responsibilities that go along with the position are taxing and can put a lot of pressure on an athlete. Although to most, the process can be very rewarding as some move on to play professionally and others gain the necessary abilities to have a successful career in life.聽
鈥淢y overall experience [at USF] has been great,” Garrigues-Melendez said. “I have lived many experiences, know so many people and cultures from all over the world, learned to respect other people鈥檚 opinions. Also, I am grateful that I grew not only as a player but also a person. I am way more mature, give value to everything, and just super grateful to USF, all my coaches, my teammates and friends who made my experience amazing.鈥�
Garrigues-Melendez will be finishing up her junior year this spring and awaits the bright future that she has ahead of her.聽
