Myah Merino spent her early childhood dancing in her aunt’s studio, where she learned the footwork of tap and became proficient in jazz dancing. After she picked up on soccer, Merino kept leveling up until she landed herself a position as a forward on the University of Idaho’s soccer team, now on her fifth year.
Merino began playing when she was 9-years-old after her neighbors encouraged her to play with the neighborhood children.
Merino enjoyed playing it so much that, a year later, she signed up for club soccer with Carlsbad United, now known as San Diego Galaxy. The team took third place in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships from 2013 to 2015. Merino said she credits her background as a dancer for her success as a soccer player.
“(Soccer) was just more fitting for me, definitely utilizing my athleticism more than my dancing,” Merino said. “People say that since I was doing tap dancing, those foot skills could have translated to my soccer game.”
Merino played soccer for her high school and was the Junior Varsity Most Valuable Player as a freshman. After high school ended, she said she continued playing soccer because she enjoys the relationships made with the team.
“I made lots of friends in soccer in high school, and it was a huge social outlet for me,” Merino said. “I made some of my best friends that I still have to this day.”
Merino said when looking for colleges, UI caught her attention because of the small community feeling Moscow had, along with the coaching staff being helpful.
“They made me feel competent that I was going to have a good educational journey and I was going to fit in well with the team,” Merino said.
Merino has scored a total of 10 goals in her collegiate career while creating strong relationships with her teammates that extend beyond the playing field and the locker room.
“I’ve met people that will be my bridesmaid,” Merino said. “The most rewarding things from my soccer career are the relationships I’ve built.”
She has played for five years with the team, redshirting her senior year after she tore a ligament in her knee during a preseason game. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in food and nutrition but came back because she had one more year of eligibility to play. She is currently working in a dietetics program to get certified as a food and nutrition expert, which takes two years to complete.
Merino said soccer helped her get into the study of nutrition and credited the healthy and fit lifestyle soccer offers that motivates her to work hard toward her goals.
Merino said what she enjoys about Vandal soccer isn’t just the players who turned into good friends, but the support from the community. At the soccer games, the stands are scattered with cheering fans, encouraging the team to be their best.
Merino said when news broke that the soccer team wouldn’t be able to have fans at home games due to COVID-19 concerns, the parents and locals expressed their distaste.
“We’ve always had a pretty good fan base and we felt support from the alumni and people in the town,” Merino said. “Even with COVID, scary times, we felt that people are trying to come to support us.”
And in return, they give back to the community. Merino said she enjoys the volunteering she and her teammates do for the community, whether it be participating in walk-to-school days with the elementary school children or assisting with local soccer camps. She said her favorite is when she gets to read to the local kids. Merino said she believes the children enjoy their presence and the team does their best to stay in contact with them. She said she likes to think that she inspires little girls to work hard. Volunteering is something she misses greatly since COVID-19 put an end to it.
However, Merino said she continues to push hard and do well. She said she is motivated by herself, striving to get to the next level and is continuously thankful for her supportive coaches and wonderful team who have helped make her the player and person she is today.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RyanHil32959860