Melanie Martin, a senior athlete who has progressed from little league to division two softball, is ready to embark on the next chapter of her life: collegiate athletics.

 In her tenure at WHS, Martin has won three ECC softball championships, captained both the field hockey and softball teams, and is currently the top-ranked female thrower in shot put. She has done this all while also achieving academic success. None of this has come easy to Martin, who has devoted her summers, weekends, and childhood to becoming a well-rounded athlete.

It was Waterford Youth Softball that sparked Martin’s passion for sports. When Martin was five years old, she enrolled in Waterford’s Little League program. She was immediately enamored with the game and became fixated on improving as a player from an early age. 

She found her calling as a catcher in youth softball leagues, where she joined travel teams, summer leagues, and attended clinics around the East Coast with her parents. 

Martin’s dedication and hard work paid off, as she quickly became a standout player in the local softball community. Her skills behind the plate were unmatched. Through softball, Martin has developed strong leadership skills and learned how to work effectively as a member of a team.Martin’s success in softball has not only given her a sense of fulfillment but has also opened doors for her future athletic endeavors.  She hopes to make a significant impact on the University of Bridgeport’s softball team and continue pursuing her passion for nursing alongside her athletic pursuits. 

Martin’s success cannot be attributed solely to Waterford’s youth softball; she credits her sister Makayla Andrews, a former Division One soccer player, as a role model both on and off the field. “My sister pushed me to become a better athlete, not to just be skinnier, but to be active and work harder.” Martin credits her sister’s gym workouts as a key success skill for her athletic career, along with running and dynamic stretching activities. Her sister’s biggest inspiration for her was her multisport background, inspiring her to try two new sports: field hockey and track.

 Martin joined the indoor track team as a thrower in 2021 and has excelled. She credits the track team and Coach Blackburn for teaching her own mental and physical strength:“I always knew I was good, but never thought I was athletic. Track taught me I could do it, I could run, lift, and could do anything.” WIth her changed mindset she is ready for other sports.

With her newfound confidence and belief in her abilities, Martin decided to give field hockey a try. She discovered a passion for the sport and found herself excelling on the field as a center back, thanks to the skills and discipline she had developed through softball and indoor track. 

Now, Martin is eager to explore and continue pushing herself to new heights at the University of Bridgeport next fall, joining the Division 2 softball team with a major in nursing.