MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 11, 1999

RESERVE – Making the jump from the high school to the college level can be a big leap for an athlete. Not only does the athlete have to get used toimproved competition but also to rule changes and a different atmosphere.

Many cannot bridge the gap, falling from high school stardom into the abyss of obscurity in college.

Melissa Martin was one who was able make the leap successfully this past school year, having completed a stellar freshman season at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College after a star-studded career at Riverside.Martin picked up at Gulf Coast where she left off at Riverside, being named the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year after batting .466 with29 doubles, nine home runs and 60 runs batted in. She also had a sluggingpercentage of .794, an on-base percentage of .538 and stole 11 bases.Martin was also named the team’s MVP as well as its Offensive Player of the Year. She was a National Junior College Athletic Association secondteam All-American as well as a first team All-Panhandle and All-State selection.

“It was great,” Martin said. “I loved it. I’m glad I decided to go where Iwent.”The transition did not go smoothly at first. Martin struggled during thefall season, seeing limited playing time. Martin had to get adjusted to thecollege game, including have to face pitchers who were throwing from a further pitcher’s mound than in high school. Martin also had to getadjusted to playing center field after being moved from her high school position of left field.

“In center field, you have got to be ready,” Martin said. “You’re the leaderof the outfield. You have more responsibility.”Martin said the pitches were faster and had more movement than in high school. The team also played four games apiece against the teams in theirconference, allowing pitchers to learn a hitter’s weakness. But Martinpracticed hard in the offseason and got off to a quick start in the spring, helping her confidence.

That dedication to getting better has helped Martin throughout her career.

Martin got involved in sports playing T-ball at the age of 5. She startedattending Riverside in eighth grade and played on the basketball squad that season. A year later, she made the volleyball team and the started playingsoftball and track as a freshman.

“I was here (at school) more than I was at my house,” Martin joked. “It’swhat I wanted to do. It was an experience of a lifetime.”Martin starred in each of the sports, being named the school’s Female Athlete of the Year three times. She was the team’s MVP three years involleyball, made first team all-district three times and was an all-River Parishes selection four times. In her senior year, she recorded 270 kills,helping the Lady Rebels to the state tournament.

As a five-year starter in basketball, Martin became the Lady Rebels’ all- time leading scorer with 2,022 points. She led all Class 2A players in the New Orleans Metro area in scoring three years and was the team’s MVP four years. She made three first team all-district teams and five all-River Parishes squads.

Martin is the school’s record holder and set the meet record at the Mobile, Alabama Meet of Champions in the shot put with a throw of 37 feet, 8 1/2 inches. She won three district and two regional titles in the event and wasthe state champion in 1998.

Martin started off in the high jump before moving to the shot put. She alsothrew the javelin in her senior year. Martin was also a member of the LadyRebels’ record setting 4×100 relay team and helped the team win four straight district championships.

“I just needed to work a day with her and she picked it up that quickly,” Riverside track coach John White said in teaching her a new event. “Shecould do it all. She’s a great athlete, one of those athletes they say youget to coach every 10 years. In nine years, she’s the best female athleteI’ve coached.” But it was softball that she said was her favorite sport. She hit .400 eachyear she played and made the all-district team each year. Martin was afirst team all-State selection twice, including her senior year in which she hit .513 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs and stole 20 bases. Martin finished her career with 20 home runs and hit another one while playing in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association’s All-Star Game after her senior season.

“She was as good of a girl athlete as I’ve coached and have been able to watch as a fan,” Mickey Roussel, Martin’s softball coach her junior year, said, joking that she probably would have also made a good band member.

Her favorite memory in high school came in the sport during her sophomore year when the Lady Rebels defeated rival St. Charles Catholicin the regionals to advance to the state tournament for the first time.

After her senior year, Martin got offers to play softball from schools in Arkansas and Mississippi. A friend of hers in the summer league was goingto Gulf Coast as well as Lutcher players Brandi Neal and April Benn, with whom she had played with in the All-Star game. Martin said knowing themmade it easier for her when she started at Gulf Coast.

Martin is playing exclusively softball in college. She said she misses theother sports as well as playing for Riverside. She was able to make acouple of trips during the fall and winter to see the Lady Rebels play.

“Seeing them play made me want to go play right with them,” Martin said.

Martin will get to see one old teammate this year, Tanya Teague, who signed with Chipola College, a team on Gulf Coast’s schedule this season.

“It’s going to be kind of weird,” Martin said of playing against her old teammate. “I played with her for four years and now I’m going against her.But I’m going to treat it like a normal game.”Martin is looking forward to helping Gulf Coast improve on its 1998 season, one in which it went 42-17 and just missed out on the playoffs, finishing third in the conference.

Martin said the team lost six sophomores from last year but that coach Susan Painter had a real good year recruiting.

As for herself, Martin said she is looking to play as well as she last year but not to worry if she doesn’t. After this season, she said she would liketo hook on with a four-year college and continue playing.

“I need to try to stay relax,” Martin said. “I want to do the best I can andhave a good attitude and lead everybody as best I can.”

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