Breaking Barriers: Melanie Barcenas, San Diego Wave FC – At 10 years old, Melanie Barcenas asked Alex Morgan for her jersey after a USWNT match. A short five years later, the two are playing together. While many pro athletes have become teammates of players they looked up to as kids, very few have accomplished that feat while still being a kid.
In March of 2023 under the new Under-18 Entry Mechanism, Barcenas signed with San Diego Wave FC at the age of 15 years and 138 days. She debuted on the pro pitch on April 29, 2023 at 15 years and 177 days old. In both cases, she is the youngest ever in the NWSL. Additionally, she is the first “home grown” player for the Wave. Barcenas played her youth career with San Diego Surf.
But her “firsts” didn’t start there. On January 1, 2022 Barcenas became the first high school student to sign an NIL deal with Nike. All of this means that she isn’t living a typical teenage life, but on several occasions she’s said it’s worth getting to do what she loves.
In her first season with Wave FC she had one assist in 123 minutes of playing time. No surprise, she is the youngest player to have an assist in NWSL history.
Parkside produced several cards of Barcenas in their 2023 NWSL Collections. The portrait cards show her youth, while the action shots show her intensity and fast feet. She certainly looks like she is right where she belongs.
Breaking Barriers: Melanie Barcenas, San Diego Wave FC – More Resources
- Melanie Barcenas on Instagram
- Beckett Card Catalog
- NWSL Player Profile
- 2023 Parkside NWSL and 2023 USWNT She Believes Cup Soccer Card Collections
Breaking Barriers: Melanie Barcenas, San Diego Wave FC – Image Gallery
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