Often taking a backseat to varsity athletes at WSU, committed intramural athletes balance a similar set of responsibilities, although they do not receive the same athletic scholarships or grants.

Martin Mendoza, a freshman double-majoring in business and accounting and WSU intramural soccer player, exemplifies these differences. Mendoza does not have to field interview questions from the media or practice twice daily, but he carries all other responsibilities of a varsity athlete while being just as successful on the pitch.

A 2016 graduate from Ephrata High School, Mendoza was an integral member of the Cerveceros Futbol Club, the nine-versus-nine open league intramural soccer championship team in last year’s summer session.

“This team is what teamwork is all about,” Mendoza said in a post on his Instagram account following the championship win. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”

Mendoza said his team rallied from a 4-1 deficit at halftime in the championship game to score four unanswered goals and win 5-4 in overtime.

Mendoza earned four varsity letters playing soccer in high school and said he was disappointed WSU does not field a men’s varsity soccer team, but the absence was his motivation to be involved in intramural soccer since arriving at WSU.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was a kid and all of my family plays,” Mendoza said. “It was one of my motivations to finish high school, and I did get scholarships to go play soccer in college.”

Mendoza originally planned to attend the University of Washington, but flipped to WSU after realizing the college was not the right fit for him at UW’s Purple and Gold Experience, the Huskies version of “Alive!”

Mendoza is not just involved in intramural sports as a student-athlete at WSU. He also helped create the Students United for Progress (SUP) academic club.

Mendoza said being involved in so many extracurricular activities can be difficult.

“It’s pretty tough, I even have trouble finding time,” Mendoza said. “You truly need to make time, you need to fit things into your schedule and work around stuff. You need to prioritize.”

Mendoza said studying in college as a double major is not an easy thing to do, but he has been motivated to be the best version of himself through it.

“Improving is one of my main aspects,” Mendoza said. “It is one of the reasons why I helped create SUP. It is for people to progress throughout their lives and their college careers.”

Balancing academics and soccer with SUP, Mendoza embodies how the student-athlete concept extends far beyond the varsity athletics realm.

“I want to improve myself,” he said, “and make a difference in the world.”

Editor’s note: This article has been revised to reflect that Mendoza is not yet an active member of a fraternity.