OLMA midfielder has always been on soccer fast track

Addison Mello was never going to end up on the softball diamond. She’s always preferred something more her own speed.

Mello is a standout senior midfielder on the Our Lady of Mercy Academy high school soccer team and will play Division 1 soccer at Queens University of Charlotte next year. Her mother, Brooke Mello (O’Meara), was also a Division 1 athlete, but made her mark in softball at Georgia Southern University. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, but it kicked off a branch or two somewhere on the way down. 

“I was hoping she’d play softball, but it was too slow for her,” Brooke Mello said with a laugh. “But I’m so proud. She’s a good worker, a good teammate. She loves it.”

Addison began playing soccer at age 4 in Millville under the coaching of her mother, who learned the game while Addison’s older siblings were kicking a ball around. Mello has since grown into one of the finest high school playmakers in South Jersey, ranking in the state’s top tier of assists in the last two seasons. Last year, Mello contributed 23 assists. This year, she has 12 helpers through her first eight games. Mello certainly gets a kick out of helping her teammates.

“I love it,” she said. “Seeing my teammates’ faces [after a goal] is the best. Sometimes when I hit a ball, I just know they are going to finish it. At OLMA, we really praise assists and goals the same.”

Sometimes Mello goes a little overboard with the preference of playmaking as opposed to putting the ball in the net herself.

“She knows,” OLMA coach Sean Alford said. “If you ask her, she knows that one thing missing is the goals. That’s just her mentality. She wants to help everyone. But she’ll get there. She started scoring late last year, too, and ended up with eight goals.”

Mello didn’t score a goal in her first five games this season but collected nine assists over that span. She evened out her stat sheet with a pair of goals and three assists over her next three games. More importantly, the Villagers were undefeated at 7-0-1 through Sept. 25.

“It’s amazing,” Mello said of the team energy. “And getting to see the freshman play well is awesome. We have a pretty big senior class that’s moving out, but we have a lot of great freshmen that are doing great. It’s a great fit.”

Mello has found OLMA a great fit, too. She takes advanced placement classes and has a 4.6 grade point average. She recently received an AP Scholar award from Head of School Brooke Coyle. 

“She’s a very good student and loves to study,” Brooke Mello said. “She has an excellent work ethic. She has a good heart.”

Last year, Addison Mello also helped raise money for Vineland’s Make-A-Wish Foundation through bake sales. She also takes part in the school’s Bible Study alongside teammate Holly Salmon. 

“I’ve grown up in Catholic schools all my life,” said Mello, who attended Saint Mary School, Vineland. “Every week, we come together at Bible Study, which is really important to us. We pray before games.”

The Villagers are hoping the soccer program gains a little more recognition this year after its fast start. The Newfield school appears to be in contention for division and league titles while also making a case for the South Jersey Coaches Association Cup, which annually invites the 16 best teams in South Jersey based on a voting system.

“My expectations were pretty high from the beginning of the season,” Alford said. “I expect us to really put an effort to win the division and get to the finals of the [Cape Atlantic League] Tournament. The girls’ goal when I first got here was to make OLMA known. We’re good enough to play with a lot of teams in South Jersey.”

With the left-footed magician Mello leading the way, and a talented bunch of teammates, the possibilities are endless. “I feel like every year, the talent level gets better and better,” she said.

She, too, has a large fan club on the sidelines, including her mother and her coach.

“It’s pretty surreal to watch,” Alford said. “Just to see her grow into the player she is now as a leader. She does everything she is asked of, and she makes sure this team is clicking on all cylinders. It’s just a lot of fun to watch.”