Baldwin's Mezyk weighs his college soccer options

by Jennifer Goga 
Contributing Writer 
January 24, 2008

Jason Mezyk of Whitehall has been playing soccer for 14 of his 18 years. By the end of February, he expects to decide where he'll play for the next four years.

Mezyk is considering scholarship offers from Division I Robert Morris University and Division II Seton Hill University, along with several others.

Baldwin head coach Cameron Bry-don and Pittsburgh Football Club's director of coaching Rich Salvini are not surprised that Mezyk's soccer skills prompted attention from several college programs.

Brydon said, "Jason was one of the hardest working players I've ever coached."

Brydon took over as head coach of the Baldwin boys' soccer program two years ago, but has been involved with the program for several years. He has watched Mezyk mature into a player with what he described as "solid foot skills."

Salvini began coaching Mezyk in the Baldwin-Whitehall Soccer Associa-tion when Mezyk was 9 years old. Salvini also coached the Baldwin girls' varsity team and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds before taking on his current role at the Pittsburgh Football Club, an area club team.

Mezyk describes it as "a regional all-star team" that travels all over the country.

Mezyk joined Pittsburgh Football Club when he was 13 and believes the experience he gained there has been invaluable.

He gives credit to PFC coaches Sean O'Driscoll and Salvini.

"Everything I've achieved is be-cause of those two men and my dad," says Mezyk.

Salvini says, "Jason is a universal player," citing the ease with which Mezyk moved from his usual offensive position to defense in order to help out the Baldwin squad this past season. "He sacrificed a lot," says Salvini.

Mezyk agrees but says it was worth it because the move to defense helped the Highlanders succeed.

He said the highlight of the 2007 season was winning the first round of the WPIAL playoffs against Norwin. "We were big time underdogs," he says.

Soccer accomplishments have been plentiful for Mezyk during his high school career.

"He's one of the better athletes I've seen come out of Baldwin," says Sal-vini.

Mezyk was a three-year starter and four-year letterman on the Baldwin varsity soccer team. He served as captain during both his junior and senior seasons.

Mezyk was named offensive MVP his junior year and team MVP his senior year.

He was an all-section selection as a senior and played in the WPIAL all-star game, which is reserved for the top 30 players in the WPIAL.

The difference between high school soccer and college soccer is "increas-ed speed and strength," says Mezyk, who continues to train in the off-season as he mulls his decision.

Salvini believes Mezyk will have no trouble adjusting to college-level play.

"He can play Division I or II. Seton Hill was very impressed with him. He went there (for a practice) and jump-ed right in and was already playing at that level," he says.

The PFC coach goes one step further, predicting Mezyk could take his career past college to the professional level if he opted to go that route.

"He's more skilled than some of the Riverhounds I coached," says Salvini.

For now, the choice is only about colleges and it's a difficult one.

Mezyk has exceled in the classroom as well, carrying a 3.7 GPA. He plans to major in accounting or finance.

His mother, Debbie, says she and her husband, Mike, want Jason to choose a school that fits.

"You have to get a feel for the school besides soccer, because injuries happen and we want him to like the school for all of the other things it offers," she says.

She acknowledges that while the scholarship offers were a welcome surprise, they add a whole new layer of decisions to an already difficult process.

Brydon believes some players de-cide against Division I schools because they want to get more immediate playing time.

"Most freshmen will have to ride the bench," says Brydon, about Divis-ion I. "The physicality of the players is quite high."

Brydon acknowledges that some players choose another route.

"For most players that are very competitive it's hard for them to not be in the game right away," he says.

Salvini advises young men and women to pick the school based on their career choice first. "Soccer is the second part of that."

In addition to RMU and Seton Hill, Mezyk is looking at offers from the Penn State Altoona and Behrend campuses, Westminster and Washington and Jefferson.

Mezyk has always loved the game. "My dad and I used to go down to the field and he had me doing drills with one foot since I was 4 years old," he says.

Though his older sisters, Jessica and Lauren, opted for musical theater and cheerleading, Mezyk's first and only love is soccer.

Now all that time on the practice field is paying off.

"I always hoped I'd play in college, but never expected I would get this many offers," he says.