Samford's Martha Bishop making an impact in basketball and soccer
It took some persistence from Martha Bishop.
"I had to nag them a little bit because this never really happened before," Bishop said.
After sending emails throughout the fall to Samford Head Women's basketball coach Carly Kuhns, Bishop got an individual workout to try and join the team.
"She made a ton of shots that day in the workout, and I鈥檓 like, this kid hadn鈥檛 even been practicing for years, so imagine what some practices under her belt and being with the team will do for her," Kuhns said.
At first, Kuhns didn't think it would happen, as Bishop is already a member of the soccer team at Samford, but the sophomore made her way on the team. Where she now continues her love for basketball.
"I don't want to waste the passion and the gift that the Lord has given me. I want to, at the end of the day, I don't want to have any regrets when it comes to the end of my college career," Bishop said.
Bishop grew up playing basketball and played in school from seventh to ninth grade before focusing on playing high level club soccer. While there's been a transition for her from both sports, her game remains the same.
"I'm a very physical soccer player, and I think that translates onto the basketball court," Bishop said.
That physicality is evident to everyone.
"Sometimes, I tell the people that are kind of on the scout team let's go about 50% speed, Martha gets about 10% like we need to scale you back," Kuhns said.
Bishop's impact though goes beyond what she can do on the floor, but who she is as a person.
"It's rare this day in age that you find people that don't put their palm up and just want want want, but just are give give give and she's that type of kid," Kuhns said.
It's because of who she is that head soccer coach Todd Yelton believed she could play two division I sports at Samford.
"It's incredibly impressive, but what's more impressive to me is the way that she approaches it and the humility that she shows in all of it. As good an athlete as Martha is, she's a better person," Yelton said.
As she does both at Samford, Bishop is showing the younger generation what's possible.
"If they want to try to do something like this, it is possible, and you can do it. It's not possible without awesome girls like these surrounding you every day, and same for the soccer team, too. The love I have for both teams has just made all this possible," Bishop said.