Athletics Mercado Tennessee

Here are the numbers for tonight’s game. Sorry we weren’t able to do the drawing live tonight but we will next week. Thank you all for supporting our Tennessee teams and good luck.

We are so very proud of this group! Congratulations ladies!!!!! AMBandy lettsss gooooo!!!!

They were on Fire , what an absolutely great weekend!

🔥🔥

Congrats to our very own Adley Lewis on this great accomplishment! We are so proud of you !!!

So excited to see this talented group of athletes take the field together for the first time!

🎉 **Big News!** 🎉

Our **16U Athletics Mercado Wicks** team is heading to **Chicago ( Orland Park ) , Illinois next week to compete in the **Triple Crown Super 72**! 🥎 We're aiming to clinch a coveted **Colorado Sparkler Power Pool Bid**!

Wish these powerhouse athletes luck as they take the stage together for the first time! 💪🔥

Let's go, AM Wicks! 💥

FACTS!!!

(As we enter another season of youth sports, I’m sharing a story I wrote last year for a little perspective)

I’ll never forget it.

I was a high school freshman and we were in the middle of a heated basketball game with one of our rivals.

I was on the floor when I heard my coach calling for me, “Mandy! Mandy!”

I heard him. But I was blatantly ignoring him.

On the third, “Mandy!” I turned away from the court to the bench and yelled “WHAT?!!?” My hands were in the air to signal I was annoyed.

This coach was not one to mess with. He knew basketball like the back of his hand and he DID NOT DEAL with disrespect. His face immediately got beet red and his eyes were bulging out of the sockets.

I heard the buzzer blaring for a sub and I knew I was coming out of the game.

I went to sit in an open seat at the top of the bench and he said, “no. You go take a seat at the end of the bench. And get comfortable.”

It was the first quarter and I didn’t play another second of that game.

During halftime he said to me, “if you ever talk to me like that again - if I ever hear you talking to a referee or another coach like that - you will be so far down on this bench you won’t even see the court.”

Noted.

After the game, he walked up to my Dad who was a long-time boys’ basketball coach. He wanted to explain why I was benched but my Dad cut him off. “You’re the coach. You don’t owe me any explanation when it comes to your team.”

I think about that moment a lot because I think we’ve drifted so far past that when it comes to teaching our kids about accountability.

In our house, if you’re not playing, that’s on you. Work harder so you leave no doubt (even if politics are involved).

You look cross-eyed at your coach, I hope you are benched.

You’re not focused in school? Benched.

You tear down a teammate? Benched.

Miss a ton of practice? Benched.

Youth sports have changed so much…some days the stories I hear or see firsthand it’s like inmates running the asylum.

Coaches are too afraid to hold kids accountable because parents lobby to have them fired 🙄

And it’s sad because a lot of the parents are my generation…and come on, we know we learned and benefited the most from the teachers and coaches who pushed us the hardest and held us ACCOUNTABLE.

I love youth sports because it’s so much more than scores and records.

It teaches us teamwork, builds and reveals character, we learn to work through adversity…the list goes on and on.

There’s nothing wrong with coaches holding our children to higher standards by saying “that’s not how we behave here.”

I don’t know about you, but my kids need that because I’m trying like hell to make sure I’m not raising narcissistic, entitled and self-absorbed humans.

They’re going to make mistakes…
They’re going to have low-character days…
They’re still learning and growing…

I just hope every coach and teacher knows that I have their backs when they tell my kids: “nope. Take a seat.”

Forever grateful for Coach H for telling me to get comfortable on the bench. Nothing I could have done on that court that night could have overridden my disrespect.

In order for youth sports to do its job, parents need to stay out of it. Park the helicopter and stop hovering.

It’s the fighting through the adversity that will lead our kids to endless success. Truly.

Character > athletic ability

📸: that’s me in a good ole mid 90s polyester uniform. And yes, I’m chewing on it 🤷🏼‍♀️

🔥 Introducing our 12U 2013 Team for the 24/25 Season 🔥

🔥 Introducing Our 12U 2012 Team for the 24/25 Season 🔥

🔥Introducing our 16U 08/09 Team for the 24/25 Season 🔥

🔥 Introducing our 14U 2011 Team for the 24/25 Season 🔥

🔥 Introducing our 16U Gold Team for the 24/25 Season 🔥

🏆 **Build It and They Will Come** 🏆

Here at Athletics Mercado, we believe in the power of community, dedication, and passion. Our vision is clear: to build a top-tier softball program that empowers young athletes to chase their dreams and reach new heights.

✨ **Why?** Because we know that when we create a strong foundation, the talent will follow. When we invest in our facilities, coaching, and development programs, we're not just building a team—we're building a future.

🏅 **Join Us** in this journey. Whether you're an aspiring athlete, a supportive parent, or a passionate fan, there's a place for you in our growing softball Family! Together, we can create something special—something that will inspire generations of players to come.

🥎Let's make Athletics Mercado Tennessee the home of champions. Joining us NEXT WEEKEND, Dave Mercado , Brian Tidd and 4 other National Coaches from California to train our athletes…… you got to be making noise when the Big Dawgs come out …… 💪

Build It & They Will Come …… 7 teams over 100 girls ….. filling up 1 entire Quad for Athletics Mercado Organization Practice Weekend #1 …. I can’t wait to see next weekend for Academy Weekend adding several more teams from the AM Family from 3 other states!!! with 6 National Coaches flying in from California 🔥🔥🔥🔥

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

**🚨 FINAL ROSTER SPOTS AVAILABLE! 🚨**

🔥 **We’re almost full, but we’ve got 1-2 spots left!** 🔥

🏅 **Looking for:**
- **Pitcher**
- **Catcher**
- **True Utility Player**

🥎 **Compete with the best on our highly competitive schedule, designed to get you noticed!**

📞 **Contact Coach Richetto** or **send us a message** if you’re ready to join a winning team!

**Act fast—these spots won’t last long!**

🚨 📣 Dont miss out!! Opportunity Available!! Looking for 1-2 more athletes to complete our 2011 roster. Seeking Pitcher / Middle Infielder. Playing a highly competitive schedule.

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

🚨 Attention Former Collegiate Players and Experienced Coaches! 🚨

🥎Have you thought about coaching the sport you love?

🥎Want to get back into coaching?

🥎Thinking about leveling up to a bigger organization?

**We are looking for coaches for our nationally branded organization in Tennessee!**

**Come coach with us!!!**

**Requirements:**
- Playing or coaching experience
- Clear background
- Willing to travel
- Compete at a high level
- Eager to learn the Mercado way
- Work well with athletes
- Diverse knowledge of the game

🙌Perks:🙌
🚨 Paid Position
🚨 Support Staff
🚨 Family Atmosphere

**Join us and make a difference in the game!**

**

🚨 Attention Former Collegiate Players and Experienced Coaches! 🚨

🥎Have you thought about coaching the sport you love?

🥎Want to get back into coaching?

🥎Thinking about leveling up to a bigger organization?

**We are looking for coaches for our nationally branded organization in Tennessee!**

**Come coach with us!!!**

**Requirements:**
- Playing or coaching experience
- Clear background
- Willing to travel
- Compete at a high level
- Eager to learn the Mercado way
- Work well with athletes
- Diverse knowledge of the game

🙌Perks:🙌
🚨 Paid Position
🚨 Support Staff
🚨 Family Atmosphere

**Join us and make a difference in the game!**

**

🚨 Bombs Bombs Bombs!!!! 🚨

Adley hit a bomb this past week at the AFON in Chattanooga! 💣🔥 You are surpassing every goal we’ve set for you, and we couldn't be prouder!

Keep smashing it, Adley! 💪

🚨 Tune In Alert! 🚨

The Athletics Mercado National Team, coached by the legendary Dave Mercado, is playing against the Birmingham Thunderbolts on ESPN-U right now! 🌟📺

Don't miss this epic showdown between two incredible organizations in their first televised game on ESPN-U.

📡 Check your local stations for the correct channel!

These are the moments they've dreamed of. Be sure to tune in and support these amazing athletes! 💪🥎🔥