She's the only girl on the team, but that's not what makes this football player unique

Between school and practice, it's hard enough for some high school kids to keep up with one sport. Try playing two in the same season – and excelling in both. That's exactly what the Speedway (Ind.) High School football kicker is doing.

Melanie McHenry spends a half-hour practicing with the football team each day before heading up to the gym for a two-hour volleyball practice. She stands out enough just for being a girl suiting up in a boy's sport, but there are an estimated 1,500 girls playing high school football this year. What makes her one-of-a-kind is the volleyball scholarship waiting for her at Louisville.

She even got permission from the Louisville coaches. "The Louisville coaching staff is OK with me playing football, but they also say no contact," McHenry told MaxPreps.com. 

McHenry made the varsity football team as a freshman, and local media twice named her the Athlete of the Week that year. In her sophomore year, she kicked for 48 points, making her the teams third-highest scorer.

"She is as good a kicker as anyone around," her coach said. "She's only a junior and works at getting better all the time. If she focused on football, no telling how good she would be. She certainly can kick at some collegiate level." He added that her field goal range is 40-45 yards. Most of her kickoffs land within the 20-yard line.

On the volleyball court, McHenry ranks among the nation's best in kills and kill percentage.

"I have a fire in my belly and want to improve everything I can," she has said. "I just want to be the best I can be at everything I do."

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Danielle Elliot is the editor of Prep Rally for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at delliot@yahoo-inc.com or follow her on Twitter!

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