Melendez: Proud day for soccer moms
MIGUEL MELENDEZ
This column appeared in print Feb. 6, 2009, on page C3 of the Star-News sports section.
The untold stories are countless, but you can find them just about everywhere you look.
It's the struggling, single mother who rises above and beyond anyone else's imagination to give her kids a shot at a better opportunity than the one they had.
Working multiple jobs and in odd hours of the night -- coupled with staggering costs due to a single income in a seemingly bed-ridden economy -- makes for many sleepless nights, to say the least.
But then came that sweet day for Susana Ebeck and Rebecca Fleming. Their daughters,
Shannon Brooks and Sinead Fleming, earned scholarships to play soccer at North Dakota State and New Mexico, respectively.
For many of us, Wednesday was just another day; the middle of the week and just two more days until the weekend arrived.
But for Susana and Rebecca it was the proudest moment in their lives.
Shannon Brooks has been a four-year letterman for the Monrovia High School girls soccer team. She also plays softball but her dream is to play for the U.S. Women's National Team. Sinead Fleming, a highly-touted senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart, shares the same goal.
But that's not all they have in common.
"As a mother, of course I was crying because it took a lot to get to where she is right now," Susana said, "and a lot of people don't understand that when you grow up being poor and having nothing it's a big accomplishment."
In Rebecca, Susana has found an ally. One she probably hasn't met but can certainly confide in.
"I'll do whatever it takes to get my kids to where they need to be," Rebecca said.
And that they did.
Shannon -- who will be the first in her family to attend college -- was 5 years old when she started playing AYSO. Things were not as hectic because Susana worked the graveyard shift 10 years at United Airlines, meaning she could be there when Shannon would wake up in the morning and be there when she got home from school to help with homework.
"In her first (AYSO) game she scored three goals," Susana said.
The hardest part was finding a baby-sitter while Susana was at work. It worked out OK until Shannon started playing club soccer, which brought on an added expense and less time to sleep.
Susana would baby-sit her sister's kids for $100 a week, but that meant fewer hours of sleep. She would be forced to stop after falling asleep and almost getting into a car accident on her way home from work.
There would eventually be a fallout with her sister and Susana and Shannon had no choice but to sleep in their car at a park in Monrovia.
"It was hard because Shannon would tell me she was cold," said Susana as she began to choke up. "But where else could I go so late at night?"
Susana has since been laid off from her job but the sacrifice she's made has not gone unnoticed.
Sinead Fleming started playing AYSO soccer when she was 4. She wasn't astute at the game just yet but it was a note from her coach that propelled Fleming.
"At the end of the season he would write a note," Rebecca recalled. "He said 'You might be short (in size) but you make it up with enthusiasm and the size of your heart.' That was a turning point for her. She would tell me to read the note to her and she would keep it under her pillow."
Rebecca credits Brian Smith, Sinead's club coach, and Frank Pace, the FSHA girls soccer coach, among many, for being tremendous role models.
"I really don't feel that I did it by myself," Rebecca said.
True.
But the will and determination to spring opportunities for their kids starts with mom.
Rebecca often worked multiple jobs aside from being a staff assistant with the city of Pasadena's department of transportation to help pay for Sinead's school and soccer expenses.
"Our family has made a lot of sacrifices to get her to where she wants to be," Rebecca said.
Sinead has made many so proud, but her grandfather hasn't been there to bask in the glory. He's 84 with pneumonia and a failing heart at Huntington Memorial Hospital.
"He would have been so proud ..." said Rebecca before chocking up.
When describing their struggles, both Rebecca and Susana couldn't fight back tears.
But by the end of the conversation, they smiled away the happy tears.
Perhaps Wednesday's gleeful day paved the way for less sleepless nights and sweet dreams that lie ahead.
miguel.melendez@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4485
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About this blog
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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Wonderful to read!
We are proud of you Shannon, Great Job.
Great Story! with a good finish, girls be proud of your mother. Keep up the good work in school and in the field!!!!
It nice to see Shannon and Sinead get some good coverage. We all love the way you both have played this season. Hope to see you some day in the Pro's Women Soccer. I will keep my newspaper in a safe place. Good Luck in College! #1 Fan for High School Soccer
Sorry forgot to congradulate the signees and wish them the best of luck on their future. dont give up and keep working hard. ''ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE!''
Great story miguel. mothers make us who we are!
p.s.
right when you were about to get eaten up in the lions den with the intent signing thread you pull this one out of your sleeve. good job!
Congratulations to these wonderful mothers and their daughters. What a great story of teamwork. To accomplish what they have accomplished is difficult even under optimum circumstances. To see these dreams come true in the face of all the hurdles that they were faced with is a triumph of the human spirit. Nice work.
I know the girls will keep up their hard work when they get to college.
Great article, Miguel. Best to the Shannon & Sinead in college and beyond. And give big hugs to your mothers!
Sometimes the term "soccer mom" doesn't get the best press and I've always wondered why. Thank you, Miguel, for telling a real story of two hard working soccer moms and their determination to see their daughters succeed. Wow!
Congratuations to Susana and Rebecca! Have a good cry of pride...you deserve it.
I loved this story... Great job soccer moms! There are countless number of single moms who make sacrifices for their children and it is great to read of these two in our community. I wish both girls luck and hope to see them one day playing on the women’s US Soccer team.