Young Soccer Players Set Sights on International Goals

Three young female soccer players are taking their dreams to an international level. Of 300 nationwide players who made their way to Cerritos to try out for a spot with the National U15 Mexican Soccer Team last month, three of those hopefuls represented what Inland Empire youth had to offer. Alena Mejia, Sky Hernandez and Elena Constante, collectively hailing from Colton and San Bernardino, put their skills to the test in hopes to play for the Mexican national team and, ultimately, the possibility to play in the U15 World Cup in the coming years. "For me, it's great. They're coming out of the Colton area and (soccer's) not one of the sports that's dominate," said Lio Mejia, who has coached the girls, all around the age of 14, since they were nine years old. "The fact that they at least got the chance to try out for the team, that's an accomplishment." Mejia coaches the girls in their Cal South Signature District 5 league, comprised of six soccer teams in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Of those six, three come from Colton - U14, U15 and U16 girls teams. The tryouts for the Mexican national team last month were the beginning of the national team's search for athletes they can draft to the national team for the World Cup games. Taking a tour around the United States, the Mexican national team is in search of Mexican American players who have made athletic accomplishments. "They do this by following up with the coaches every six months or so, and find out how the players are doing," said Mejia. Mejia's daughter Alena as well as her teammates Hernandez and Constante were all invited to Baja California for two weeks this summer and continue the tryouts for the Mexican national team, shared Mejia. On top of preparing to possibly take their game internationally, the girls and the rest of their U14 team with the Cal South Signature League are practicing for the league's State Cup games - breaking gender barriers while they do it. "In the national team, this is the first I know of that three girls are trying out," said Mejia. "And in the Cal South League, that's also the first time a whole girls team is playing in the state cup. They're accomplishing so much, and it will be good to have that experience while they prepare for this summer." Three weeks ago the girls competed in a Coca Cola Cup and is preparing to return to play another Coca Cola Cup game this August. Last weekend, the Cal South Signature U14 team competed against their own Colton U16 team at Bloomington High School. "They've been working for four years toward all this," Mejia said. "They haven't actually stopped, because they know how bad they want it."