American Dream part two: Dream comes true…mostly

“600 Words by Esther J. Cepeda”

Saturday, June 14th, four hundred and fifty miles from home on a patch of green Toronto grass, moments after the U.S. National Anthem’s last cymbal crashed and regulation play began for the Colorado Rapids’ twelfth game of Major League Soccer’s 2008 season, it happened.

Cesar Zambrano’s dream came true: he was a professional soccer player starting in his first game with his new team. The moment he’d been waiting for since he was a child was upon him complete with mom, dad and long-time girlfriend in the stands.

“That was the best moment – when I made the debut in Toronto – because that’s something I always told my parents I’d do,” Cesar, who had just turned 24 two days before that big match, told me over the phone after a long day of training this week.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better night – the greatest thing about it was it was a sellout crowd.” Savoring it again he continued, “I started playing and I just concentrated on the game to making sure I did good. I had fun and at the end I was really tired – it’s not the same as practicing! – and that was my first game. I did good.”

Cesar certainly did. The unspectacular Brother Rice student – who, despite great odds, actually graduated high school, somehow got noticed by the Flames soccer coaching staff at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and did hard time at City Colleges of Chicago to make the grades he needed to actually get on the UIC field – was drafted as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft last spring.

This is the same kid who never ever thought he’d go to college – no one else in his Mexican immigrant family had – and had to take the ACT three times because his academics paled in comparison to his footwork.

The last time I’d spoken with Cesar was back in October he was just another Hispanic kid hoping to – somehow – play professionally in a sport that had migrated to the U.S., riding the wave of transplanted Latino culture, but hadn’t created many opportunities for its biggest fans. I hadn’t given Cesar much thought until I read the New York Times’ story about Edgar Castillo, a U.S.-born soccer player overlooked in his native country but now a rising star on Mexico’s professional soccer scene.

The story noted something I’d been talking about for awhile – that U.S.-born Latino players are often underrepresented in soccer-strong high schools and colleges and mostly ignored until other countries give them their big break. A FIFA adviser was quoted thusly: “Now we have more American scouts looking at the Hispanic community and trying to bring players into our national camps.” After I shrieked hallelujah, I got to wondering “whatever happened to…”

Well, in addition to adjusting to the rigors of playing with the big boys, number 33 Cesar Zambrano has also been adjusting to…the food.

“I miss my family, my girlfriend, and my mom’s cooking – all I do is eat out! We have Argentinian [teammates], his wife cooks and we always take advantage when she invites us over.”

Cesar also told me all about getting drafted: “The general manager, the coach and the assistant coach welcomed me to the family, I was like, wow – is it really true?!” and about leaving the Windy City: “I was nervous, I get back whenever I get a break.”

And he told me about fitting in. You see, at UIC, Cesar was the odd-man-out, the team’s first Hispanic co-captain and the only Latino as far as the eyes could see. The big leagues are different – he has two other U.S.-born Latino mates and three from Argentina, but still...

By my meticulous count, there are a total of 384 MLS players, 48 of whom are Latin American imports, and a mere 15 (maybe 18, the MLS people wouldn’t verify) U.S.-born Hispanic players out of a pool of 250 Americans. For a country inching toward a 30 percent Latino population, those aren’t stellar numbers. 

“It’s the same but a little better. At UIC I was the only Mexican, but here I don’t really look at it. We all get along and there’s a lot of good competition, everyone wants to be a starter and be a better soccer player so nobody looks at who’s Mexican,” he chuckled. “We’re all just a big family.”

So all’s well that ends well, right? WRONG!

I was shocked to hear that Cesar did not finish his Criminal Justice degree at UIC before he was drafted. His coach had told me he was a super-talented guy headed for graduate studies, but that was…before.

I did not hesitate to remind Cesar that in our last talk he’d said, quote: “In the future, I think there are going to be more Mexicans, more Hispanics going to college. Hispanics never give up; they always want more. But the percentage is not high enough yet. People need to know if you have a dream you follow it.”

“Yeah, my dad’s always calling me asking about that,” he said, hoping I wasn’t going to have a full-on heart attack on the phone. “I only have two electives left and I can take two on-line courses to graduate with the Criminal Justice degree. Hopefully I’ll get to maybe walk on stage when I go back.”

He assured me he’ll never give up: “I have to graduate after everything I went through. And I wouldn’t want to be working a hard job like my dad’s in construction. It’s tough – I’ve worked it.”

Esther J. Cepeda writes the "600 Words" & "Pregunta del Dia" columns, and is also the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Her views and reporting do not necessarily reflect those of ISAC. "600 words" is a registered trademark of EeJayCee, Inc., Copyright 2008. May be reprinted with permission, contact eejaycee@600words.com

Comments

[Al Diaz]

Great story! Thanks

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz, Author of BEing The Titus Concept
http://ilumine-ao.blogspot.com

www.thetitusconcept.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/Ilumine-Ao