The teenagers laughing on the bleachers at Northwest High School look like kids who missed the bus on purpose just to hang out together a little longer. The camaraderie between them is refreshing.
One of the boys is getting his hair braided by a young lady as she chews gum and talks to a friend. Another boy is quietly bouncing a soccer ball from knee to knee.
The teenagers, as regular as they seem, are actually far from it. They are members of Northwest’s men’s varsity, men’s junior varsity and women’s varsity soccer teams. What makes the soccer teams special are a few things. One, there are only four U.S. Americans on the team. The rest of the 35 kids represent at least 15 different countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Nepal and South Africa. Another thing that sets the group apart is they are really good in soccer yet no one knows about it. The men’s varsity team went undefeated in the regular season last year and was one win shy from competing in the city championship. An unprecedented five athletes were named to the All-City selection and head coach Aime Selamo was named Conference Soccer Coach of the Year and City Soccer Coach of the Year.
The girl’s team is so dedicated that last year, they didn’t play one single game, but they practiced every day. This will be their first year in competition.
“We have a charm,” said Selamo, 35, a native of Cameroon, West Africa. “First impressions are very deceiving. They believe in themselves and let their play do the talking.”
The charm is something you have to see up close. From far away, the laughing teenagers are pretty unassuming. They look like they’re staying after school to tidy up the soccer field, not practice on it. But, up close you see the confidence and the attitude that they don’t care what others think; they just want to play soccer.
Take junior Erik Llamas who recently returned from Mexico after living there from age 9 to 16. He admits he was pretty shy on his first day of soccer practice. He wasn’t sure what to expect, and he didn’t know how to make friends. Selamo sensed his apprehension, but instead of ignoring it in hopes he would figure it all out, he took Llamas under his wing. Now Llamas is team captain.
“I was a little shy the first time I came to soccer practice, but what I did was work everyday. I came to every single practice and was always on time,” he said.
Selamo, who also serves as the junior varsity coach and women’s head coach, says the teams’ strength comes from the fact that they come from different parts of the world. Since every country has a different style of playing soccer, he incorporates it into his practices to make the players feel more comfortable and to give them a leg up in competition.
“One of our main goals is to establish the benefits of multicultural diversity in our educational and athletic fields by recognizing the importance of the continuous interchange between our different cultures and improve the stalemates that most often directly or indirectly clash between them,” Selamo said.
The team is winning because of Selamo’s philosophy. And while the winning is great he says it’s less about victories and talent; and more about coming together as a team.
“Most of the kids just want to belong to something positive; they’re not just trying to win,” he said.
Evelyn Linareas, 17, whose family has roots in El Salvador is a prime example. Linareas lives across the street from the high school and says she enjoys being part of the soccer team because there aren’t many positive influences in her neighborhood. In fact, this is her first year playing the game.
“I don’t have any problems getting to school, but there are gangs in the neighborhood and there have been shootings,” she said. “I would rather stick to myself and come to school. Being on this team allows me to do that.”
Selamo beams when he talks about his teams.
“I love them all very much,” he says.
Again he insists, it’s less about soccer and winning, and more about building trust, team chemistry and ensuring each player goes to college. The seniors on this year’s team have been accepted to four-year universities.
“He’s one of the best coaches ever; he always helps us with all the problems we have,” said Llamas. “He’s showed us how to be friends with each other.”
