Team of Rivals

Inside Soccer Central Monday night, balls bounced along the sidelines, teens kicking and chasing them around as they scrambled to find their uniforms tops. Looking at the team in purple, it could have been any youth league game about to begin. But it was an adult league and the purple-clad, undersized Aztecas were favored in this playoff match-up.

Most Aztecas who take the field carry heavy baggage on light teenage builds. The team is comprised of troubled youth, many with gang ties. A few adults put on their purple jerseys and join them—helping carry the load on the field and showing the teens how to carry themselves off of it.

officer Gina Castaneda coaches the Aztecas. She began the program three years ago to give high-risk teens on probation a positive social activity. The money and time to make it happen were obvious obstacles. But Castaneda faced a bigger challenge—bringing rival Norteño and Sureño gang members together on the same team.

“When we first started it was very difficult. It was six to eight sessions where we brought the kids together and we had to have half blue and half red,” Castaneda said, referring to the colors each gang claims. “We had a lot of conflict. We had conflict not only between the kids but their parents. Community members, which we don’t have authority over, were coming around and harassing our kids or hitting them up. Those were all issues that we had to deal with.”

Word of Castaneda’s work spread—receiving a Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2009 helped—and it brought some funding. With new funds from the Santa Cruz Country Probation Department and Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Castaneda added a second team of high-risk youth from local schools and a weekly practice.

“We didn’t have the money to pay for practices (indoors at Soccer Central) and we couldn’t practice out in the community because it’s too risky for the kids to be out in the community on a soccer field where you have Norteños and Sureños that play together,” said Castaneda.

Practice gives Castaneda and the adult mentors more time to work with the teens. The mentors are essential to keeping the program going.

The mentors are, “on the soccer field teaching skill building with soccer but also life skill-building: how to communicate, how to control their anger, how to resolve conflict,” Castaneda said.

Adrian Martinez is one of the newer mentors. A graduate, Martinez faced temptations and issues similar to those he now guides.

“I want to show them there’s a different life if you go to school,” Martinez said.

David Alcarzar, one of the program’s early mentors, feels similarly.

“They look up to us. We give them examples of what to do,” said Alcazar.

Kids want to play on the team and, as a result, a lot of early issues have diminished because the program helps keep team members following the rules.  There is also an in-depth process prospective participants go through to become part of the team. No one joins the Aztecas without Castaneda fully assessing him and his chance to fit into the program.

“I have a conversation with them about what the program is, what the requirements are,” said Castaneda. “If they say yes, we invite them out to a practice. We go over the rules. They see firsthand we have Norteños and Sureños playing on the same soccer team.”

During the second half Monday night, the players worked the ball up and down the field, playing well together. Tied 2-2, an Azteca passed the ball from the left to a teammate in front of the open goal on the right side for the score. The clock counted down and the Aztecas continued to add goals four, five and six while not allowing any; securing a place in the championship game Thursday.

Wilfredo Maciel, 17, scored the team’s fifth goal. Maciel joined the Aztecas halfway through last season.

Indoor soccer is fast and contact with opposing players is pretty much unavoidable as they chase down the ball caroming off Plexiglas, boards and bodies. Teenagers playing against full grown men get knocked around a little. At first for Maciel, anger and frustration were emotions easily found. But he feels he’s already made some positive changes in his approach to the games and dealing with the inevitable physical contact.

“We’re facing older people. We have to understand (and) not react back with anger,” Maciel said.

Castaneda continues to set new goals for the program. She wants to expand the program's numbers and scope to include days focused non-soccer related activities like academic work, health education, career goals and gang intervention.

“If we could do on overall Aztecas program, it would meet the needs and address all the concerns of these kids,” Castaneda said.