STARS AND STRIPES vs. MEXICO’S UNDER 19 ALL-STAR TEAM
By Rey Hernandez, Retired College and High School Coach
On December 18, I had the opportunity to coach on a football staff that prepared a group of San Diego County high school seniors who were representing the United States in a game played between Mexico’s National Under-19 All-Star team and the Stars and Stripes. The bi-national showcase was made possible through the combined efforts of the Inter-California Youth Athletic Association (IYAA) and Mexico’s Federation of American Football (FMFA). The hard work of IYAA board members Ruben Sanchez and Derek Dahlen, who also served as head coach for the American team, provided the participants an opportunity to gain international exposure while at the same time expanding the game of football across our borders. Equally important was the hard work of Mr. Jose Jorge Orobio Rosas, President of the FMFA and Mexico’s Head Coach, Rafael Duk.
The game provided me with an opportunity to do some on the field coaching for the first time since my retirement from high school coaching in 2012. It also provided me some personal insight into the growth of American football in Mexico. It comes as a surprise to many to find out that American football has been played in Mexico for close to 100 years. I remember when I was in elementary school our flag football coach, Mr. Guillermo Garcia, told us that he had played American football in the 1940’s when he was a college student in Mexico. The popularity of the sport has grown immensely since that time. The players who represented Mexico in this all-star game were selected from a nation-wide pool of 1,300 athletes who tried out for the team. These players will be representing Mexico in the next World Championship that is scheduled to be played in China in 2016.
The improvement in the quality of play on the youth level in Mexico was very much evident on the field on game day. For many years, Mexican high school teams have been coming across the border to play San Diego Section teams. Early on the games were often a mismatch on the field but as the years have gone by these teams have become much more competitive. We were able to mount a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter but the Mexican squad was able to battle back before dropping a hard fought 27-21 game to the Stars and Stripes.
Unlike other all-star games that I have been a part of in the past, this game had an international flair as well as a patriotic feel that permeated the stadium. The evening began with a precision parachute team jumping at 4,500 feet and onto the field carrying the flags of the United States and Mexico. The popular singer-actress Agina Alvarez performed stellar renditions of both national anthems and set the tone for what would be a very spirited game. Her singing performance also inspired the crowd’s “USA, USA, USA” chants that filled the air just prior to kickoff.
For me, it was very satisfying to see the excitement and pride exhibited by the teenagers on both sides of the line of scrimmage. It was even more satisfying to see the respect and camaraderie that was visible all over the field when the final whistle blew. It gave me a sense of hope knowing that the challenges and disagreements that our two countries share might perhaps one day be resolved by this young generation of teenagers who will one day be entrusted with the future of both our countries.
As I walked of the field I also had a chance to reflect on the week that I spent coaching on the field. After the game some of my friends and colleagues asked me what I miss most about coaching. I thought about the many San Diego Section Championship games I had the great pleasure to be a part of. I also thought about the many hard fought playoff games that I experienced during my 33 years of high school coaching as well as the many league titles that I experienced during my career. These things are certainly memorable and cherished moments but it wasn’t very difficult to realize that what I miss the most about coaching is the time I spent on the practice field coaching my players and hearing them call me ‘coach.’
The short five days I spent back on the field helped me realize just how great the game of high school football is. Coaches across the country need to be advocates for the game. High school football has been cast in a very negative light in recent years. The safety of the game has been called into question and many parents are understandably fearful of letting their children play. There is too much good that comes from high school football to simply stand on the sideline and not get involved in the ongoing national discussion regarding the future of the sport at the youth level.
I’ll leave you with one final thought. In our quest to crown mythical national champions, state champions, regional champions and local champions, it isn’t difficult to get caught up in the winning aspect of competition and forget about all the other rewards the game of high school football can deliver. I once coached an all-star game in the early 1980’s and we were able to walk off the field with an upset win over a very talented squad. As we were leaving the field we saw one of our players standing alone and crying. We were of course concerned and asked him why he was crying. He responded, “Coach, I never won a game.” This boy had played four years of high school football and all the teams he played on went 0-10. There must have been something in the game of football that this boy very much loved. It certainly wasn’t the winning that kept him playing. My guess is that what he loved the most was what I loved the most too. We both just wanted to be on the field with coaches and teammates and being a part of the best game that was ever invented.