Ten soccer players sign with four-year schools

Courtesy of John Bechtle, South Belt-Ellington Leader

Diligent work both on and off the soccer field is allowing players on the San Jacinto College soccer team to reach their goals.

Ten sophomores, including 2007 Division I JUCO All-American Ricardo Ximines, have signed letters of intent to continue their education and playing careers at four-year institutions.

Throw in 2007 sophomore player Howard Wong, who signed this Fall, and the program has now delivered 25 players to four-year colleges over the past four seasons.

San Jacinto College’s success on the field during head coach Dr. David Santesteban’s stay over that four-year period has helped.

The Coyotes have made three trips in four years to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) national tournament. But Santesteban also credits the effort of his players in the classroom.

“You can be a great, great player, but if you don’t have the grades or requirements, you can’t get accepted to these programs,” Santesteban said. “Here at San Jacinto College we want to make sure these young men understand the importance and value of a degree above everything else.”

ust one Coyote player, Dane Richards, is playing the sport professionally. He is a midfielder with the New York Red Bulls. All other past players have had to go on and star in something else other than soccer.

When he arrived on the scene at San Jacinto College prior to the 2004 season, Santesteban made education a priority. The penalty for a lack of production in the classroom has been a lack of playing time on the field for those who don’t fulfill their classroom responsibilities.

Santesteban’s edict has worked, and he credits the school’s Student Success Center, complete with a study hall, computer access and tutoring, as being a big part of the equation.

“The Student Success Center has been a big asset,” Santesteban said. “I require my players to log a minimum of eight hours in the center per week. Many of them exceed that total. Consequently, many of our players are excelling in the classroom.”

The scholarships go a long way toward proving that. Three of the players, including Ximines (Florida International University), Leon Williams (University of San Francisco) and Carlos Villa (University of Hartford) will attend NCAA Division I schools after graduating with their associate degrees from San Jacinto College.

A fourth player, Wong from the 2007 team, completed his degree at San Jacinto College last Fall and will also attend the University of Hartford.

The seven other players either have two-year degrees or are very close to earning them and will transfer earned credit hours to either Division II or NAIA schools while playing soccer.

San Jac’s other signees for 2008 include Edgar Alvarez (University of Incarnate Word), Frazier Biba (Embry-Riddle, Arizona campus), Emilio Frias (SW Assemblies of God), Phillip Hagen (Tusculum University) Roy Hernandez (Texas A&M International), Corey McPherson (Tusculum University) and Caesar Vallejo (UT-Dallas).

“Having a chance to earn a degree while playing soccer is what it’s all about for these guys,” Santesteban said. “Some of these players are the first in their families to attend college. They have a dream of earning a degree to help better their lives.

“Here at San Jacinto College, we have established an elite program on the field. That is opening some doors for our players. It’s a win-win situation.”