Thread: Sunday soccer transports migrant workers

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Sunday soccer transports migrant workers
Friday, July 15, 2005
Mark Puente
Plain Dealer Reporter

Madison Town ship

-- On Sunday afternoon in a se cluded lakefront park, Isidra Lopez watched her three children converge on a bell-ringing, three-wheeled cart to purchase Panchos Popsicles.

Dozens gathered under a mammoth oak tree to visit "El Heladero" (the ice cream man). Nearby, shouts of "tirale" (hit the ball) and "siguele" (keep it going)" filled the air.


Although the park lacked bleachers, about 200 Hispanics sat along fences and under trees to cheer for their favorite players in the Painesville-based Mens Hispanic Soccer League.

The gathering at Stanton Park was more than a soccer match -- it was a cultural getaway for many migrant workers who work six days a week in nurseries and factories in Lake and Ashtabula counties.

"It's our only hobby," said Higinio Soto, 22, of Geneva. "We want to demonstrate that we can play a sport and not just work."

Hispanics have migrated to Northeast Ohio for more than 40 years, with an estimated population of 6,100 in both counties, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Hispanic advocates say the number is higher than that and rapidly expanding.

The majority of Hispanics in Lake County hail from Mexico, said Edith Soto Rodriguez, MHSL director who took over the league 10 years ago to give the men a chance to play their national game. "Once we started organizing, people rolled in," she said. "It's getting bigger."

The league has 16 teams - 15 Mexican and one Honduran - with about 450 players. Many of the players work here in the spring and summer, then return to Mexico.

Local businesses sponsor teams and owners show up to provide beverages for players. Many sponsors bring coolers and serve their favorite foods to the players at half time.

Soto Rodriguez said she runs the league with an "iron hand" to eliminate problems. She said many Americans perceive Hispanic gatherings as troublesome. But she said the perception is wrong.

"If they don't follow the rules, then they will see my little horns come out," she said. "It's not a bunch of guys fighting in the fields."
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David Mendoza, 22, of Ashtabula, said coming to the games provides Hispanics with a place to gather. "This is the only thing we have on weekends," he said. "We're not drinking beer or watching TV. It's our only day off. We got to enjoy it."

Nationally, dozens of non-sanctioned Hispanic soccer leagues have popped up in regions with exploding populations. National soccer organizations have taken notice.

The United States Soccer Federation sanctioned the MHSL about three years ago, an affiliation that allowed the league to have official referees and insurance for players.

Soto Rodriguez hopes the MHSL expands like other leagues.

In places like Detroit and Charlotte, N.C., she said, about 3,000 spectators line various parks early on Sunday to cook tacos, carnitas and fajitas - and to watch the game.

Isidra Lopez, who gathered her children in a shady spot under the giant oak tree, said her husband doesn't play in the league, but the family comes each week to cheer and spend time with friends.

"We're bored at home," she said, speaking over her kids screaming at players. "We come just for fun. We're fanatics."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mpuente@plaind.com, 216-999-4289

Soto Rodriguez said she runs the league with an "iron hand" to eliminate problems. She said many Americans perceive Hispanic gatherings as troublesome. But she said the perception is wrong.

"If they don't follow the rules, then they will see my little horns come out," she said. "It's not a bunch of guys fighting in the fields."

Ooooh, Border Patrol and Homeland Security could learn some things from Soto. We need to rule our borders with an "IRON HAND" to eliminate problems. When other nations don't "follow the rules", they need to see our "little horns come out."

New Idea: Fire Chertoff and Put US Soccor Moms In Charge of US Homeland Security!!