Corona coach teaches soccer players to never give up

10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, September 8, 2007

By JERRY SOIFER
The Press-Enterprise

CORONA - A year ago, AYSO coach Sergio De Luca gave the girls on his under-16 soccer team "U Know" red wrist bands with the slogan "Never Give Up" to wear during their games in the Corona-Norco region.

The girls never looked back, winning 14 games in a row, capturing the regional title in their age group and the Martinez Cup tournament.

De Luca was back with a new girls under-16 team called "Yellow" for picture day of the 2007 season at Santana Regional Park Saturday.

Story continues below

Jerry Soifer / The Press-Enterprise
Steve Groves and other youngsters on Saturday turn out for an American Youth Soccer Organization game at the Shearer Soccer Complex in Norco.
De Luca is the same inspiring figure -- a 43-year-old man confined to a wheelchair by crippling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but with an unlimited devotion to soccer, which he played as a boy in Brea.

Then he coached his children, Alyssa, 15, and Frankie, 14, while working construction.

"Yellow" has won one game and tied one in the young season. De Luca has his players emphasize defense. He calls for substitutions and strategy. He communicates with the team through a computer attached to his wheelchair, or through Donna Tice, a Corona resident who is an assistant coach.

"It's an honor to be out there with him," Tice said.

"He's the brains and I'm the brawn of the team."

"He feels important because he's helping us out here," said Tice's daughter, Rachel, 15. "He's the one who coaches us. He has someone else set it up. It makes him happier because he can still be out here."

"He truly is inspiring because he's still out here coaching," said team member Alexandra Jensen, 15, of Corona.

There are 4,000 boys and girls ages 4 ½ -20 playing on 440 teams in American Youth Soccer Organization this season with 700 coaches and 300 referees.

Many will have their eyes on De Luca and his team in the new season.

"He's a fine example for all of us who know him," said Louis Cabral, AYSO assistant regional commissioner.

De Luca was diagnosed with ALS in September 2005. ALS, sometimes called Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease caused by the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement.

The soccer fields were crowded at the region's three playing sites, Santana and Auburndale Intermediate School in Corona and the Shearer Soccer Complex in Norco.

"It's nice that the community can get together and sit and let the children play and learn skills and teamwork," said Beth Temple, of Corona, before watching her son Steve Groves, 9, play for the Bulldogs against the Sharks in an under-10 game at Norco.

William Reney, 16, of Corona, wore a yellow shirt with "R-E-F-E-R-E-E" stenciled on it and a picture ID dangling from a cord while he officiated the Bulldogs-Sharks contest.

"I'm extremely excited," William said.

"The kids are smiling. They have fun no matter what."

Reach Jerry Soifer at 951-893-2112 or jsoifer@PE.com
http://www.pe.com/localnews/corona/s...9.3cd39d3.html