Long Beach State University Athletics
Pena is the Girl That Could
12/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
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Pena's the Little Girl That Could LONG BEACH - Imelda Pena worried that this story would portray her as some sort of poor kid looking for a handout. But there is one thing one cannot and should not do: Feel sorry for Imelda Pena. Pena, a role player on the Long Beach State women's basketball team, might be seen as poor in the material world, where worth is judged on iPods, iPhones and I-have-everything else. She is not, however, poor in spirit. And certainly not in determination, self-preservation and attitude — all of which have helped Pena get this far in life. Pena has played a total of two minutes in her two-plus seasons at Long Beach State. Hampered by a knee injury she suffered at Estancia High, she served as a team manager her freshman season and has appeared in two games — one minute each — last season. Pena, a walk-on, has yet to see any action this season for the 49ers, but that hasn't tainted her desire to lace her shoes and put on that gold-and-black No. 33. Pena is as enthusiastic today as she was when she first arrived at Long Beach, a remarkable trait, 49ers coach Mary Hegarty said. "I'm not a quitter," Pena said. "I've seen other walk-ons quit because they are not happy with their amount of time they are getting. But I love my teammates … and I don't quit." Not when she had to work so hard to earn a spot on the team. When she found out in 2006 there would be two additional walk-ons, Pena asked assistant coach Nicole Anderson to help her get into shape. The two would meet every summer morning at 6:30 a.m. and work on conditioning and shooting and dribbling and more shooting. They ran, they lifted weights, they played pickup games. By the time summer ended and tryouts started, Pena felt confident. "Mel wanted to play, so she rehabbed her knee and then worked her rear off all year for the chance to play," Hegarty said. Hegarty will never forget the day she called Pena in to tell her she made the team. "It got so emotional in my office," Hegarty said. "It is one of the most enjoyable moments of my career." It was a turning point for Pena as well. Making the 49ers team was one of many goals she set back when as a hard-headed, high-energy eighth-grader she realized she could make something of herself. But Pena didn't come to that realization alone. Life at the corner of Wilson Street and Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa isn't easy. Hardship and strife live side-by-side in Pena's neighborhood, and opportunity rarely pays a visit. So it's not altogether surprising that Pena, like many youths in situations such as hers, grew up with an attitude. "She was disruptive in class, talked back and was extremely high energy," said Robert Sterling, a teacher at Estancia High. "Mel was too tough to be dragged into gang life, but she could have been one of those angry teens who are mad at the world forever." Sterling recognized this in Pena and got her involved in AVID, an acronym for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It's a program designed for students who would like to go to college but are not among the top third or bottom third of their classes. They are the middle kids. The program also teaches how to rely on others, and one such example took place on a trip to Mount Whitney. "On the first day, Mel was motivating the others, helping them," Sterling said. "But on the second day, Mel was sucking oxygen and suddenly, those same kids she was encouraging before were pulling her up the hill. It was overwhelming for her." AVID, though, did not turn Pena into a model student. Not anywhere close. "She was kicked out of AVID more times than any kid I've ever had in the program," Sterling said. "But she always came back because she knew she could." Sterling also guided Pena into sports so she could be exposed to team concepts. That's where she excelled. Pena, who set the school record for most 3-pointers made in a game (10), earned second-team all-Golden West League honors in 2004 and honorable mention in 2003. As captain, she led the Eagles to back-to-back league championships in 2002-03. She also compiled a 3.8 grade-point average her senior year. But there weren't any scholarship offers, so Pena, with a few financial grants, decided to pursue her business administration degree at Long Beach State and try out for the team. She's on track to graduate in four years and hopes to someday own a professional basketball team. Somehow, you believe her. "Like they say, shoot for the moon and you might land in the stars," Pena said. |
