Illinois
First Football Game In Illinois History Between 2 Black Women Coaches Will Be Played In Chicago Thursday
PULLMAN — A Chicago highschool soccer recreation Thursday would be the first in Illinois historical past between two Black feminine head coaches.
Konesha Rhea is in her second season as the top soccer coach for DuSable Excessive College. Jousecelyn Mayfield calls the photographs for Christian Fenger Excessive College. The 2 will convey their groups to Gately Stadium, 810 E. 103rd St., for a matchup 4:15 p.m. Thursday.
The coaches can’t wait to see one another on opposing sidelines.
“Up till recreation time on Thursday, Jousecelyn and I at all times root for one another,” Rhea stated. “For all my years in soccer, this implies all the pieces to me. It’s exhibiting women that they will do something.”
The coaches’ journeys in Chicago youth soccer have lengthy been intertwined, and the sport might be “two sisters lastly crossing paths once more,” Mayfield stated.
“It needed to be her, and it needed to me,” Mayfield stated. “We’re each going to win.”
Rhea grew up simply outdoors of Chicago “enjoying sandlot soccer, the one sport the place you’ll be able to hit and never get in bother,” she stated. She fell in love with the sport whilst she was unable to search out groups to play at organized ranges.
However Rhea acquired the possibility to educate the Bridgeport Hurricanes, a youth soccer workforce, in 2013. That’s when she met Mayfield, a mother on the sidelines who was louder than most.
Mayfield had taken up teaching her son’s peewee workforce, “simply because we didn’t perceive what his coaches had been asking him to do,” she stated.
Rhea approached Mayfield after the sport and informed her to maintain teaching.
“You don’t see lots of ladies in youth soccer but, passionate concerning the sport and screaming all of the issues that make sense,” Rhea stated. “So I went over to her, informed her I used to be the top coach and he or she was simply as loud as I’m. We’ve supported one another ever since.”
Mayfield was working safety at Fenger when youngsters on the faculty came upon she coached youth soccer, they usually “stored asking me to come back coach, so they might have their homecoming recreation,” she stated. Fenger’s soccer workforce had been defunct for the reason that pandemic, however Mayfield was as much as the problem.
It’s Mayfield’s first 12 months as a highschool coach, whereas Rhea is beginning her second — after she broke the glass ceiling final season as the primary Black feminine head soccer coach in Chicago Public League historical past.
Three women have now signed as much as play for DuSable this 12 months, Rhea stated.
“It means I’m doing what I’m speculated to be doing. I inform them don’t surrender, although you’ve got a goal in your chest since you’re a lady on this sport,” Rhea stated. “Use it as gas to introduce your self, and once you sort out them, say, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’”
Taking part in organized soccer lengthy appeared out of attain for Rhea — till, at 35 years outdated, she tried out and made the semi-pro Chicago Drive. After two seasons, she tore her ACL, and her daughter inspired her to name it quits.
However Rhea couldn’t avoid the sport and began teaching the Hurricanes. She was additionally an everyday at Chicago Tech video games, “calling out performs and protection schemes from the stands,” she stated.
Chicago Tech’s coach took a brand new job at DuSable — a sports activities program composed of scholars at Daniel Hale Williams Prep and Bronzeville Scholastic Academy — and invited Rhea to be the defensive coordinator.
“I used to be on the first apply prepared for somebody to say one thing good,” Rhea stated. “However after the boys warmed up and I began instructing, they noticed I knew what I used to be speaking about. Ever since then, they’ve welcomed me with open arms.”
When the top teaching job at DuSable opened up once more, Rhea’s gamers went to the principal’s workplace and informed him to rent her.
Rhea has dropped her seniors off at school, introduced flowers to their commencement and not too long ago heard from a few of her first gamers — one who simply completed MIT and one other who’s now a marine.
“They nonetheless name,” Rhea stated.
The soccer ranks are “not only a boys membership,” and training excessive schoolers is Rhea’s calling, “give me these infants and let me educate them the sport I really like,” she stated.
“It’s about data and your ardour for the sport. That’s what you bought to have,” Rhea stated. “It doesn’t matter what gender you might be. When you’ve got that, you’ll be able to go it on.”
Mayfield stated she’s nonetheless engaged on her recreation plan for Thursday.
“What I do know is that once I see Konesha, I’m going to offer her the largest hug,” Mayfield stated. “We had been put right here to show these youngsters and present them love.”
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