This story has been updated to amend the circumstances surrounding Robert Garcia’s death.
BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
McALLEN — Valeria Garcia wanted to try her hand at any sport she could during her eighth-grade year at Cathey Middle School.
“I wanted to do every sport,” Garcia said. “I tried out for volleyball, but I wasn’t that good at it. I was OK at basketball, and I really liked soccer. I also did track, swimming and tennis.”
Tennis was the family game in the Garcia household. Valeria’s father, Robert, played collegiate tennis at The University of Texas at Austin.
“He was a huge tennis player,” Garcia said of her father. “He got me interested in the game.”
Ten years ago, Robert Garcia passed away suddenly.
“It’s God’s plan,” Valeria Garcia said.
Throughout her childhood and into her eighth-grade year, she tried to keep up with her father’s favorite game.
“He passed away when I was 6 years old,” Garcia said. “But I wanted to make him proud. When I realized that I had been doing it for him and not for me, I felt like it wasn’t right to do that. I didn’t have the right motivation.”
Despite her emotional ties to the sport, tennis didn’t give Garcia the full athletic experience she was looking for.
“Tennis is an individual sport, and I didn’t like not being a part of something I could cherish with others,” Garcia said. “When you get stressed out, there’s no one you can really lean on during a match. When I’m here with my team, we get to lean on each other. Working together motivates me more.”
The tragedy taught Valeria a valuable lesson.
“My mom and my four older siblings took care of me,” Garcia said. “Mom would work late nights, and that’s when I saw what hard work looked like. She did everything possible to provide for us, and I want to do that for my team. I want them to know that they can rely on me the same way I’m able to rely on my mom and my family.”
McAllen Memorial coach Clarisse Arredondo said she is amazed at Garcia’s resolve.
“It touches you when you learn one of your athletes is going through that,” Arredondo said. “It makes you realize that you need to be there a little more for those type of kids. I know her dad’s watching over her and cheering for her. He’s a big part of what motivates her to be the best that she can.”
This season, Garcia’s 9.1 points per game average is second on the team, and she leads the team in rebounds (9.5) and steals (4.1).
“I didn’t expect this from a girl who’s only played the game for two years. That’s the interesting and exciting part of having her in the program,” Arredondo said. “Last year, she wanted to be Newcomer of the Year, but her numbers just weren’t good enough. I told her that she had to work harder and prove everybody wrong.”
Garcia has been a constant this season, playing in all 34 games.
“Valeria’s usually the first one to practice. She’s here before me every day,” Arredondo said. “My assistant will open the gym for her, and she’ll be the last one to leave, because she wants to be competitive and get better. Recently, she’s stayed to play a game of 21 or P-I-G or H-O-R-S-E against my assistant, just to see if she could beat her. After two or three tries, Valeria might beat her once.”
McAllen Memorial (24-10) was clearly the class of District 30-6A, mowing through the district schedule with a 12-0 record. The Mustangs, however, have yet to win a playoff game in Arredondo’s first three seasons as coach.
Now in year four, the Mustangs must overcome South San Antonio in their bi-district matchup, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.
“Coach A wanted us to be one unit this year,” Garcia said. “We’ve taken it upon ourselves to play together — not looking for one scorer or two, but looking for all our team to score. Once we continue that into our playoff game, we’ll be able to come out on top.”