Out of the gang and into the scrum in Hawaiian Gardens
Which sport is fast and tough and bruising enough to grab the attentions and affections of kids in Hawaiian Gardens being wooed by gangs? Would you believe rugby? Sam Quinones has the details:
They liked the relentless tackling and physical contact. It was football without pads.
The Hawaiian Gardens Eagles youth rugby team was born.
"After that, everybody started changing," said Rios, now 16. "Everybody stopped banging. We liked the sport so much that we didn't have time for that no more."
That was in 2006.
Since then, Hawaiian Gardens -- one of the smallest and poorest towns in Los Angeles County -- has emerged as a Southern California youth rugby powerhouse.
The city's program now has three teams and 45 players under 16, including a team of girls who protested when the city seemed willing to fund only boys teams. Many players have family members who are in gangs.
They share cleats and jerseys and they're beating wealthier teams from bigger cities. (Steven Spielberg, are you listening?) More on the details of this gang-kids-make-good story here.
--Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times
"WE ARE THE HAWAIIAN GARDEN EAGLES" WE DONT BANG WERE JUST DOING OUR THANG.
Posted by: BIG DOG JOSE | May 13, 2008 at 10:34 AM
i am one of the girls that play for the hawaiian gardens rugby team we rock
Posted by: Donyae Smith | May 20, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Hawaiian Gardens can certainly be proud or our own. The girls won the championship for all of So. Cal. ..... they worked hard to get to the championship and they took care of business. "Hawaiian Gardens Eagles Girls Rugby U14 are SCYR (southern california youth rugby)Champions"
I am proud of the boys teams too. They made it to the championships also, that was hard work. They didn't bring it home this year. But, "look out next year".
They are all great kids with much potential. Keep up the good work.
Thanks to a city that would offer such a positive program for the children to be a part of.
Posted by: Tracey Kissinger | May 21, 2008 at 04:52 PM
I am the captin of the girls under 14 girls youth rugby team yupp yupp!!
we won in SLO we rock && we are gonna win next yr so watch out!!!
Posted by: captin klarice kissinger :) | June 28, 2008 at 11:16 PM