Edinburg North standout makes Sophia Young Elite select team

EDINBURG — Vicky Peña ignored the unfamiliar number ringing on her mobile phone. She wanted nothing to do with that pesky telemarketer.

The same caller rang again and again.

”I just kept ignoring them,” Peña said of the persistent calls.

But, then she found out it wasn’t a telemarketer. Peña, who will be a junior at Edinburg North this fall, then received a text, letting her know the good news. She was one of 15 players who had made the Sophia Young Elite select basketball team.

Peña was one of approximately 80 who tried out for the San Antonio-based team that is named after the former Baylor star and current Silver Stars (of the WNBA) player. Peña was the only player from the Rio Grande Valley who made the team.

“I didn’t know how to react to the news,” said Peña, who added that she was shocked by it.

As much as Peña was surprised, David Sykes wasn’t. Sykes, who serves as a coach for both the Sophia Young team and the locally-based RGV Select squad, suggested Peña try out. Peña met Sykes after her personal trainer, Jaime Cavazos, introduced them to each other. Peña wants to play college basketball and had been seeking the right opportunity to help her cause.

“I told her that I was going to put her in the best position to play with some of the best players and get exposed to some of the best (college) coaches in the country,” Sykes said.

Peña is building a solid reputation locally. She made the Edinburg North girls basketball varsity squad as a freshman for the 2008-09 season. As a sophomore, Peña earned first-team All-District 31-5A honors. Valley Freedom Newspapers selected her to its All-Valley second team after she averaged 12.4 points and 3.1 steals.

“She’s been able to cope with everything very well,” Sykes said. “Her parents are very supportive. They are there with her, step by step. They give her all the family support that she needs. I’m probably her biggest critic. She plays great basketball for someone so young.”

Peña received the news that she had made the Sophia Young team in the middle of Edinburg North’s historic playoff run last season. The Lady Cougars advanced to the regional tournament for the first time in school history. San Antonio Jay ousted Edinburg North in the Region IV-5A semifinals on Feb. 26 in San Antonio. Two days later — also in San Antonio — Peña had her first practice with the Sophia Young squad.

“I was so nervous,” Peña said of that first practice. “I thought these girls are so much better than me. I didn’t want to embarrass myself so I’d stand in the back of the line.”

Her parents, Joel and Naty Peña, urged her to get in the front and be more assertive. By her third practice with the team, she was fine.

“All the girls were fun and nice and it was nice that we all have one thing in common,” Peña said. “And, that’s basketball.”

Most of Peña’s teammates hail from the San Antonio/Central Texas area. During the school year, she drove from the Valley to San Antonio for Sunday practices. In the summer, the team has practiced twice at week at times. Her parents have been there during each step.

“I was prepared for it, but it was still a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Peña said of the time commitment. “My parents have gone with me up and back, and without them I couldn’t do any of this. I know that it’s tiring for them too.”

The Sophia Young team is currently participating in a tournament in New Orleans this week. It has participated in tournaments in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Next week, the team will play in Atlanta.

Sykes said Peña has improved “by leaps and bounds” since he first worked with her.

“She’s built an extreme amount of confidence, and I’m very proud of her,” Sykes said.

With the start of the school year looming, Pena’s summer basketball schedule is winding down. The high school season can’t come soon enough.

“It’s been amazing,” Peña said. “I kind of want it to be (high school) basketball season already. My schedule is crazy and hectic, but it’s been such an amazing experience.”

David Hinojosa covers girls high school basketball for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via e-mail at dhinojosa@themonitor.com