Millions of Mexican sports fans have their fingers crossed — dreaming of national glory in next month's World Cup soccer tournament. The students at the Church-owned Benemerito school in Mexico City already have reason to celebrate.
Benemerito's boys volleyball team recently reached the finals of the national high school championship in Monterrey on April 29, losing 3-0 to Universidad de Salle of Mexico City.
"Each of the sets was tightly contested," said Francisco Santiago, Benemerito's director of athletics and arts.
The stands at the host school in Monterrey in northern Mexico were peppered with Church members who supported the team on their five-day tournament run to the finals.
The Benemerito boys qualified for the national tournament after defeating Tecnologico de Monterrey in the regional tournament. That victory was something of an upset. Like many of the other schools competing at the regional and national levels, Tecnologico de Monterrey is an elite private school that recruits promising athletes. Such schools have several years to develop their student athletes. "They usually have their players start at a very young age," said Elder Lino Alvarez, a former member of the Seventy and principal of Benemerito. "Our students come to Benemerito for three years and go."
Still, the team's success has not been a big surprise to Benemerito watchers.
"We have a good reputation," Elder Alvarez said.
Whenever Benemerito competes in athletic or artistic competitions, students are representing their families, fellow classmates — and the Church. Benemerito students must achieve in the classroom and adhere to the school's LDS-themed honor code and standards before they can step onto the athletic field or performance stage.
"If they are not good students, they are not available to participate," Elder Alvarez said.
Event organizers such as those at the recent regional and national volleyball tournaments generally respect the school's guiding Church tenets.
"They understand we can't play on Sunday and they understand our principles," Elder Alvarez said.
Formally named Benemerito de las Americas, the school was opened 42 years ago to be a place of spiritual, academic, social and physical development for high school-age LDS Mexicans. More than 2,000 students study and worship at the peaceful campus that stretches across 90 acres in northern Mexico City.
The school has become a springboard for many LDS Mexicans to missionary service and Church leadership. The school's extracurricular activities go beyond a successful athletic program that includes basketball, football and soccer. Performing arts groups such as Benemerito's orchestra, choirs and its own acclaimed Ballet Folklorico also enjoy national attention.
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
