Santacaterina hangs up her soccer cleats
At some point even the best-conditioned athlete accepts that it's time to call it a career.
Jackie Santacaterina fully acknowledged that fact when after five years as a defender with the Chicago Red Stars women's professional soccer team she announced her retirement on Nov. 21.
The Geneva High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductee and former University of Illinois most valuable player had surgery on her right hip on Sept. 25, 2013, after playing 1,306 minutes with 3 goals and an assist. She returned for the 2014 season, playing 13 games with 9 starts.
Santacaterina took some time after this past season to regroup then discovered what all pro athletes eventually do - the heart, mind and body were no longer united to compete at a high level.
"My heart just wasn't ready to train," said Santacaterina, a 2012 Women's Professional Soccer League all-star who lives in Naperville after a stretch downtown. "And for me, my heart and kind of my pride and commitment to the sport had always fueled me. And so when that was gone I knew it was kind of time."
She may no longer be ready to bust her own hump in soccer - it sounds like now she's more into yoga - but she's totally ready to train other soccer players. For three years during the off season Santacaterina has operated her own sports performance company, TRUE Performance, in Oak Brook. She's now ready to do that full-time.
"It's good," said Santacaterina, a cousin of Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee. "I have two different soccer clubs and some small-group training. I'm focusing on that and trying to do some different aspects (such as) team leadership development."
The nagging thing about letting go, for her and many other team-sport athletes, is the lack of camaraderie and group accomplishment a team provides.
Santacaterina took pride that she and pals like Red Star teammates Lori Chalupny, Michelle Wenino and Julianne Sitch "kept the brand alive" when the club went from professional to semipro and then back to a full National Women's Soccer League entry in 2013.
"I think I was lucky enough all five years, even with the semipro teams, that it was just a great group of girls and win or lose, successful or unsuccessful. It was always a great group you could learn from, off the field especially. I'm lucky to have some great teammates that I'm still in contact with, and will be for awhile," she said.
Building the team leadership development component of TRUE Performance will help smooth the transition. For a person who hasn't been on a team of one sort or another for more than two decades, since she was 5 years old, it may be difficult.
She can take solace that, as they say, we all have it coming.
"My body was just telling me it was time," Santacaterina said.
Landmark win
It's a little late, but when Aurora Central Catholic's girls basketball team beat Hinckley-Big Rock 49-30 in Somonauk on Nov. 21, it was the Chargers' first 4-0 start in the program's 40-year history.
Coach Mark Fitzgerald's squad gets a shot at extending the record to 5-0 on Dec. 2 against Glenbard South.
At your service
After all that food Thursday you'll need some exercise.
So go out to your car Saturday. Drive to Wheaton College's King Arena. Get out of your car and go inside. Climb up some bleachers.
Then watch some of the area's top volleyball players exercise.
The fifth annual Illinois High School Girls Volleyball All-Star Game and the accompanying second annual Senior Showcase will be held at Wheaton College. The 3 p.m. Showcase features 30 of the top unsigned seniors in the state. The All-Star game offers 30 of the top signed players. A portion of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
The All-Star Game, starting at approximately 5 p.m., has two teams with a couple local players on either side. Maryland recruit Kelsey Wicinski, out of Geneva, and Kaneland outside hitter Ellie Dunn, bound for Ball State, are teammates for a day. They'll play a side that includes Batavia left-side Madison Jaudon, an Elon recruit, and St. Francis' middle Mary Boken, headed to Clemson.
If this sounds way too exhausting relax and slouch at your computer. The games will be streamed live on SportsTownChicago.com, operated by students and staff of the Illinois Center for Broadcasting.
A reminder
St. Charles East is accepting nominations through Dec. 5 for the annual Jodie Harrison Lifetime Achievement Award.
Folks are asked to provide as much information as possible about their Saints heroes, starting with current address and phone, athletic achievements and contributions, year of graduation or years of service to St. Charles East or St. Charles High. Athletes must be at least 10 years removed from high school, so no Annie Martinezes or Kendall Stephenses, savvy?
A nomination form and further instruction can be had at east.d303.org. The Hall of Fame Night will be Jan. 24, 2015.
Also, Waubonsee Community College is seeking nominations for its Athletic Hall of Fame, which was founded in 2007 and includes 2012 honoree Tim Buckley, a 1981 Aurora Central Catholic graduate who is now associate head coach for the Indiana University men's basketball team.
The time frame for the Waubonsee nominees is more relaxed, not due until Feb. 1. You can gain more information or a nomination form by visiting waubonsee.edu/athletics.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com
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