CLEVELAND — Trying to piece together the right words, John Marshall High School soccer players Brittany Vonderau and Daniel Maombi are left speechless after the community did the unthinkable to support the school’s soccer team ahead of Tuesday’s big game.
“I don’t know how to describe it, but this just brings a lot of joy to see,” said Daniel Maombi.
“It was like he (Daniel) said overwhelming because I wouldn’t expect a lot of people to reach out,” said Brittany Vonderau.
Head Soccer Coach Mayele Ngemba says the team received responses from Brunswick High School to the Browns and individuals like Amber Iwais.
Iwais saw the school’s Twitter post asking for warm clothes and came to their rescue in less than 24 hours.
Our 14-1 soccer team starts out Ohsaa tournament tomorrow... Cold weather expected... Our kids do not have lots if warm clothes ... Any helpers?
— John Marshall Sports (@MarshallLawyers) October 17, 2022
“Being a coach, I coach an indoor sport so it’s not as cold as outside, so you can understand that some of the kids needed some help, and to just be there for them,” said Iwais.
“We’re just so grateful,” said Ngemba.
The soccer team at John Marshall High School is unique because many of the players come from different parts of the world, so when it’s time to play in cold weather conditions, the co-ed team says it can be a challenge.
“From my experience, we played last year in a tournament that we lost, and we could not have lost again if we had enough equipment. But for lack of equipment, we lost again, and I didn’t want the same thing to happen today (Tuesday),” said Ngemba.
The team is hopeful this won’t happen now that they’re better prepared and can focus on bringing home the win against Elyria.
“The community really showed their love and support and really reached out. They did a lot to reach out to us, and that really means a lot to me and the team,” said Vonderau.
“I’m ready. I’m ready to bring it home,” said Maombi.
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