Sweeping change has taken Aterado to top of JC soccer
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
He has changed his name, his position, his attitude toward college — but not his life-long dream to one day play professional soccer.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Majell Aterado, whose name was Gerard Horn when he was terrorizing high-school goalkeepers three seasons ago for Pearl City, took a significant step toward reaching his dream this fall when he was chosen second-team junior college All-America.
Majell Aterado, left, a sweeper for Santa Rosa Junior College, was selected as the Bay Valley Conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
Aterado led Santa Rosa Junior College to its second straight California Community College men's championship on Sunday. He assisted on two goals as the Bear Cubs, down 0-2 at halftime, scored three goals in eight minutes to defeat Fresno, 3-2, at Lemoore.
The day before, his left-footed free kick (he is right footed) tied the score in the semifinal game, which Santa Rosa later won over Pasadena, 2-1.
Along the way to being chosen a Division III (small schools) second-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Aterado was chosen Bay Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, co-Most Valuable Player of the state final four, and co-MVP of his team.
"He's good enough to go on and play at a very high level of soccer — A League," Santa Rosa coach Marty Kinahan said. "He's got God's gift."
But for two years after high school, Aterado only used his gifts to hang dry wall for a former coach, attend community colleges part time, and play MISO (Men's Island Soccer Organization) games.
He stopped using his father's name (Horn) and started using his mother's name (Aterado). He dropped his first name (Gerard) for his middle name (Majell) — though he is still called by both.
Last summer, Aterado decided, "I needed something different . . . I wanted to pursue a soccer career."
That meant becoming a full-time college student on the Mainland as there are no men's college teams in Hawai'i.
A former teammate, Steven Brigado, told him about Santa Rosa, which was the 2001 national rankings champion.
"My decision to come to this school was very last minute," Aterado said Wednesday. "I wanted to play forward and be a scorer, but I was so out of shape. (Coach Kinahan's) style of play requires a lot of running, and I didn't think I could meet his standards.
"They were looking for a sweeper. I played sweeper in HYSA (youth league), so I thought I could start there ... but I'd rather be a scorer."
Santa Rosa assistant coach Kelcey Chaidez, a 1996 Waiakea graduate who was Santa Rosa's captain for two years and played at Sonoma State until he blew out his knee in 2000, thinks Aterado's move to sweeper was fortuitous.
"He's a natural sweeper," Chaidez said. "He makes great decisions and takes good angles to the ball. He will have a ton of opportunity to play. There are lots of forwards but good defenders are harder to find."
Head coach Kinahan says Aterado "has the most consistent and farthest kick I've ever seen by a sweeper, 65 to 70 yards accurately. He takes all our set pieces and he's in first in the lineup for our penalty kicks."
Chaidez calls Aterado "one of the most deadly free-kick takers I've seen."
This season's results have shown Aterado that: "I'm a better player than I thought I was. My whole life's dream is to play at the professional level."
Kinahan concedes that Aterado's "great speed makes him a natural forward."
"He got defensive Player of the Year this year in our league and he could get Offensive Player of the Year next year if he played forward," Kinahan said.
"But we can't afford losing him in back."
Kinahan said it is a "career decision." Aterado is probably going back for his future.
CORNER KICKS: Marty Kinahan says that Rodney "Kawika" Rivera (Waiakea '97) will be a captain next season. "He is the oldest and toughest kid on the team. He lights a fire for us, even though he didn't start this year." . . . Mike Hickman (Hawai'i Prep '01 of Kona) was the back-up goal keeper . . . Steven Brigado (Moanalua '99) used this season to rehab a torn anterior cruciate ligament. . . . Kelcey Chaidez says his goal is to coach a bigger program and recruit Big Island players. "There is so much talent there and so much goes to waste," he said. "I want to get them off the rock." . . . Santa Rosa is not allowed to recruit out of its district, but coach Kinahan says, "I'd love it if more players like Magell came here."
