Sisterhood and Perseverance

Trevino and Ibarra named to LATAM Sports Hall of Fame

 

The May 16 induction ceremony for the Latino American Sports Hall of Fame welcomed two sisters, Sonia Trevino and Leticia Ibarra, into their ranks. But beyond just their induction and their achievements and contributions in athletics, lies a story of faith, family and perseverance through adversity.

 

 

Both sisters grew up alongside three other siblings in Mission, and it was both their achievements as Division I athletes, as coaches and their contributions to their community that earned their induction.

 

Trevino’s college athletic career began in 1987 at San Jacinto Junior College in Pasadena, Texas, during which she earned multiple All-American honors and won two national championships in the same year in volleyball and track.

 

In 1988, she transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., where she led the team in digs on the volleyball team and won two conference championships. Her coach called her the team’s catalyst as the team followed her example on the court.

 

Speaking with Progress Times, Trevino said it was a great honor to be recognized by an organization dedicated to honoring Hispanic contributions, given her background and lived experience.

 

 

“The fact that I’m married and kept my maiden name and being Latina also means a lot,” Trevino said. “We kind of have a big pride in the fact that we’re from a small town, we’re Hispanic, obviously female and opportunities weren’t, you know, as I guess as available to us.”

 

Ibarra grew up playing volleyball, playing in junior college at Laredo College before earning a full ride scholarship to play at East Texas State, now known as Texas A&M University Commerce.

 

After her playing career, she coached junior varsity volleyball under coach Carmen Martinez, becoming the head coach at La Joya High School and later Mission High School where she built successful programs.

 

She then coached at Domingo Trevino Middle School in order to better support her children. Returning to Mission CISD’s athletic administration, she ultimately became the district’s athletic director; the first woman to hold that position in the district’s history. She has since retired.

 

In an interview with Progress Times, Ibarra was at first unsure if they were calling the correct sister but was honored and amazed when she was able to confirm her induction.

 

“To be honest, I was blown out of the water,” Ibarra said “I was never expecting anything like this, but truly humbled and privileged, really, to be honest with you.”

 

Established in 1974 in Laredo, Texas, the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame recognizes the impact and achievements of amateur and professional athletes of Latino American Heritage. It includes athletes from not just the United States, but also Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico as well as Central and South America and the Caribbean.

 

The Progress Times reached out to the Hall for comment but has yet to receive a reply as of press time.

 

 

The ceremony recognized Trevino for her decorated collegiate athletic career and Ibarra for her successful coaching career and for her tenure as Mission CISD’s Athletic Director.

 

During the ceremony, both sisters were introduced by their sister Diana Lerma, who followed Ibarra’s footsteps in the coaching field. She is currently the head volleyball coach for Veterans Memorial High School.

 

Lerma told the Progress Times in an interview that introducing her sisters at the induction was “…a tremendous honor.”

 

“We might’ve been poor with money but very rich in family values,” Lerma said. “My mom would be just smiling up from heaven at the accomplishment that we were able to fulfill.”

 

Her mother, Socorro Trevino, raised her, Trevino and Ibarra as well as two more children in Mission. The family bonds that the Trevino family created by her still remain strong to this day.

 

Trevino told the Progress Times that it was because of her mother’s foundation and values that helped create an inseparable bond between her and her siblings.

 

“My sisters are like my lifeline,” Trevino said. “I mean, you know, that’s the way [our] mother raised us to be actually. [Our] foundation is strong in faith and family over everything.”

 

Ibarra particularly recalls what her mother said to her in a call she made after experiencing racism for the first time at East Texas State.

 

“I ran all the way back to my dorm crying,” Ibarra said. “[My mom told me] ‘you need to stop. I raised you tougher than that, she tells me. Don’t forget why you’re there; to get your education. So step up and you’re good to go.’

 

For all the siblings, however, the opportunity to represent Mission and “give back to the community we were born and raised in” remains important.

 

“We’re Mission proud and we’re thankful that we were able to come back,” Lerma said “My sister [Leticia] being the first female athletic director here in Mission, now that was a tremendous honor for my mom to get to actually witness before she passed.”

 

Friendly competition has always been a hallmark of the Trevino household. While the Progress Times did ask all three of the sisters interviewed who was the best, Ibarra declined to specify but gave each of her siblings their flowers for their achievements.

 

 

“Everybody’s got their strengths,” Ibarra said. “So when we come together as one, I mean, we’re definitely a force to be reckoned with.”

 

Both Trevino and Lerma answered that they were the best of the siblings when asked the same question by the Progress Times while also crediting each other’s achievements.

 

One thing that remains clear through it all, is that through all of the accolades, achievements, broken records, trails blazed and friendly banter of the Trevino sisters, stands a foundation of faith, family and unshakable belief.