CHICAGO — Alejandra Tenorio likes to tell her son, Carlos Perez, that she can't see his soccer games with her eyes, but she can with her heart.
Tenorio, 39, has been completely blind for the last eight years. That hasn't stopped her from attending Perez's games for Gage Park-based UNO Soccer Academy Charter, which recently wrapped up a 17-2-1 season.
"Her going to the games is all that matters," said Perez, who was a four-year captain and goalie for the school, which lost only to city power Lane Tech this year. "I'm blessed to have her as a mother."
Tenorio, originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, started losing vision in her left eye about nine years ago. Despite several surgeries, the Gage Park resident's vision never improved and eventually took away her sight in both eyes.
She's depended on Perez, 17, to help take her to the grocery store and watch his three younger siblings: Ximena, 14; Isabel, 11; and Angel, 8.
"We just built a bond that cannot be broken no matter the circumstances," she said. "Carlos and I have a relationship and bond that can never be broken. We always pray to God that this love never ends."
Perez likes to drive his mom and siblings in their white minivan to Starved Rock in Downstate Illinois and Warren Dunes in Michigan. He said Tenorio likes to go to there to get out of the city and have "the feeling of nature around her."
"Sometimes she's just too stressed out, and we have to find a way for her to escape," Perez said.
Perez's escape always has been soccer, he said. UNO head coach Matthew Ribbens said Perez was dominant all season, including a 15-game winning streak in which he allowed just eight goals. He called Perez the team's "leader and he gave us the confidence to go forward and play our game with poise and style."
"His attitude, his demeanor, and his leadership were truly inspirational," Ribbens said. "He is so emotionally invested in his family, in his soccer team and his friends. At first glance you would think he doesn't have an issue in the world."
Perez wanted to continue his season in the Illinois High School Association playoffs, but UNO Soccer Academy Charter is currently not allowed to play in them. The IHSA ruled that the school, founded in 2013, is not a full IHSA member, which prohibits it from competing in the organization's postseason.
The ruling stems from the UNO-Soccer Academy Charter name, which "projects that the school’s mission is based in soccer," according to IHSA assistant executive director Matt Troha. Troha said the IHSA has not received "any reports of, nor are we investigating any recruiting allegations regarding the team or school." But "their name creates a perception issue within our membership" and could be seen as an unfair recruiting advantage.
Ribbens and Perez, who will be a part of the school's first graduating class in June, said UNO Soccer Academy Charter is in the process of seeking a name change. It likely will be named after a well-known Latina woman, they said. Other UNO schools in Chicago are already named after people, including Hector Garcia and Esmeralda Santiago.
The UNO Soccer Academy was named after soccer in part because the sport "beloved by the school community and is an important tool for engaging students," according to the school's website.
Regardless of what happens at his current school, Perez wants to play at the next level. His dream schools include Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and University of Illinois at Chicago.
He said he's excited to have his mom see him from the collegiate stands.
"She will always be my motivation, day in and day out," he said.
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