She Gets Kick Out of Cup Memento

It’s only a shinguard.

But plastic and velcro never meant so much to Kellie Lyons of Royal High.

Lyons came away with more than most of the 90,185 who filled the Rose Bowl for the Women’s World Cup final Saturday.

Lyons caught the shinguard of U.S. defender Carla Overbeck, who tossed it into the stands during the team’s victory lap after beating China in penalty kicks.

“I was hoping to send it back to her and get it signed, but I’m afraid I’ll never get it back again,” Lyons said. “A lot of people were saying, ‘Hey, [it’s a] power shinguard, you should wear it,’ but I was just planning on mounting it on my wall where it will have it’s own pretty space.”

Lyons was one of 40 local club players coached by Mike Evans of Chaminade who volunteered to carry a huge banner during the closing ceremonies, which took place just before the final.

The girls from the 18-and-under Simi Valley Eclipse, the 14-and-under Valley United Stars and 15-and-under West Valley Clash were surprised to receive front row seats at midfield.

After dress rehearsals Thursday night and early Saturday morning, many of the girls were sorry they agreed to take part in the ceremonies. Wearing black sweatsuits in 100-degree heat will do that.

“It wasn’t quite what we wanted or expected [at the rehearsals], but it ended up awesome,” Lyons said.

Evans, who volunteered the services of his club players to a friend who was organizing the event, agreed.

“I went from getting 10 parent complaint calls on Thursday [to getting] 15 messages from girls saying this was the greatest thing ever,” Evans said.

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After the third-place game between Brazil and Norway, Evans’ cell phone rang.

It was a friend inviting him to fill the seats vacated by his parents, who left after the third-place game because of the heat.

“Certainly going from Row 62 to Row 10 right behind the bench is an improvement,” Evans said.

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Evans has become a hot coaching commodity. He received recent offers to coach the girls’ team at Hart High and the women’s team at Cochise College, a junior college in Douglas, Ariz.

Evans is staying at Chaminade.

He said he turned down Cochise College because he is entrenched in club soccer in Southern California.

The offer from Hart was more intriguing. Evans said the athletic facilities were especially appealing.

“There was a lot to offer there,” Evans said. “It was tough to turn down, but I wish the best for Hart.”

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Richard Nelson, who last season brought Alemany High farther than it had ever been in the boys’ volleyball playoffs, brought home another honor last week.

Nelson, setter for the Los Angeles Athletic Club volleyball team, was selected most valuable player of the Junior National Championships 18-and-under division in New Orleans.

Nelson, bound for UCLA, helped his team to the Junior National title.

Bill Strickland, an outside hitter who graduated from Harvard-Westlake, also was a member of the L.A. Athletic Club team.

Team L.A. finished third with the help of Chris Gorny of Littlerock, Marcin Jagoda of Crespi, Jared Corpening of Quartz Hill, Taylor Steadman of Crespi and Doug English of Crescenta Valley.

Staff writers Mike Bresnahan and Paige A. Leech contributed to this notebook.