Photo By Lance Cpl. Kevin Lopez Herrera | U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jose L. Montalván, the district readiness operations...... read more read more
Marine, dad, husband and coach—these are just a few of the many titles that the 6th Marine Corps District Readiness Operations Officer, Lt. Col. José L. Montalván, wears each and every day. However, like a favorite book, the title only gives a simple idea to the perceived reality of a much bigger picture. While almost everyone understands the basic definitions for each of these titles, depending on the individual, they can each mean something very different.
When it comes to youth sports, the title “coach” holds much more significance to Montalván than it does to most. His role as a coach is something that he takes to heart, and during the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA annual meeting held on February 24, 2022, his efforts were recognized as he was named the 2021 Volunteer of the Year.
“He exemplifies the word service and is always someone you can count on to make sure the kids are in good hands,” said William Howell, the current Athletic Director at Beaufort Academy and previous Sports and Aquatics Director at the YMCA. “Kids would come to me and tell me that they wanted to be on Coach Jose’s team next time, and this came from kids sometimes who had not even played on his team, but had just observed the work he did.”
Even though Montalván coached high school and middle school soccer in the past, is certified through the US Soccer Federation and has multiple soccer and coaching licenses; he chooses to volunteer for the YMCA and nonprofit organizations.
“Apart from high school, I didn’t have the money or opportunity to engage in athletics growing up,” said Montalván. “While I could be making extra money, I would rather do it for free. Many of these families do not have the money, are single parents, or have several kids and are just trying to find a way to get their kids involved.”
Montalván has volunteered with the YMCA for many years, first dating back to 1997. However, he is now at the point in his volunteer career when he has had the opportunity to coach his two sons. His son, Ethan, played for Montalván from the time he was four-years-old until he was nine-years-old, but Ethan joined a club league after turning ten. However, Montalván now coaches his younger son, Ean, who recently started playing in the three-to-four-year-old league at YMCA.
“People assume that I am only coaching because of my children, but what they don’t realize is that I have been coaching for a long time,” said Montalván. “My older son stopped playing soccer at the YMCA almost a year ago, but the other kids didn’t want to play with anyone else,” said Montalván. “So I kept coaching them for the last two seasons. I am no longer just coaching my kid; I am still coaching kids in the seven to nine age group, kids that I have coached over the past two years.”
Montalván explains that it is not just soccer he is teaching the kids; he is also teaching them life lessons.
“It’s not just about the coaching piece but about getting the kids to see that there is more to soccer than just the athletic aspect,” said Montalván. “I have benched kids for being disrespectful or even just not doing their homework. It’s common for kids to get upset when losing; it’s my job to bring them up and to let them know those feelings are okay but not to the point that we can’t overcome them.”
Montalván always tries to set the example and teach the kids to have a positive outlook in any situation.
“It is important to not get too involved when it comes to the outcome of the game,” said Montalván. “I always say that you either win or you learn; you never lose. Regardless of what the score says we are out there playing, having fun, staying active and then we learn, so when the score doesn’t go your way, you find ways to improve.”
While the YMCA gives out awards to the kids participating in their programs, Montalván goes out of his way to give each of the kids personalized awards.
“Every kid is different,” said Montalván. “I usually give them a nickname or a phrase that they go by. Something that represents them or something that they do exceptionally well at. Then when they get their awards, they had actually earned that specific award. The personalized awards are more memorable and shows them that their contributions are recognized.”
“Selecting the volunteer of the year is finding someone who simply cared about the work they were doing and the kids they were positively impacting,” said Howell. “A lot of people can simply volunteer just to be there, but a great volunteer puts in the extra effort to go above and beyond basic expectations.”
Montalván has, and continues to do just that. While there were many other great volunteers to choose from, it was determined that Montalván was the most deserving.
“He would always show up 15-30 minutes prior to practices and games and always had a practice plan or game plan set up for the kids,” said Howell. “He even went the extra mile by using extra days of practice outside of the allotted practice times to get extra work in for the kids and families who could make it.”
Montalván is more than a coach to these kids; he is a mentor. Given his long history of coaching, many of the kids that he used to coach are now grown up with families of their own. However, from time to time they still reach out to “Coach Jose” for advice. Sometimes they ask for advice about their kids and soccer, and other times they just ask for life advice.
“Regardless of what the sport or activity is, they can be considered life lessons,” said Montalvan. “You have to be able to win but win with grace. You have to be able to lose and know that life is not always about winning. When I coach, I am not coaching them to be the best soccer player; I am coaching them to be the best nurse, teacher, doctor, lawyer, or whatever it is that they want to become.”
Serving as the DROO means long hours and frequent traveling, factors that can make it difficult to find time for family and coaching soccer.
“I owe a big thanks to my wife,” said Montalván. “Without her it would not be possible. She is the one that does all of the coordinating, orders the awards, and she even helps coach the three-to-four-year-olds. With each of our two kids involved, we have really found a way to turn soccer into valuable family time. ”
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.08.2022 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 415795 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 154 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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