Monte Vista girls sprint toward the finish in the 2010 San Diego Section Division 2 final. (Archive photo by Gabriel Santana)
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SPRING VALLEY -- When Manny Sandoval was in the seventh grade, La Presa Junior High coach Jim Garner came to his house to talk to his mother.
He wanted Sandoval to run cross country.
According to Sandoval, his mom, Nellie, reacted very negatively about her son running "across the country."
Just a little misunderstanding, Garner assured her. Manny would be running on the cross country team.
Oh, that was different.
"My mom called me in and asked me if I wanted to run," recalled Sandoval. "I told her, 'I'm fine, I enjoy running.' I thought it might be a good way to make some friends and have a little social life after moving to San Diego from Mexico the year before."
Indeed. It would be one of the most important decisions of his life as running was not just a social outlet from then on, it was a way of life that allowed him to stay in school at Monte Vista High, just east of San Diego, compete at the highest levels and eventually coach for 35 years for high school and club teams, before recently announcing that he will be retiring this month.
Because injuries to his knees prevent him from running with his students or even from moving around without pain at track meets, he says it's time to put that part of his life behind him.
He reflected on his painful introduction to the United States.
"I couldn't speak hardly any English," Sandoval said. "Kids would call me names and since I didn't understand them, it didn't bother me.
"Finally, a friend said they were calling me a wetback. I didn't understand. I told him I couldn't even swim. I'd go home crying. I didn't want to go to school."
But when Sandoval got to Monte Vista High School, he found that successfully competing in sports was a key reason to not only attend class, but remain eligible for cross country, soccer and track.
He captured what was then a San Diego Section "B" class 2-mile title, beating Patrick Henry's Thom Hunt.
When Sandoval went to Grossmont College, he realized even more success, twice being a member of the Griffins' state championship clubs, where he ran for legendary coaches Bob Larsen (track) and Jim Peabody (cross country).
While attending Grossmont and immediately after he also was the Monte Vista head coach, winning SDS cross country titles in 1982, 1983 and 1984 as well as a track crowns in 1986, while working at the school in the maintenance department.
A prime motivation to coach was passing along the things he learned to his younger brothers, Javier and Martin. Martin Sandoval was the Monarchs' No. 1 runner on the championship '82 and '83 squads.
"We had some great athletes those championship years," Sandoval said. "Guys like Ari Schauder, Robbie Lopes and Carter Yarborough. I was blessed. I was told by another mentor, Dewey Youngblood, that one of the best things I could do was run with my kids."
While coaching track, he got to work alongside future coaches like Don Jones, Manny Bautista, Randy Montesanto and Tom Martin.
Sandoval said working under and with that level of coach he learned some good lessons.
"What made them special was the way they treated their athletes and their knowledge," said Sandoval, now 62. "They showed you respect and they constantly inspired you to be better. When I was listening, I'd think, 'wow.' I absorbed everything they told me."
And he in turn tried to run his programs the same way.
Lately, though, he has noticed some trends that he says don't bode well for his favorite sports.
"I think the runners today are just as good as those when I ran," said Sandoval, "the difference is, though, there aren't as many of them. At Grossmont College one year all seven of our runners earned All-American honors by finishing in the top 15 at state (he was 13th one year, 15th the next). And you better not back off because our B team was almost as good.
"Every high school had at least one quality runner.
"The reason there aren't as many good runners is because there are so many sports now taking away potential track and cross country runners. Track and cross country are a hard sell."
Two of his four children ran -- they all played soccer -- and now he's looking forward to watching some of his six grandchildren either run or play.
Watching is better on the knees.