Mayra Gomez

From immigrant parents and with one mindset, Salinas native Enrique Montano has reached a milestone, debuting for Louisville City FC last year, and preparing for his last contract year.

Now, he’s looking to transition into MLS.

“My parents, Aida and Jose Alfredo are from Jalisco and I grew up in Salinas, always knowing that I wanted to become a professional soccer player,” Montano said.

Montano was introduced to soccer as a player at 3, but he recalls always watching soccer on television and knowing that he too wanted to be on television one day playing soccer.

“I grew up with a Mexican family who watched Chivas,” Montano said. “We watched them play every weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday.”

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Chivas is based in Guadalajara, the birth state of Montano’s parents. A team he says he would watch and tell himself that he wanted to be those player, he wanted to be just like them. From there, Montano set his mind to one goal, to become a professional soccer player.

“Every time my parents would ask me what I wanted to be, I said I wanted to play soccer,” he said.

Montano played for the Santa Cruz Breakers and recalls the challenge being the smallest player.

Playing for a team with teammates two years older and much taller was a difficult task for Montano. At 14 he considered quitting.

“I remember I was about 14,” said Montano. “I was playing for two teams and I hit a point where I stopped growing physically and for once in my life, I felt others where much better than me.”

He hit a wall in his life, a moment in time where soccer didn’t seem to be the most important part of his life. Fortunately, he had the support of his parents to guide him right back to his goal.

“When I was down, it helped that my mom and dad, but most importantly my dad, he pushed me,” said Montano. “He told me that I wasn’t dropping out, that I was only doing it to do bad things and he put me right back on track.”

At that point, Montano entered Alisal High and played on the varsity soccer team all four years. As a junior, he helped the Trojans win a Central Coast Section Division I championship.

“I’d been playing for 11 years at that point. I didn’t get to play much with the Breakers,” he said. “I was short, lacking physical ability, and disappointed. It was then when I set my mind to play varsity.”

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High school was a successful time for Montano, he earned merits through his career and as his team won a CCS title, he was notified by scouts. He was able to believe in himself again and continue his goal. Senior year wasn’t the greatest time, but he managed to remain in contact with San Jose State University.

“My junior year, AHS wins CCS and I was being scouted by Berkeley, Santa Clara, San Jose and others,” said Montano. “I learned then that I could play college ball.”

Montano went on to play for Hartnell College. Coming short of a full scholarship to San Jose State, he made the decision to become a part of the Panthers, where the team was nationally recognized.

The following year, Montano received a full-ride scholarship and went on to play for the Spartans for three years.

His final year, he spoke to the coach and communicated to him of his next milestone, becoming a professional soccer player.

“I grew a lot individually,” said Montano. “My last year I talked to my coach and told him of my goal. I knew his connection at the professional level and I did everything they asked, they said Finish school and they’d help with the rest, and it’s worked out.”

A couple months after finishing his last year, Montano was asked to buy a flight to Kentucky and get ready for tryouts. He attended a three-day tryout session and upon his return home, he found an email to his first professional team.

“Coach tells me there is a tryout for a team in Kentucky, I just need to book my flight, and so I do,” he said. “I attend the tryout and when I get home I find the email offering me a contract.”

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Montano hadn’t yet finished at San Jose State, had a contract to fly out to Kentucky for his first season, and yet didn’t forget that conversation with his coach. He finished school.

Communicating with his professor, Montano was able to finish school online, attend his graduation ceremony months later and receive his diploma through the summer.

After a year in USL with Louisville, Montano now knows what it takes to be the best of the best, and continues to train to finish this next season strong and with a gateway into the MLS.

“This is my last season under contract and I will be a free agent looking to make a move into the MLS,” said Montano. “I have been training, I have double days. I changed my diet and simply take care of myself. I started doing yoga, something I didn’t ever think I’d do, but it helps, I just do the little things that will make a big difference on the field.”

The extra training, the sprints, the proper meals -- consuming extra vegetables and no longer consuming alcohol -- are the little things that will make the next year at Louisville the best year of Montano’s career.

“Never give up, never quit,” said Montano. “A quote so simple, yet very powerful. I could’ve quit many times, and none of this would be happening, and that’s one of the things that keep me going. If I quit I’ll never know and I just can’t let that happen.”

He believes that its important to stay optimistic, to keep pushing and reminds our community that: “only the best of the best make it, and in order to be the best of the best, you must train like the best.

“The community support is very impressive, the amount of attention I get from the community here in Salinas and Kentucky is great,” said Montano. “I’m thankful to have all of the support from friends, family, former teammates, and the entire community.”

Recently, Montano was awarded the “US Favorite Player Award,” an award he says was possible because of his family, friends, and community.

“I would just like to say thank you to all those who have supported me and continue to support me. There are too many to name individually, but my coaches, friends, family, and community. They know who they are,” he said.

Monterey County will be there every step of the way, as another native makes his dream a reality, a dream Montano believes is possible by those willing to put the work in.

“You must work hard, stay optimistic,” he said. “That’s helped me. There is a lot of things that can help, but just know that it’s only our present that we can control, so today, work hard and stay (focused).”

Good luck to Montano, as he completes his training while visiting his family in Salinas and then his off to his next season.