The beautiful game isn’t just a sport to watch on the weekends for Sacramento Republic FC supporter Manuel Camacho, it’s something he eats, breathes and lives. Soccer is more than a game, it’s family.
From traveling to dozens of Republic FC matches to volunteering at local tournaments, Camacho’s love for the sport knows almost no limits. Now that he’s retired, there’s nothing that comes between him and his love for the beautiful game.
Affectionately known as “the godfather of Sacramento soccer” or “Juventus Manny” after the name of his Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL) team, Republic FC Season Ticket Holder Camacho has been a mainstay in the Sacramento soccer community well before Republic FC, the Knights, the Gold or even the Geckos ever came along.
Over the years, Camacho has become one of Sacramento’s most influential grassroots advocates for the beautiful game, from organizing adult tournaments, starting divisions for over 35, 40, 50 and even over 60 players and refereeing pick-up matches throughout the region.
The beautiful game isn’t just a sport to watch on the weekends for Sacramento Republic FC supporter Manuel Camacho, it’s something he eats, breathes and lives. Soccer is more than a game, it’s family.
From traveling to dozens of Republic FC matches to volunteering at local tournaments, Camacho’s love for the sport knows almost no limits. Now that he’s retired, there’s nothing that comes between him and his love for the beautiful game.
Affectionately known as “the godfather of Sacramento soccer” or “Juventus Manny” after the name of his Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL) team, Republic FC Season Ticket Holder Camacho has been a mainstay in the Sacramento soccer community well before Republic FC, the Knights, the Gold or even the Geckos ever came along.
Over the years, Camacho has become one of Sacramento’s most influential grassroots advocates for the beautiful game, from organizing adult tournaments, starting divisions for over 35, 40, 50 and even over 60 players and refereeing pick-up matches throughout the region.
“He’s the first guy you call if you want to know about grassroots soccer in Sacramento,” says Republic FC Executive Vice President and Co-Founder Joe Wagoner. “He is just so authentic. Soccer is just the way he is.”
One of eleven siblings, Camacho grew up playing the beautiful game literally in streets of downtown Mexico City. In 1970, he met his future wife, Grace, while her family was on vacation in Mexico and the rest is history.
Camacho and Grace eloped in 1973 to Reno, Nev. and moved to Sacramento not long afterwards.
“Let’s just say we got married and it’s been soccer every since,” Grace laughed as she discusses about the couple’s preparations to celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary later this year.
While coaching their three kids through high school Camacho continued to play the sport, joining the Sacramento Adult Soccer League. However, as he began to get older, he found it more difficult to continue to play in the over 18 division and wondered if it was getting time to give up the sport he loved.
His younger brother, Hector, had other ideas and encouraged him to find a league with players his own age.
There was none, so Camacho—along with a few of his own teammates—decide to start an over 40 division with Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL), which quickly became a huge success. A few years later, though, Camacho found himself in the same position again, so they expanded again, this time to an over-50 division.
“He’s the first guy you call if you want to know about grassroots soccer in Sacramento,” says Republic FC Executive Vice President and Co-Founder Joe Wagoner. “He is just so authentic. Soccer is just the way he is.”
One of eleven siblings, Camacho grew up playing the beautiful game literally in streets of downtown Mexico City. In 1970, he met his future wife, Grace, while her family was on vacation in Mexico and the rest is history.
Camacho and Grace eloped in 1973 to Reno, Nev. and moved to Sacramento not long afterwards.
“Let’s just say we got married and it’s been soccer every since,” Grace laughed as she discusses about the couple’s preparations to celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary later this year.
While coaching their three kids through high school Camacho continued to play the sport, joining the Sacramento Adult Soccer League. However, as he began to get older, he found it more difficult to continue to play in the over 18 division and wondered if it was getting time to give up the sport he loved.
His younger brother, Hector, had other ideas and encouraged him to find a league with players his own age.
There was none, so Camacho—along with a few of his own teammates—decide to start an over 40 division with Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL), which quickly became a huge success. A few years later, though, Camacho found himself in the same position again, so they expanded again, this time to an over-50 division.
“At first everyone laughed and told me ‘That’s too old. You should be watching TV or something. It’s time to give up soccer,” said Camacho. “Instead, I said no and started an over 50 team. We’ve now gone from just four teams from when we started to 16 teams in just the over 50s league with A and B divisions.”
Camacho and his teammates named their SASL team Juventus, not because of any particular allegiance to the club, but because they needed to choose colors no one else was playing with in the league. Although Camacho slyly admits he is partial to the kits with vertical stripes.
Camacho’s Juventus team was a huge, quickly and unofficially becoming one of the biggest adult recreational clubs in Sacramento. While the number of Juventus teams overseen by Camacho varies throughout the year, they’ve fielded as many as five outdoor teams and another six playing indoor matches in various leagues throughout the Sacramento league during a single season.
Juventus quickly grew into a social activity for players and their families, with Manny and Grace organizing a variety of events throughout the year, including wine tasting trips, soccer tournaments and dinners. In it’s their own right, Juventus has become another family to Camacho.
However, Camacho wasn’t content to just start four different divisions for “mature” soccer players in addition to eleven different teams that he considers to be part of his Juventus family. Camacho began to research new ways to grow his soccer family as he looked forward to retiring from his desk job in and focus more on friends, family and, of course, soccer.
Enter stage left Sacramento Republic FC on December 3, 2012.
“At first everyone laughed and told me ‘That’s too old. You should be watching TV or something. It’s time to give up soccer,” said Camacho. “Instead, I said no and started an over 50 team. We’ve now gone from just four teams from when we started to 16 teams in just the over 50s league with A and B divisions.”
Camacho and his teammates named their SASL team Juventus, not because of any particular allegiance to the club, but because they needed to choose colors no one else was playing with in the league. Although Camacho slyly admits he is partial to the kits with vertical stripes.
Camacho’s Juventus team was a huge, quickly and unofficially becoming one of the biggest adult recreational clubs in Sacramento. While the number of Juventus teams overseen by Camacho varies throughout the year, they’ve fielded as many as five outdoor teams and another six playing indoor matches in various leagues throughout the Sacramento league during a single season.
Juventus quickly grew into a social activity for players and their families, with Manny and Grace organizing a variety of events throughout the year, including wine tasting trips, soccer tournaments and dinners. In it’s their own right, Juventus has become another family to Camacho.
However, Camacho wasn’t content to just start four different divisions for “mature” soccer players in addition to eleven different teams that he considers to be part of his Juventus family. Camacho began to research new ways to grow his soccer family as he looked forward to retiring from his desk job in and focus more on friends, family and, of course, soccer.
Enter stage left Sacramento Republic FC on December 3, 2012.
“It’s like they were opening a candy store,” said Grace. “He’s been following them since Day One.”
Added Camacho, “From day one, I’ve felt a connection. You talk to any of us—front office, fans—and you just feel like you’re a part of it.”
Camacho was one of the first fans in line to join the Republic FC family as a Season Ticket Holder, even before the club had a name, a coach, players or a stadium to call home. He even reached out to Wagoner and other members of Republic FC’s front office to see how he could help the team, even if that was volunteering or just spreading the word about Republic FC.
Initially, he thought perhaps he daughter would be a great person to help, but then he could also invite his fellow Juventus friends to join Grace and him to watch the newest professional sports team in town.
“It is great to have a fan like Manny,” said Wagoner. “You know we had this idea—this thing—that no one believed was going to work, and all of a sudden, we’re meeting with Manny. And it’s people like Manny, who is as passionate as we are, who instantly make it all worth it.”
After inviting a few friends over for dinner with Republic FC staff, before he knew it Camacho signed up more than 60 of his Juventus players and family to join him as Season Ticket Holders in Section 116, in addition to a few who are also Tower Bridge Battalion or sit in club seating.
“It’s been crazy,” said Grace about how Republic FC has become a part of their lives. “And of course, now that we’re retired, he just wants to follow them everywhere.”
“It’s like they were opening a candy store,” said Grace. “He’s been following them since Day One.”
Added Camacho, “From day one, I’ve felt a connection. You talk to any of us—front office, fans—and you just feel like you’re a part of it.”
Camacho was one of the first fans in line to join the Republic FC family as a Season Ticket Holder, even before the club had a name, a coach, players or a stadium to call home. He even reached out to Wagoner and other members of Republic FC’s front office to see how he could help the team, even if that was volunteering or just spreading the word about Republic FC.
Initially, he thought perhaps he daughter would be a great person to help, but then he could also invite his fellow Juventus friends to join Grace and him to watch the newest professional sports team in town.
“It is great to have a fan like Manny,” said Wagoner. “You know we had this idea—this thing—that no one believed was going to work, and all of a sudden, we’re meeting with Manny. And it’s people like Manny, who is as passionate as we are, who instantly make it all worth it.”
After inviting a few friends over for dinner with Republic FC staff, before he knew it Camacho signed up more than 60 of his Juventus players and family to join him as Season Ticket Holders in Section 116, in addition to a few who are also Tower Bridge Battalion or sit in club seating.
“It’s been crazy,” said Grace about how Republic FC has become a part of their lives. “And of course, now that we’re retired, he just wants to follow them everywhere.”
In fact, not only do many of the couple’s vacations revolve around the club’s travel schedule—they’ve visisted Seattle, Portland, LA and Vancouver for away matches—Camacho is sure to bring Republic FC swag wherever they go, including a six-week trip to Mexico earlier this year.
After both Grace and Manny retired at the end of 2014, the couple decided it was time to go visit their family, particularly Manny’s relatives in Mexico, as` they hadn’t a chance to see them for an extended amount of time since Camacho moved to the United States and married Grace.
Of course, Camacho saw this as an opportunity to spread the word that the city he calls home, Sacramento, had a football club.
“In planning, I thought, why don’t I share my love for Sacramento Republic FC with my family? And then [while I was at the Team Store] I realized, why not bring my Tower Bridge Battalion scarf, my Republic scarf…and oh, how about that flag,” explained Camacho, about their visit to Sacramento Republic FC Headquarters and Team Store, where an Old Glory Red caught his eye.
And so, the Camachos decided during an impromptu flag purchase at the Team Store, not just to share their love for Republic FC with their family, but broadcast throughout their travels through Mexico.
More than $600 of merchandise and several over-weight suitcases later, the Camachos headed to Mexico, where they visited ten different states, dozens of cities and a multitude of family members throughout their six-week trip to Mexico. And of course, each stop along the way Camacho was there, proudly waving his flag.
“He wanted to climb everywhere to display that flag,” Grace said, teasing her husband about his determination to wave his club colors.
In all, Republic FC’s flag made an appearance at least 100 times, estimated Camacho, who shared photos of the flag at landmarks such as Estadio Corregidora, Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor and the Monte Alban Ruins.
In fact, not only do many of the couple’s vacations revolve around the club’s travel schedule—they’ve visisted Seattle, Portland, LA and Vancouver for away matches—Camacho is sure to bring Republic FC swag wherever they go, including a six-week trip to Mexico earlier this year.
After both Grace and Manny retired at the end of 2014, the couple decided it was time to go visit their family, particularly Manny’s relatives in Mexico, as` they hadn’t a chance to see them for an extended amount of time since Camacho moved to the United States and married Grace.
Of course, Camacho saw this as an opportunity to spread the word that the city he calls home, Sacramento, had a football club.
“In planning, I thought, why don’t I share my love for Sacramento Republic FC with my family? And then [while I was at the Team Store] I realized, why not bring my Tower Bridge Battalion scarf, my Republic scarf…and oh, how about that flag,” explained Camacho, about their visit to Sacramento Republic FC Headquarters and Team Store, where an Old Glory Red caught his eye.
And so, the Camachos decided during an impromptu flag purchase at the Team Store, not just to share their love for Republic FC with their family, but broadcast throughout their travels through Mexico.
More than $600 of merchandise and several over-weight suitcases later, the Camachos headed to Mexico, where they visited ten different states, dozens of cities and a multitude of family members throughout their six-week trip to Mexico. And of course, each stop along the way Camacho was there, proudly waving his flag.
“He wanted to climb everywhere to display that flag,” Grace said, teasing her husband about his determination to wave his club colors.
In all, Republic FC’s flag made an appearance at least 100 times, estimated Camacho, who shared photos of the flag at landmarks such as Estadio Corregidora, Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor and the Monte Alban Ruins.
“The beauty of it all was that the whole family became involved,” said Grace. “Every time we went to a knew place, the first question was, ‘Manny did you bring the flag?’”
After a successful trip visiting their family—and sharing their love for Republic FC with them—Manny and Grace are both eagerly looking forward to the rest of the 2016 season.
“It’s the excitement of watching soccer. And now it’s my team. My city. My club…everyone gets into it and we all know it’s ours,” said Camacho.
While Camacho feels like Republic FC is his, the feeling of love and commitment is mutual to the club.
“It’s their club,” said Wagoner in reference to Republic FC fans. “It was never supposed to be about the front office, staff or investors. It’s about the people and the family they’ve created.”
“The beauty of it all was that the whole family became involved,” said Grace. “Every time we went to a knew place, the first question was, ‘Manny did you bring the flag?’”
After a successful trip visiting their family—and sharing their love for Republic FC with them—Manny and Grace are both eagerly looking forward to the rest of the 2016 season.
“It’s the excitement of watching soccer. And now it’s my team. My city. My club…everyone gets into it and we all know it’s ours,” said Camacho.
While Camacho feels like Republic FC is his, the feeling of love and commitment is mutual to the club.
“It’s their club,” said Wagoner in reference to Republic FC fans. “It was never supposed to be about the front office, staff or investors. It’s about the people and the family they’ve created.”
