Manny was raised in a military home both overseas and stateside. He learned to play golf in Puerto Rico as a kid, where he caddied for fifty cents a loop. “We used to make our own clubs and bang balata balls around until we could pop the sides and see the rubber bands explode. We had so much fun.”

After a few years in Puerto Rico, the family was transferred to Europe, where Manny was a standout in football and baseball. However, in 1968 his father was sent to Vietnam, so Manny quit high school, joined the army, and served in the 82nd airborne division.

Learning to Teach

In 1973, after getting out of the service, Manny was walking down the road and pondering questions about the meaning of life, when an officer from Lackland Air Force Base felt compelled to stop his car and invite him to a Bible study. It was then that Manny put his trust in Christ as his Savior. “For the first time in my life, I felt a real sense of peace and purpose.” Little by little Manny, began to realize that he was called to teach. This was confirmed when, while speaking at a radio station in Morrison, Colorado, he met a master teacher, Dr. Elsie Fick. She challenged him to come to Bible college where she taught, which he did. She then began to personally tutor him.

In college, Manny won all-conference honors in basketball and soccer. However, he had a lot to learn about competing in this new arena of playing sports as a Christian. “Before becoming a Christian all I cared about was winning. I hated to lose. I did not care about being nice to my teammates or others, I just wanted to win, but this attitude did not work in a Christian school, and I found myself in all kinds of emotional dilemmas.”

It was in those years that Manny began to learn how to integrate Christianity and athletics. Since then, he has had many opportunities to share with others the life changing principles that characterize both his competitive and teaching styles today.

A Return to Golf

During his training years, Manny stayed in golf by working at various golf courses, such as Indian Wells Country Club. He also played and competed in hundreds of competitive tournaments. After graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, Manny adopted Dr. Elsie Fick and her sister, Helen, to come live with him. Miss Helen and Elsie stayed with him for thirteen years until the Lord took them home, both at the age of 90. “I cannot tell anyone enough how blessed I was to have them in my home. To witness Miss Elsie teach others was so valuable to me. I learned so much about what it takes to be a great teacher.”

One charateristic that Miss Elsie had was that she was a tremendous motivator. “I felt guilty about playing golf because of the cost. Yet, Miss Elsie would encourage me to continue. If God wants you to be His witness on the course, He will provide you with the right opportunities."

In 1996 while hitting balls on a range, a club pro approached Manny and asked him if he wanted to compete in a tournament. Manny asked him how much it would cost. He told him they were one person short so the fee would be waived if he could play. Manny not only played, but he won. As his prize for winning, Manny received credit to continue playing at the course. He entered more tournaments and continued winning, while his credits kept increasing. During this time Manny won three club championships and was able to share his faith with many golfers.

Passing the PGA PAT

The PAT is the club pro's version of Q-school. Thirty-six holes are to be played in one day, and less than twenty percent of all who try pass it. One journalist wrote, “While there's no purse at a PAT, make no mistake — there's plenty of money at stake. Fact is, playing for a purse can't compare to playing for the right to pursue a chosen profession, and the relentless resulting pressure is notorious for turning near-scratch stallions into suddenly hapless hacks.”

Manny said that everyone who participated in the qualification process had the physical tools to pass, but he believes that the PAT focused more on a player's mental and emotional preparation. “Like everyone else, I was nervous. In fact, I made a bogey on the very first hole. It started to rain and my ball got mud on it, but then I remembered all that I had learned and I committed to staying focused.” Manny ended up passing the PAT on his first try, coming in as the low scorer in both rounds, shooting a 71 and 69, respectively, for 4 under.

 Teaching Professionally

One thing Manny learned from Miss Elsie was to invest in people, not in things. She used to say, "Things can dissapear, but what you put in an individual well never go away." Manny often gives free golf lessons to kids, speaks at schools, and teaches young people in villages high in the mountains of Mexico.

"I know what it is like to not have funds for a lesson or to even play golf. The reason I teach is because the Good Lord gave me a gift for teaching. He trained me to teach, and He has given me a passion to see the lights come on when students make life changing discoveries. That makes it all worth while."