There might not be any recognized glory in coaching club sports, but don’t tell that to men’s soccer head coach Gilbert Gaertner Jr.
Gaertner loves the game and has turned the U club soccer program into a top team with minimal resources. Oh, and he doesn’t get paid. Everything he does is strictly voluntary. With the help of his family, he continues to build the men’s soccer program with high hopes of one day becoming an NCAA Division-I team.
Gaertner and his family came to the United States from Brazil in 1992. He became a member of the National Coaches Soccer Association of America and has been involved with soccer in the states ever since, coaching youth soccer for 10 years and watching his kids play through high school and college.
In November 2007, Gaertner was approached by the soccer club presidency to see if he would be interested in coaching the team. For years, the men’s soccer club had been run by students who played on the team.
Gaertner went to watch the team play against Westminster, undecided on whether he wanted to coach the team or not. He saw the potential and dedication the team had. All the players needed was a coach to help them reach their full potential. Gaertner accepted the job, that pays nothing and requires time, on top of working another full-time job.
The first order of business for the new head coach was to organize the club and get recognition from the school. He wanted to show the school this was a team, not just a band of players. He organized the club as a nonprofit organization and started the process of selecting players for his new team.
Managing the team while working his full-time job for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as manager of operations in the Membership and Records Department became a tough task. Gaertner realized he could not run the team alone. Luckily, the passion for soccer runs deep in the family. His son, Israel, volunteered as the assistant coach, responsible for technical training. Next, daughter Thamys volunteered as the team’s media specialist, creating a team website and keeping it up to date. With the funds the team was able to pull together, it got the team website up and running. The team’s success hasn’t stopped growing since.
This year, the team had players from 12 countries, and 11 from the United States. The team gained another experienced coach five months ago when Ramon Veliz8212;a former professional soccer player in Chile8212;joined the voluntary coaching staff as the goalkeepers’ coach.
Interest in the team has kept growing. Gaertner said he is sought after constantly by people interested in the team.
“I receive probably six e-mails a week from players, students and parents that are interested in playing for Utah, even knowing I have no influence in the acceptance process or scholarships,” Gaertner said.
The rise in attention the team has received excites Gaertner more and more every day. His goal is to put the team on the national map next year in hopes it will bring more attention to the team.
“I don’t think many people in the school understand the potential that we have here at the U,” Gaertner said. “With the World Cup next summer and the increased success that Real Salt Lake has had, the interest in soccer will continue to grow.”
Gaertner and his sons have closely followed soccer at other universities like George Mason, an NCAA team, and BYU, which plays in a semi-professional league. He feels confident that the men’s soccer team could compete with both schools.
“I hope to one day see a well-supported men’s soccer program at the University of Utah,” Gaertner said. “But until then, our team will continue to represent the Utes with value and dignity as we have done so far. It has been a rewarding experience to dedicate sometimes 20 hours a week for this team.”
Today, three of Gaertner’s children are students at the U. Gaertner Gilbert III is preparing for medical school, Thamys is pre-law and Israel is studying business. The family thoroughly enjoys Utah, the university and, of course, soccer.