Manuel was born in Texas, and moved to Mexico when he was a small child. He grew up playing soccer there and has had a passion for it since. To Manuel, soccer meant playing every day at recess, every evening and every time he saw a ball. Most importantly, soccer was the reason he met his best friends. Manuel was lucky enough to have played on elite teams most of his youth in Mexico.

When he moved to the States, soccer became a cultural bridge for Manuel as he played through high school, college and on numerous teams in the community. He enjoys being outside with his family and going to the movies, and was fortunate to have been able to train ages U5 up to U16 soccer kids.