RGV FC’s main man behind the scenes

A lot has changed for RGV FC since they first kicked off in 2016. There are no players still on the roster from that inaugural team. Gerson Echeverry is the first manager to return for a second season with the Toros. There is a key figure that has been there since the inaugural season. No, I’m not writing an article about myself. I am shining a light on the man with the plan behind the scenes, David Garcia.

Back in 2016, Garcia was working in stadium operations for the club before then-Toros manager Wilmer Cabrera had him step into the equipment manager role a handful of matches into the season. He excelled in the new position and became the official soccer operations/equipment manager after the season. As his fourth season with the club is set to kick off this week, he also served as the equipment manager and travel coordinator for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G-League. He also helps with basketball operations.

Busy does not begin to describe Garcia’s work life. He estimates he works an average of 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days of the week. He has to have the RGV FC equipment ready including the kits, spikes, and everything in between. His duties include washing the gear for both teams.

I asked the 29-year-old to give me a guess on when his shift begins for an away and home match for the Toros. He said on away matches his day starts at 6 AM. He has to make sure the chef and hotel have the meals on point and the bus company has the departure/arrival times down to a T. When playing at home, he gets everything set up the night before but still gets the day going at 9 or 10 AM.

Always around the team. David has to have a close working relationship with manager Gerson Echeverry. He describes their relationship as great. On the other side of the equation, the boss has big praise for Garcia. “David wears many hats for our team. He takes care of all of us in different ways that are needed,” Echeverry explains. “He has been here the longest out of all of us and knows the ins and outs required for things to run smooth.”

Personally, I’ve seen David run the show on the road and it is impressive. He makes sure every player is taken care of and everything is where it needs to be. He says that Robert Castellanos is the most picky about his stuff on the 2019 Toros roster.

As the season kicks off this Friday in Washington, the man responsible for the club looking sharp and having all the right gear is David Garcia, equipment manager extraordinaire!