Soccer Coach: Roy Montney

“Respect, Fair Play, and Fun”

The new head coach of the TC Christian Sabre Soccer team is a local attorney with many years of coaching in his background.

Roy Montney, Jr., was chosen as Head Coach of the TC Christian Sabre Soccer program earlier this year and is obviously relishing the new role.

“I am honored and thrilled that I have been invited to become a part of the Sabre Soccer family and a member of the TCCS community,” said Coach Montney. “I know I have big shoes to fill and I want to thank Coach Christie for his support and encouragement during the transition.”

Coach Montney replaces Ron Christie who retired at the end of last season. Over his 19 years at the helm, Christie developed a successful Sabre program, winning a collection of District and Regional titles and being named District Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year multiple times.

Of Christie’s legacy, TC Christian Athletic Director Micah Gallegos said, “Ron is a great coach but more importantly he is a great human being,” He added, “Ron’s impact on the athletes over the years has been huge and he left an incredible legacy. I know we will continue to see him in the stands cheering on the Sabres.”

As he thinks about the future of the team, Coach Montney emphasizes the need for player development, saying the Sabres need to encourage younger players to get involved - and stay involved - in the game.

“Most of my coaching experience has been with what are often called ‘developmental teams’. This means the team will likely change from year to year and the players will be of a variety of skill levels. High School soccer is very much about working with athletes at all levels of soccer skill which is something I enjoy.”

AD Gallegos said Coach Montney was detail-oriented and an advocate for players. “Roy’s had a great career coaching at TBAYS and I love his emphasis on player development. He’s the complete package: a former player who is now a focused coach with a strategic vision to grow and develop his team. We couldn’t be happier”

Coach Montney was born in Ohio and at nine months old, moved with his family to Upstate New York. At age 12, his family relocated to Michigan and following graduation from high school, Coach Montney went on to Case Western Reserve University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. From there it was back to Michigan to earn an MBA in Taxation from the University of Detroit followed by a Juris Doctorate, also from the University of Detroit. In the midst of all that, he managed to squeeze in a season of study abroad in London, England.

Coach Montney is an attorney specializing in Business Law, Real Estate, and Estate Planning with offices in both Traverse City and Grosse Pointe Farms. “I’m blessed to be married to my wife of 28 years, Stacey, who also happens to be my partner in the law firm. We have two children: Kaylee who is in Veterinary School at Cornell; and Luke who is a Senior at St. Francis and plays on the Sabre team.” Roy and Luke enjoy travelling to watch European teams play in the US including a recent trip to Houston to see FC Barcelona play.

The Montney’s attend Trinity Lutheran Church and when not working, Roy likes to relax outdoors with his family, their four horses and three dogs, on the family farm. His other form of recreation is soccer.

“I started playing soccer at age 4 in upstate New York and played actively until about 1996.” He developed a real love of the game and after being sidelined by an injury, started coaching, first in Farmington and then with TBAYS.

Despite its simplicity - “It doesn’t involve any equipment really, and you can play almost anywhere.” - Montney says soccer is so much more than just kicking a ball.

“Soccer is a game of respect, fair play and most importantly fun. It is the role of a coach to nurture the love of the game in every player regardless of ability and not be a hindrance to a player’s development, but be a funnel to channel their abilities, coupled with their follow teammates, into successes not only for the

I started playing soccer at age 4 in upstate New York and played actively until about 1996.” team but for the player.” Coach Montney believes a coach should bring out the best in every player by providing them with instruction, encouragement, and support to enable that player to reach their highest potential as a person, player and collectively, as a team.

The Sabres concluded their season with a trip to the District Finals, a Top 10 State ranking, and an impressive 16-2-2 record in Coach Montney’s first season at the helm. “This is a great group of boys and parents, and I’m excited about digging in to work with them,” Coach Montney said. As he looks forward to future seasons, he offered this encouragement to parents. “Sports at any level should be encouraged because it builds community. Being a part of a “community” with a common goal and being able to learn and to improve can really help in a child’s development, which in turn will help that youngster develop into a better citizen.”