Passion for kids has kept Montoya in the gym

CHEYENNE - Ray Montoya passed by what he thought was an abandoned building when he walked to his grandmother's south Cheyenne house after school each day. One afternoon, the 7-year-old Montoya peeked his head into the building and saw boys hitting punching bags. 

"I asked Clyde Jacoby what was going on, and he told me it was a boxing club and asked me if I wanted to join," Montoya said. "It looked pretty cool, so I ran home and asked my mom if I could do it. "... Boxing was never something I had to be forced to do. I loved it. I'd walk to practice, ride my bike or catch rides with buddies if I had to. I just wanted to be there."

Montoya's childhood curiosity changed his life, and the lives of countless other Cheyenne youngsters. 

Boxing with the South Side Sluggers sparked Montoya's lifelong infatuation with the sport. 

Moving to the Cheyenne Boxing Club and training with legendary Cheyenne coach Tom Pacheco as a teenager only deepened his passion. Montoya posted more than 150 wins during his amateur boxing career. 

He eventually started coaching with Pacheco, and continues to coach with the resurrected South Side Sluggers organization to this day. 

Montoya estimates he's only been away from boxing for two years since he started. He's been coaching for more than 35 years. 

"The kids keep me coming back," he said. "You always hear people say, 'If I could help one kid, I've done my job.' I feel like I have to help as many kids as I can." 

Nellie Pacheco worked alongside her late husband, Tom, to run the Cheyenne Boxing Club. 

She describes Montoya as Tom's right hand man, and someone they relied on heavily. 

Montoya has always excelled at connecting with people, especially youngsters, Pacheco said.

"He's got a bubbly personality and jokes with the kids," she said. "He's a very warm and friendly person who gets along well with people." 

Matt Manzanares echoes Pacheco's thoughts. 

"Whenever you get to the gym and start hearing Ray talk, you're in a different place," said Manzanares, who now coaches alongside Montoya. "You can leave your personal life outside the gym. You know you're safe when Ray's there. 

"He really wants to give kids a helping hand and teach them about boxing and life. He's done that really well." 

Having parents put their trust in him isn't something Montoya takes lightly. 

"Not every kid you coach is going to be a champion in the ring, but you want them to be a good person in life," he said. "You don't know what's going on with a kid at home or at school. The gym needs to be their happy place. 

"You need to be firm with them, but you also have to understand them. Unlocking the door and letting kids hit a bag doesn't make you a coach. You have to be a role model." 

Montoya is good at teaching punching techniques, punch combinations and defense, but his ability to teach the absolute foundation of boxing has always stood out to Pacheco. 

"He's really good at teaching kids the footwork," Pacheco said. "It's important to him because it's the basis of everything. If you can't stand or walk, you're going to get knocked down. 

"I remember a time one of his sons squared his feet, got hit and ended up on the canvas. Ray always used that as an example later on." 

In addition to Manzanares, Montoya also coaches with his son, Gabriel, and Isaiah Tafoya. He coached all three men when they were youngsters. His eldest son, Vincent, also coaches boxers in Fort Worth, Texas. 

"He's carrying on the legacy of what coach Pacheco started," Tafoya said. "He's stuck it out and held it down to keep boxing alive in this city, and now he's passing it on to us. 

"He's stepped back in his role a little bit to give himself a little bit of a break, but he's still very engaged with it. He's putting time into getting our new gym built and getting things ready over there." 

Montoya is still a fixture in the garage the Sluggers call home, which sits east of Forum 619 off South Greeley Highway. 

Several surgeries Montoya has had through the years keep him from getting into the ring and putting boxers through their paces by holding the mitts. He now molds young athletes by passing along technical knowledge or helping them hone fundamentals on the punching bags. 

"If he sees us working with somebody and has a little, minor detail he wants to point out, he'll call us over or call the boxer over and let us know what he sees," Tafoya said. "He's not able to do the physical part as much anymore, but he still has the eye for it, and his knowledge isn't going away." 

Tafoya said he's caught himself using some of the exact phrases with his boxers that Montoya used with him. 

"He's taught me that you can't coach all the kids the same way," Tafoya said. "Some you can explain things to them once and they get it. Others, you have to explain it to them several times. Some you can raise your voice with a little bit, and others you have to talk to in a really calm manner. 

"I never noticed him doing that when I was a boxer, but I see it now as a coach, and I try to do the same."

Montoya pointed to Tom and Nellie Pacheco as the biggest influences in his coaching career. They taught him the right way to do things, he said. 

He also has benefited from the unwavering support of his family, especially his wife, Colleen. 

"My wife never complains when I'm gone, it's just, 'See you when you get home,'" he said. "She makes it a lot easier to do what I do, and she understands that I do this because I love the kids."