MARTIN LUPE "MARTY" ESPINOZA

July 18,2010

I was shocked to hear about the passing of Marty to be with the Lord. Last Fall, my wife Nancy and I were in Pleasanton to visit and decided to stop by and see Lupe after many, many years. He was at home with his daughter, Emily. We had a great time reminiscing about the Viking Soccer team of 1971/72 coached by Bill Reineking and myself. Marty at that time loved soccer, was easily coached and would stay after practice to continue playing with Mitch Mueller. His family...

I first meet Marty when we were kids. He played soccer in Pleasanton and I played in Dublin, California. We played against each other for years and we always had to worry about who was going to cover Marty because he was such a dangerous player. He was a very talented player. Marty and I played on the same for three years at Chico State University. Marty was always a great player and loved the game more than anyone I ever knew. However, the thing I remember most about Marty was his smile...

I was blessed enough to be trained by Marty, I can say without a doubt I would not be the person nor player I am today if it was not for him. Marty taught me how to Love the game. He will always hold a special place in my heart.

We lost another good one .... I trusted his judgment on players and never hesitated to get his opinion. All of us in the game will miss him.

All my daughters were privileged to be trained by Marty and are deeply saddened by the loss. He was inspirational and believed in all of them. He made soccer which is hard work...fun.

What a wonderful celebration today of his life. Such an inspiration.

Marty Espinoza
When God Smiles!

In soccer, as in life, when you become the best version of “You”, God smiles!

Marty Espinoza coached hundreds, probably thousands, of youth players. When I sat down to write this I thought about what “Gifts” Marty would want to leave to his players.

I first saw Marty (The Flea) Espinoza in 1978 at a tournament in Pleasanton, California. Yes, we called him “The Flea”. I was there to scout High School Juniors for the...

Our thoughts and prayers are with family and friends. God bless!

Wow, Marty.
I've missed my experiences being trained by you so much in the past. I loved your enthusiasm, your uttermost patience, your faith in me, and your love for the sport. I, as many others, will never forget your funny jokes and the happy times spent playing soccer with you. I will always have that image of you on the sidelines forever.
My condolences to the family - what a sad loss it is.