Marine's Outstanding Service, Lasting Impact
by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Haley Fourmet Gustavsen
November 12, 2026

The late afternoon buzzed with excitement, laughter and the energy of a community gathering. About 400 people gathered, but U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Juan C. Solis Jr., postal chief with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, heard someone yell out a familiar greeting.

“HEY, COACH!”

He turned to see Daniel, a young soccer player he had coached, running toward him. Before he could really react, the boy had wrapped him in a hug.

He was at a Marine Corps Community Services family Halloween event, far from the practices and games where their relationship began. Still, Daniel wanted to share something with his former coach.

Solis had previously told Daniel and his family about a training opportunity with FC Barcelona. Daniel told him he was the only player invited to attend the organization's under-12 training camp in Barcelona, Spain. He also shared that he had spoken about him during an interview with the team and had expressed his gratitude, saying, ‘Thank you, Coach Juan.”

Daniel’s parents told Solis their son still talked about him at home: “Coach Juan this, Coach Juan that.”

Tears welled in Solis's eyes.

This impressive achievement was ultimately Daniel’s, reflecting the dedication, skill and perseverance he had invested. Yet, for Solis, the greater significance lay in realizing that the mentorship and guidance he provided had made a lasting impact on Daniel’s development. Recognizing that their time together had contributed not only to Daniel’s athletic growth but also to his personal confidence and motivation emphasized the broader reach of a coach’s influence beyond the field.

“It was such a simple moment, but it meant more to me than I can adequately explain,” Solis said. For four years at Camp Pendleton, Solis has volunteered to coach young athletes. A Marine, husband, and father, he built afternoons around practices, stayed late to help young athletes, and watched each player grow and apply what they learned.

But long before anyone called him Coach, he was a kid looking up to his own coaches. They taught him discipline, responsibility, and teamwork. They also gave him people he could trust, adults who helped him believe in himself when something felt difficult. As he grew older, he began to understand how much those relationships shaped who he is today.

Solis’ uncle, who coached youth football in Miami, gave him another example. He watched kids respond to someone who cared about them and showed up consistently as his uncle coached travel football. He realized how much a coach could mean to a child whose support system looked different from another player’s.

“I understand that I cannot replace a parent, nor is that my role,” Solis said. “However, I can be another positive adult in a child’s life who shows up consistently, keeps my word, sets expectations, and makes sure they know someone believes in them.”

At Camp Pendleton, he also used that desire to give back to spend time with his own children, Audrey and Juan. Coaching allowed him to share a game he loved and watch them work through the frustrations and small breakthroughs of learning something new.

As seasons passed, his investment grew to include every kid on the team. Some arrived eager to compete. Others needed encouragement to try.

Ace was one of those children.

When he joined Solis’ soccer team, he had never played before. Ace was quiet and nervous about kicking the ball. During drills, he often looked to his parents for reassurance before even trying. If he missed the ball or struggled with a movement, his first reaction was to look back at them, almost as if he needed confirmation that it was okay to make a mistake.

At that time, Solis recognized that Ace needed more than to learn the sport. He needed to develop confidence in himself.

“Rather than putting pressure on him to perform perfectly, I focused on making sure he felt comfortable learning,” said Solis. “I encouraged him to try again when he missed the ball, praised his effort when he made progress, and reminded him that every experienced player had once been a beginner.”

He wanted Ace to understand that mistakes weren't something to be embarrassed about; they were part of getting better. Over the next few weeks, Ace looked to his parents less often. He participated more. Eventually, he started helping his teammates, reminding them where to stand and when to create space.

One particular moment that still makes Solis smile.

“BOOGER! IT’S A BOOGER!” Ace called out using the terminology Solis taught the team to communicate when something specific happened on the field. Ace’s teammates responded, which created an opportunity for the team to score a goal.

Everyone recognized that Ace had contributed to the goal, even though he had not necessarily been the player who scored. His communication helped his teammates make the right decision at the right time.

“For me, that was a tremendous moment because it demonstrated how much he had grown,” said Solis. “The child who had once been afraid to kick a ball was now confidently communicating, helping organize his teammates, and contributing to the team's success.”

Ace had taught Solis that growth doesn’t always happen in the form of a goal, a trophy, or a standout performance. Sometimes growth is a child finding their voice.

One of Solis's most important goals was creating an environment where players feel safe enough to try, fail, learn, and try again. That kind of environment shapes how he approaches an ordinary coaching afternoon.

He typically arrives for one team’s practice around 5 p.m., then makes a short drive to coach another at 6 p.m. When possible, he stays an additional 30 minutes for players who want more instruction. He also makes an effort to talk about school, friendships, and how their day went. He talks with parents about what their children are learning and how they can support that progress at home.

Those conversations have taught him to pay closer attention to the person struggling with a drill or making a mistake. What helps one child refocus may cause another to withdraw. He has carried that understanding back into his leadership as a Marine.

“I have learned that encouragement does not mean lowering standards,” Solis said. “It means holding people accountable in a way that helps them improve rather than making them afraid to fail.”

His commitment has required support from his own family. His wife, Camren, has encouraged him through the time and sacrifices volunteering involves. She has also seen how hard it is for him to stop coaching, even when he is simply watching former players compete.

Sometimes, from the sidelines, he still calls out instructions, hoping to help them succeed. One season, he considered taking time off. Then families from two age divisions contacted him. Their teams were struggling, and they wanted his help.

He agreed to return.

In May of 2026, Solis earned the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal through his accumulated 1,350 volunteer hours through Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) and public schools.

Receiving the MOVSM gave Solis an opportunity to reflect on those seasons and the people who filled them. He remembered difficult practices, laughter, losses, and children who gradually became confident enough to encourage someone else. He thought about his family, the mentors who had guided him and the parents who trusted him with their children.

“Those hours were not simply numbers on a record,” he said. “They represented real moments with real children, families, and teams that had become an important part of my life.”

The medal recognized his service. However, the true significance of his volunteer work goes beyond formal recognition; it is in the meaningful relationships he built, the growth he saw in young athletes, and the positive influence he had on the broader community. Moments with his own children, with players like Ace and Daniel, and with all the families whose lives he has touched through coaching.

He just hopes his players will remember him in the same way that he once trusted his own coaches.

“If one of my players grows up and remembers that Coach Juan believed in them when they did not yet believe in themselves,” he said, “then I will consider that a greater honor than any medal I could ever receive.”

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