By Ryan Makuch
Over the course of his two seasons in the blues of The Mighty Oak, Jose Jimenez, usually simply known as ‘Tito’, encapsulated what it meant to be a part of the AFCAA Family better than any other player. One of the hardest workers on the pitch and beloved by coaches, fellow players, and fans alike, Tito showed outstanding development between the sticks as a goalie and got an opportunity or two throughout his career, perhaps most memorably in the 2018 Michigan Milk Cup quarter-finals, where he only conceded a penalty en route to helping clinch the tie for AFCAA.
Now, Tito is just days away from stepping into the net and squaring off with the reserve side of one of Mexico’s largest clubs with one of the most devoted fan bases in the world: Chivas de Guadalajara.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Jimenez during an interview with AFC Ann Arbor. “That’s my team, that’s my childhood team! Me and my dad, he’s the one that put me on to them. I’ve been a Chivas fan for as long as I can remember, because that’s where my dad’s from in Mexico. And just playing a game like this is so exciting.”
The match is the inaugural Community Kicks Cup, a fitting name for a match that features a side with such a strong link to AFC Ann Arbor and Community Kicks as an organization. On April 16, the two clubs announced their partnership which started with a bang as the shirt sponsor for Inter Detroit would become Milk Means More, a long-time supporter and sponsor of AFC Ann Arbor. The partnership has continued to grow in just the two months since its confirmation, and the involvement of Community Kicks in this high-profile match is just the next step for these two teams.
The partnership is one that Jimenez was an integral part in both forming and solidifying. “It came about because me and Bilal [Saeed, club chair of AFC Ann Arbor] stayed in contact after this season not happening because of COVID. Inter Detroit really shares the same values.”
Jimenez noted how both clubs support complete and equal representation and speaking out for all marginalized communities. “No matter what race, color, anything, you’re fully welcome here. And it’s just a great environment,” Jimenez added. He noted also that the work AFCAA has done with standing against police brutality and continuing the support for Pride Month has also been what helped prime him to reach out to AFCAA and see if there was any interest in a joint-partnership.
In addition to the off-the-field work in formulating this partnership, Jimenez has also entered a new off-pitch realm as of late: coaching. He credits Jeff Shuk, the goalkeeping coach for the men’s side and Jimenez’s collegiate goalkeepers’ coach at Schoolcraft, as having given him an opportunity by taking him under his wing, allowing him to assist in Shuk’s coaching with the Michigan Rush youth goalkeepers.
“When I got that experience with him I took it and am now coaching here in Detroit with the Pumas, a youth program for kids here,” Jimenez added. “So there are plenty of kids that I’ve coached down here, and trying to help them do something with the sport.”
When asked about if he had a preference on coaching versus playing, Jimenez answered thoughtfully, saying, “In a way, I do like coaching more. The reason why, to be honest, is that I may be 24, but there’s a lot of things that I’ve learned at a very late age.” Jimenez would say that he enjoys helping younger players become more aware of opportunities both in the soccer world as well as the real world as a growing adult. The opportunity to coach allows Jimenez to impart some wisdom down onto the newer generation of players.
On the pitch, things are going just as well as off it. Even in this difficult year, Jimenez has remained fit thanks to training at the gym on his own, and also now in singles sessions with his fellow Inter Detroit keepers. Jimenez admitted that he thought joining a lower-tier side from AFCAA may be a step down, but Jimenez noted that he quickly found out that that would not be the case. “The staff is really professional, they’ve treated us as professionals,” he said, before also adding, “They take care of me and provide me with great coaching, and I’ve been able to get in great shape.”
Jimenez will hope that this hard work throughout the season with Inter Detroit will pay off on Wednesday, June 23rd, at 7:30 PM, when his side squares off with the Chivas Reserves. Tickets for the first ever Community Kicks Cup can be purchased for just $25 and are available through Passage Sports.