Plumbing 
Pete Luna|Leader-News
Father-son duo Carlos and Joshua Sandoval, following the varsity football team’s win on Sept. 2, 2022 at the Uvalde Honey Bowl.
Carlos Sandoval and Joshua Sandoval are making Uvalde sports history this season.
They are Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s first father-son coaching duo.
Dad is a member of the Uvalde High School football coach staff, while son is a member of the Morales Junior High School football coaching staff.
“We are a large family of educators,” said Carlos Sandoval, a veteran of 30 years in education, including 20 years working for UCISD. “My wife, sister-in-law, brother and brother-in-law all are teachers.
“My motivation for becoming a teacher and a coach came from my brother Albert Sandoval. He was a mentor for me. I had a chance to coach with him at San Diego and at Crystal City before coming to Uvalde.”
Joshua Sandoval, a 2018 graduate of UHS, gained a degree in sports management from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021.
He said that from an early age he knew he wanted to be a part of football in some capacity.
“As the son of a coach, I knew what the life of teaching and coaching was like. The hard work and the hours put in, and the love of teaching the sport of football to others,” Joshua said. “I learned this from watching my dad.
“Though I wanted to do something in the field of athletics, I did not really zero in on becoming a coach until my senior year of college,” he continued. “At that time, I thought that some day I might like to coach alongside my dad, so I also pursued a teaching certification.
“At the time, I was in no hurry to become a coach or to come back to Uvalde. I just thought that somewhere down the line, we would eventually work together.
“May 24 was the thing that brought me back to Uvalde. It was a tragic day for the people of our community,” he said. “I wanted to do something to help. “My first thought was to seek a position here and to try to help my hometown to heal through teaching and working with the younger athletes,” he continued. “Over the years, I watched the impact that my dad had on the lives of others through education. I felt like that was my purpose, as well.”
Carlos is excited to have Joshua join the coaching staff.
Eddie Kirkham|Kirkham’s Studio
Joshua and Carlos Sandoval in 2003.
“It’s a great honor and brings me a lot of happiness to have Joshua on the coaching staff. I am really proud of him,” Carlos said.
“I never pushed Joshua into the coaching field,” he continued.
“All I ever asked of him was for him to do whatever he did to the best of his ability.
“It was a bit of a surprise to see him return to Uvalde,” Carlos said. “But it is a true blessing.
“My thanks go out to Dr. Hal Harrell, Randy Harris, and Wade Miller for giving Josh a chance to start here as a teacher and a coach.”
“Playing for my dad here in Uvalde gave me an opportunity to bond with him over the years and am excited to spend time with him now as a Uvalde coach,” Joshua said.
“He and I hope to give back to the sport that has given us so much as a dad and a son over the years. Hopefully, we can share that positive feeling with the players we coach.”
