By: Troy MacNeill

ORLANDO, Fla. – Carlos Rolon has a passion for giving back on and off the court. This passion comes from experience and knowing what it was like to have nothing. Coach Carlos has dedicated himself to helping others because he knows what it feels like to be left without resources and without a way out.
 
Coach Carlos moved from his home in Puerto Rico to Tampa, Florida in 2017 -- a move that was made out of necessity.
 
Hurricane Maria
In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico and began a destructive path that would change lives forever. The category 5 hurricane swept through the island as most people were still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma which hit Puerto Rico just 2 weeks prior. Carlos and his family prepared for the worst.
 
“It was the uncertainty of what was about to happen that struck my mind and my heart,” Carlos remembers.


 
With his children hiding in the closet and wife in the living room, Carlos held the front door shut for two hours as winds ripped through the streets, completely demolishing homes. But after his arms became numb from holding off the powerful winds, all he and his family could do was hope for the best.
 
“I told my wife, ‘you know what, let’s sit down in the family room. This is too strong,’ and we did everything we could to prepare.”
 
Hurricane Maria blew out windows of the house, winds came inside and left a mark. Destroying furniture, appliances, clothes and the structure of the home. The Rolon family, like most Puerto Rico residents, were left with little more than their spirits and positive mindset. Resources were limited, and people would stand in line for hours with hopes of getting just a water bottle and a can of food.


 
“There were huge lines of people waiting at 3 a.m. in the morning. I would be leaving those lines at 3 p.m., 12 hours later with a couple bottles of water,” Carols said. “But I was so happy that I had something to bring home to my family.”
 
The island was almost completely in the dark. Maria severely damaged 95 percent of cell towers, cutting off nearly all cell phone communication. Maria destroyed what was still functioning in Puerto Rico's electrical grid after Irma, leaving all residents across the island completely without power.


 
After a couple of months, while driving on the highway, Carlos saw that everyone in traffic was stopped. The reason: it was the only area on the island where there was a single bar of phone service. Carlos quickly made a call to an airline to make a change in his previously scheduled trip to Florida. He was told that the earliest flight they had out of Puerto Rico was in a month, and if he waited one day more, it would be in two months. Carlos went home and told his family that it was time to pack up and start over again.
 
Carlos and his family made the difficult decision to leave their hometown and start anew in Tampa, Florida.


 
“I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, my kids too, my wife… we were living our whole lives there,” Carlos said. “But who wants to talk about retirement when something like this happens. And leaving the island was tough because it’s something you don’t want to get apart from, because it’s your culture. It’s what identifies you.”
 
But they had to do what was best for the family, and that was moving to Florida. The family began rebuilding and getting to work as soon as they stepped off the flight, driving straight from the airport to the local schools to get the children enrolled. The family was going to Florida to give their best and make the most of this new opportunity. Carlos told his family, “we have to sacrifice now to get back on our feet,” and his youngest daughter told him, let’s go. Let’s do this.
 
Carlos and his family lived through a horrific nightmare of losing everything. But it taught them how to stand tall. Living through a hurricane taught the Rolon family mental toughness, unity, and how to be more caring than ever before. Lessons and experiences that Carlos brought with him into his new career as a volleyball club director.
 
Dynamite Volleyball Club
After leaving a comfortable job in the finance industry back in Puerto Rico, Carlos knew it was going to be a difficult journey. But while looking for the next job, an opportunity to pass on his passion for helping came in the shape of a volleyball.
 
In Puerto Rico, Carlos grew up playing volleyball. From middle school all the way up to playing professionally and coaching for a long time, volleyball was the sport Carlos fell in love with. So after almost a year in Tampa, he decided to pass his love for volleyball onto others. While training some athletes, parents continued to ask, is Coach Carlos going to start his own club?
 
That question was answered when Carlos said, this is the right thing to do. Let’s help these young athletes and teach them how to better the community along the way. One morning, Carlos woke up, opened his laptop, and registered his team into the Department of the State.


 
“At that point I only had 300 to 400 dollars in my bank account. So I used most of that money to buy 10 balls and this and that. But I only had one player, my daughter.”
 
With no gym and only one player to start, Dynamite Volleyball Club was created. The first year, the team only had seven players going into their first tournament. As the season went on, more players saw the hard work on display and asked to join. By the end of the season, Dynamite Volleyball Club had two teams and 15 players.
 
Dynamite Volleyball Club now has 14 teams and Coach Carlos has brought on 10 coaches who align with his message and teach the same philosophies. Work hard on and off the court, because it’s the right thing to do.


 
“I am not doing this for the recognition. I am doing it because it’s the right thing to do for them. They see someone who cares about them,” Carlos explained. “They will not remember how many medals they have. They will remember that coach that was so caring. That took time to train them to get them to the next level.”
 
Coach Carlos has used his platform as a Club Director to help teach others how to give back and help those in need. Carlos has always had a passion for helping, and now he had an avenue to make a real change in a lot of people’s lives. It was always a dream of his to create a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need, so two years after Dynamite Volleyball Club was founded, Carlos created the Dynamite Cares Program.
 
Dynamite Cares
With the help of his good friend Jackson Clemens, Carlos was able to create Dynamite Cares. Clemens, Director of the Dynamite Cares program, and Carlos had one goal in mind… to give back. The philosophy of Dynamite Cares is to help develop young athletes both on and off the court through volunteering in the community.


 
Dynamite Cares is also a program that helps parents raise funds for the club volleyball season. Through donating time at local organizations and fundraisers, parents can earn money for their volleyball training and tournament expenses. Through the fundraising program, parents can raise up to $3,200 to help cover costs of fees and travel. Coach Carlos wanted to provide options for every parent and child that were dedicated to playing the game he loved growing up.
 
“We don’t want that kid going through life with, ‘what if.’ No, I want that kid to think, ‘I had the opportunity to become the player I am today. My parents didn’t have to sacrifice. The club I was a part of was really caring.’”
 
Coach Carlos and the Dynamite Cares team were first in line ready to help the residents of southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian swept through in 2022. Carlos knew what it was like to feel hopeless and not know where supplies would come from each day after a hurricane. He used his experiences and his non-profit to give back.
 
“As soon as I knew that hurricane was coming toward Florida, I told my staff, we need to start collecting items.”
 

 

 

 

 

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Jackson Clemens, other coaches, team representatives, and parents all began to pitch in and buy groceries and all the supplies they could find. Dynamite Cares then made contact with two organizations in Fort Myers, Florida that were helping the community rebuild. With a truck loaded down with resources and supplies, Carlos drove down to Fort Myers to provide a helping hand. Through multiple trips, the Dynamite Cares team brought money, groceries, supplies from the Home Depot, and a shoulder to lean on to those less fortunate.
 
“I saw people sleeping on the driveway,” Carlos remembers. “I was there five years ago. I was there! I understand what they’re going through… Until they get back on their feet, I know personally what they’re thinking. I just want them to feel like there are still people thinking about us.”
 
A Passion for Giving
Dynamite Cares will continue to make trips to Fort Myers Carlos said, and will continue to find new ways to help the community. Coach Carlos has shown his players and the entire Dynamite Volleyball Club what it means to care for others. He has taught them to have a passion for caring. This passion for helping others comes from his culture.
 
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Carlos saw his family always lending a helping hand to their neighbors. As he put it, Puerto Ricans are always looking for a reason to gather, celebrate and have fun. Carlos remembers that in Puerto Rico, everyone would share things over the fence. When his father would be outside grilling, he would ask neighbors if they wanted a bite as they passed by. He remembers his mother sharing sugar and plantains over the fence. He was raised with the mentality, share what you have. Because what you have, some others may be lacking.
 
As he became a father with a family of his own, he would bring his daughters to orphanages and hospitals during the holiday season to show them how easy it is to care for others. In Puerto Rican cultures, families celebrate Three Kings Day on January 6. On the holiday each year, Carlos would dress up as one of the Three Wisemen and head to the orphanage to bring gifts and love for a full day.
 
“My children learned from watching, how to give back. And my youngest would always ask, ‘Dad when are we going to do that again?’ That is why I always wanted to create a non-profit organization.”


 
These lessons of caring and being passionate are what Coach Carlos will leave with his athletes forever.
 
“I always tell my players, keep working hard and keep playing hard. Because you never know who’s looking, what’s the opportunity that you’re missing now. Because now with the exposure that we have, I know more people will be willing to unite.”
 
Coach Carlos never got into coaching or helping for the recognition. The recognition came with the hard work and the difficult experiences. He started coaching and helping because it was the right thing to do. His players will always remember him for being the one to care for them, because it was the right thing to do.
 
“If we could put a little seed of hope in their heart, in their mind, help them a little more with their mental toughness. Man, I’m telling you, I see some brightness in the future. But we have to sacrifice today, to make their generation better.”