Colleton County Middle School PE teacher and coach Marshall Rentz is only in his fifth year of teaching. However, his commitment, assistance and devotion to his students have become the qualities that define his service as a teacher. Every staff member and student knows these qualities are what Marshall Rentz is about.
In an effort to raise extra money for all students, Coach Rentz decided to join what is called the David Goggins 4X4X48 Challenge. Created by 45 year old David Goggins who is a retired Navy SEAL and is the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete SEAL training (including two Hell Weeks), the U.S. Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Enlisted Honor Man) and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. Goggins is considered one of the world’s best ultramarathon runner. Goggins is a nationally recognized motivational speaker and is a published author.
Only in its second year of existence, Rentz had seen the invitation to join the 2021 4X4X48 Challenge event – and he immediately thought it would be a great opportunity to raise money for equipment for CCMS students.
Coach Rentz spends many hours this time of year between school and coaching duties. However, he began getting in better physical shape in early January 2021. He gathered up his devotion to his own self-discipline – a concept he teaches his adolescent students – and created calendars, diet menus and spread sheets for a sixty day time of preparation.
Additionally, Coach Rentz went public on Facebook to let people know he had signed up to do this. He set a monetary goal of $2,000.00 to raise money to help the CCMS students. Rentz says that he agreed to commit every penny raised to the students’ equipment. He paid his own expenses out of his own pocket. He never missed a day’s work or a single baseball practice to spend on his own training.
Nationally, Goggins’ group is still tallying the final number of actual participated and hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised for charities all over the world the year.
The big weekend March 5-7th 2021 when thousands around the nation would be attempting this challenge at the same time, Coach Rentz was ready. He prepared a schedule for his running around his baseball teaching duties that weekend.
When the 48 hours was over and Rentz had done his best, he was exhausted - physically and emotionally. Rentz can now add this experience to his own motivational speeches.
Coach Rentz came within a just a few dollars of making his goal of $2,000.00. A side benefit is that he is down 25 pounds – but beware: nobody’s pizza or lasagna - his favorite foods – are safe when around him right now.
Coach Rentz was raised surrounded by teachers who also coached and a family who believed in school and community service.
Coach Rentz says he was too young to remember when he first started playing baseball in the West Ashley area of Charleston. His father Michael Rentz was his first coach and mentor. Coach Rentz, Sr. is now the JV baseball coach at James Island High School. His mother Maria Rentz was a working mother, but who has logged many, many hours on baseball field bleachers. His older brother Michael, Jr., played baseball but is now the soccer and football at James Island High School. His sister-in-law Taylor Rentz teaches at Cottageville Elementary School in our Colleton County School District. There is no shortage of advice for the youngest teacher in the Rentz clan at family dinners.
In high school, Rentz played four years of varsity baseball. He pitched and played every infield position. Favorite athletic memory was hitting a grand slam in his first career varsity at-bat in high school.
Rentz played college baseball for four years at Newberry College. Rentz’s only teaching and coaching experience has been here in Colleton County School District.
Congratulations and thank you Coach Rentz on this outstanding accomplishment, your dedicating your time, energy and talent to raising money single-handedly for our students and for being a great role model for the students and other teachers.
Donations can still be made to this project. Please call CCMS at (843)782-0040 and leave a message for Coach Marshall Rentz. He will return your call with the information on how to donate to this cause.