Working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job is the reality for most adults. Some, however, work jobs that require more than a few hours in the office; they revolve around busy high school students’ schedules. Many coaches at Miami Palmetto Senior High have had different experiences that led them to their coaching positions, and all come to value their jobs for different reasons.
For girls soccer coach Alex Castro, his coaching career took flight many years ago, as he worked for American Airlines in their weight and balance department for cargo aircraft. For the past 29 years, Castro has worked at Miami International Airport with American Airlines, all while coaching soccer teams all across Miami.
Castro, who has been surrounded by soccer his entire life, played the sport at extremely high levels throughout his career and wanted to share his skills and talents with the younger generations.
“I’m originally from Costa Rica. I played soccer back then, and I played some semi-pro soccer [in the United States],” Castro said.
Having children made Castro realize he wanted to make a real impact on the lives of other young soccer players, which was the main incentive for him to begin his coaching career. One of Castro’s own sons played at MPSH and eventually went on to play professional soccer during his sabbatical year, something that Castro takes great pride in.
While coaching at MPSH since 2021, Castro has also shared his expertise through coaching various soccer clubs across Miami.
“[I coached for] 12 years at Pinecrest Premier, and then I went and coached at Strikers, and currently I’ve been coaching at Prime ECNL for the past three years,” Castro said.
With over 20 years of coaching experience combined, Castro has balanced his on-field leadership with his job off the field, both of which have shaped him into who he is today.
Being able to play a major, sometimes even life-changing-role in his athletes’ lives over the years is Castro’s favorite part of coaching.
“I have a lot of friends and a lot of people that I coach who are doctors and lawyers right now, and it’s very rewarding when they come and tell [me] that [I] changed their lives in a positive way. At the end of the day, soccer is not only about the game. It is about the structure that you create with the kids,” Castro said.
With his coaching career spanning more than two decades, Castro has changed the lives of hundreds of kids, signaling that his work as a coach remains a meaningful part of students’ lives.
MPSH’s access to a well-rounded, experienced coach like Castro gives the girls soccer team an advantage. While the girls learn from Castro’s coaching, he believes he can also learn from them, which has been an invaluable part of his work.
