HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (December 2, 2024) – Hollywood FC is thrilled to announce the appointment of Jake Castro as the Club’s new Director of Coaching. Castro brings a wealth of experience in player development and program growth within Florida’s soccer community. During his tenure at Florida International University (NCAA Division I), Castro was instrumental in the program’s transformation, contributing to a rise from the bottom 8% to the top 27% nationally. This remarkable growth, the largest of any NCAA Division I program over four years, included securing the C-USA Regular Season and Tournament Championships and the development of seven All-Conference players. It marked the most successful season in the program’s history. At Miami FC, Castro held multiple roles, including being a USL Academy Coach, Foundation Phase Director, Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach, and Assistant First Team Goalkeeper Coach. His leadership helped develop multiple academy players who were promoted to the first team, earning professional

Pay to Play Model and Parent Sportsmanship Expectations

Coaching Education - Parent Education

9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand Being a Head Coach is HARD Work. I have talked to MANY coaches over my long career. Here are 9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand. We CARE about your Child - Even if your child doesn't get much varsity playing time, we care about them. Nothing is ever personal. We love your child. Everyone has a Role. They are all different. But they are all important. Help us celebrate their role. TIME - There are only two people who understand the time commitment of a coach. The Coach and their Spouse. We are always "on," constantly thinking about our team. We sacrifice our Family time to be with your child. We don't need a pat on the back. Just respect this fact. We LOVE this job - But it is a hard job. Please don't steal our Joy. Our Passion. Our Commitment. We are losing too many coaches. Help Support us. Coaches want to WIN more than you do - We are very competitive. We put our heart and soul into this job. We are not perfect. Either are you. No one is. Strategy or X's and O's matter much less than you think. We are at practice every day. Trust what we see and do. Everything is EARNED - You get what you earn. Don't blame the coach. Encourage your child to be committed. It is your child's job to get in the weight room, shoot in the driveway, go to the gym or field, etc. Encourage them to do this. You get what you earn. Trust the PROCESS - Team Sports are the ultimate lab setting for life. There will be bumps in the road. It is guaranteed. It is part of the process. Accept this fact. Trust the Process. The life lessons learned will last a lifetime. Winning is HARD - Other teams want to win too. Other teams put time in too. Other teams compete too. The season is a grind, and the process is more important than the prize. Learning how to win ...and how to lose...is an important part of this process. Your child GETS it - Your child understands. They are at every practice. They know their strengths. They know their weaknesses. They know their role. Don't feed their youthful insecurities by questioning the coach. This will hurt their experience and the team. Finally, and Most Importantly, this is your child's experience, not yours - This is important. Let them enjoy the experience with your support. Don't judge them. Don't be critical. Just be there. Tell them you LOVE watching them play. Be a fan of the TEAM.

By Dave Barry

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TAMPA, Fla. – The 2023 season a record number of USL Academy players are college-bound after a summer of competition across the USL Academy league.