For Omar Castro, soccer isn’t just a hobby.
It’s his life.
“Omar is one of the most humble teenagers I’ve ever met,” said Stephen Rossiter, Castro’s longtime Plant City FC Lancers coach and his legal guardian for past seven years. “He lives and breathes the game of soccer. It is his passion.”
Castro, 17, began playing for the Lancers when he was 3 years old, even though, technically, he wasn’t supposed to start until 4.
He quickly emerged as a young star. Hundreds of people would come to watch him play on weekends, at Otis M. Andrews Park, in Plant City.
When Castro was a part of the Lancer’s U-17 team, he often played against players from top rec teams in Central Florida, some twice his age. On weekends, he played in the adult rec leagues at Plant City parks, competing against adult men.
That is a continuing theme for the young star, who now is playing in Europe for Germany’s Eintracht Braunschweig U-23 team. Castro can’t sign a professional contract or play with the Division I first team until he turns 18, on Feb. 17, 2014.
“He’ll have an opportunity to play professionally as soon as he turns 18,” Rossiter said. “Playing professional soccer has always been his goal.”
HOMETOWN SUPPORT
During a City Commission meeting July 8, Plant City Mayor Mary Mathis declared 2013 the Year of the Youth.
Vice Mayor Rick Lott was asked to find a youth who demonstrated outstanding ability. He selected Castro.
“I’ve known Omar for eight years now and have watched him grow from a boy to a young man with a dream and a vision,” Lott said. “It’s always great to recognize someone, when all their hard work pays off. That’s something that you want other young people to see: that if you are dedicated and work hard enough, dreams can come true.”
Under Castro’s current agreement with Eintracht Braunschweig, once he turns 18 and is eligible to play for the Division I team, a donation of 25,000 euros (about $30,000) will be made to the Lancers’ program for the first game he starts and after every 10 starts after the initial start. The deal also allows the Lancer’s to send two Plant City players, with all expenses paid, to Germany once a year for training and eligibility to be signed, if they demonstrate a high enough quality of play.
Castro is currently overseas preparing for the U-23 season, which begins in August.
Castro will be continuing school through Florida Virtual School and graduate next year. He holds a 3.9 grade-point average.
“He’s had to make many sacrifices to get where he is, but he has excelled in everything he’s done and should be an inspiration to all of us,” Lott said.
Castro’s biological parents came to the United States from Mexico 20 years ago and supported their seven children by working the strawberry fields in Plant City.
Castro received a love of soccer from his father, Jesus. All of Castro’s brothers played, and he has a cousin who plays for the Indios, a professional team in the Mexican League.
Because of a poor financial situation, Jesus Castro asked Rossiter if he would open his home to Omar.
Rossiter became Omar’s legal guardian seven years ago. The two families remain close, and Rossiter’s son, Samuel, is even married to Omar’s sister, Idelisa.
“When I was approached about it, there wasn’t really a thought process,” Rossiter said about becoming Omar’s legal guardian. “I was happy to do it, and we’ve built a great relationship. He is still very close to his family, and his dad is still very active in his soccer.”
ON THE RADAR
Castro’s talents and pro potential have been identified for several years. It wasn’t ever a question of whether he would play professionally — but rather, when.
“He is just very dedicated and passionate about the game,” Rossiter said. “He doesn’t have a Facebook or any social media. He doesn’t text. When he isn’t playing, he’s doing research on other football clubs.”
Castro had been on the U.S. National Team’s radar for years and has worked out with FC Barcelona, one of the world’s top clubs, and the Dutch club Vitesse. He left July 8, for Germany. It was his 30th trip away from home for soccer.
“We’ve always let him travel alone on trips, so he would get used to being independent,” Rossiter said. “Even where he is now, his biggest challenge is being away from home and his family.”
Playing professionally was always a goal for Castro, and playing for Barcelona one day would be a dream come true for the 17-year-old. When he was 16, he was already represented by a professional agency — ExtraTime Football Consultants, based in Barcelona, Spain.
In May, Castro helped lead his U-17 Lancers team to the FYSA’s State Cup Final Four. It was the first time since the U-18 boys in 1997 that a Lancers team participated in the tournament.
Just two months later, Castro is thousands of miles away from Plant City, playing under a German soccer club with an opportunity to play professionally in seven months.
“I talk to him as often as I can, and he seems happy and in good spirits,” Rossiter said. “For him, he’s not concerned about everything going on. He’s just playing the sport he loves and is having fun doing it.”
