Sussex County CC turns to 22-year-old coach to rebuild men's soccer program

When Christian Castro-Pereira was about to start college, he had a dream about coaching professional soccer. The next morning, he registered for the training class for his first U.S. Soccer Federation license.

Castro-Pereira asked himself, "How quickly can I turn myself into the coach I dreamed to be?" His path starts by rebuilding the men's soccer program at Sussex County Community College.

The Skylanders open the season on Tuesday at Brookdale Community College in Middletown. It will be about two months after Castro-Pereira was hired, just short of his 22nd birthday. Assistant coach Dylan Fogerty just turned 25.

They are believed to be the youngest current college coaching tandem, but neither the National Junior College Athletic Association nor the NCAA keep age-related statistics on coaches.

"It's a great opportunity for him, taking over this program and hoping to continue the success it's had," said SCCC athletic director and associate dean of students John Kuntz, praising Castro-Pereira's ability to sell himself and the team.

"Age, a lot of people say it's just a number. ... He doesn't have a ton of experience, doesn't have any experience as a head coach. At the two-year college level, I see young people trying to break into coaching."

Castro-Pereira has done little more than recruit and hold tryouts and training sessions since joining the Sussex staff, hours a day on the phone and his laptop. He sent mass emails to the entire student body, as well as every uncommitted soccer player from the Class of 2022 he could find on recruiting websites. He also spoke at SCCC freshman orientation twice.

The pitch was simple: a chance to continue to play the beautiful game. Though the men's soccer team has no athletic scholarships, Castro-Pereira noted Sussex County CC's low per-credit cost, as well as the opportunity to live in dorms at nearby Centenary University. The Skylanders are also well-equipped, with multiple uniforms and training gear.

The current roster is drawn from three New Jersey counties − including Newton grads Ryan Ayoso and Kymani Bird and Patrick Kelleher from High Point − and five foreign countries. The Skylanders will play three games a week through mid-October.

Young coaches, long road

Goalkeeper Daniel Munoz adjusted his long-term plans to be part of the SCCC revamp. He had given up soccer to focus on his education at Kutztown University when Castro-Pereira called, "I've got this team and I want you to play."

Munoz had played for Castro-Pereira with RCD Espanyol Academy in Linden and earned his coaching license alongside Castro-Pereira at age 17. He hopes to earn a soccer scholarship to a four-year school, study economics, and work on Wall Street.

"I love soccer. I loved playing it. I love coaching it," said Munoz, an Elizabeth resident who is staying in the dorms. "If I have an opportunity to play one more time, whether it was at a two-year or a four-year school, it doesn't matter to me. These players are like brothers to me. It was a pretty easy decision."

Castro-Pereira was inspired to become a coach while on the bench at Sayreville High School. His style clashed with the physical game preached by coach Nicholas Cifelli, so Castro-Pereira didn't get much playing time. He earned his USSF C license, and has been coaching at STA Soccer. Last fall, he was an assistant at St. Elizabeth University, which launched its men's soccer team in 2016.

Fogerty was a three-year letter-winner in central midfield at Red Bank Regional. He went on to play at Division II Millersville for three years, then transferred home to finish his degree at William Paterson in August. He also played two seasons with FC Monmouth of the National Premier Soccer League for two seasons.

"I love the challenge to rebuild a squad," Fogerty said. "We haven't had any problem with age being a factor. The boys really respect us. They really listen and try to understand what we're teaching them. We try to keep open conversation. We want every kid on the team to know we respect what they're thinking."

High expectations

Sussex has quite a history of success, winning three of the last four NJCAA Region XIX Division III finals. The Highlanders qualified for their first NJCAA national tournament in 2018. Last fall, they lost on penalty kicks in a quarterfinal.

Sussex has not finished under .500 in the six seasons for which records were available. Even with almost an entirely new team, expectations remain high.

"We rebuilt from nothing," said Castro-Pereira, a Wharton resident. "Our goal isn't achieving a certain winning percentage, but to create structure, create discipline, character, and belief in a common cause, a common family."

Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.

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This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Young coach Christian Castro-Pereira takes over Sussex County CC soccer