JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Castillo's two sons playing soccer for Westminster

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- For the first time in about 15 years, Rigo Castillo is not roaming a soccer field coaching sons Chris or Alex.
But Castillo, the former boys coach at Austintown Fitch High, is having just as much fun watching them play for Westminster College.
Castillo is glad for the opportunity to see Chris, a junior stopper, and Alex, a freshman midfielder, play for the same collegiate team, and to continue as their personal coach.
"I can follow them through the week. I will see as many matches as possible, probably 90 percent," said Castillo, who last week traveled with his wife, Angela, to Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology to see his sons play.
"[Angela] is very supportive of me and the boys" in their soccer careers, said Castillo. "She is always there to help out behind the scenes. She makes the trips with me to see matches. If I can't go, she goes."
Coached sons from age 5
Castillo, who posted a 120-55-18 record in 10 seasons at Fitch before stepping down after last season, coached Chris and Alex since they began playing soccer at age 5 with the Austintown team in the Youngstown Area Soccer League.
He continued to coach them on the elite Austintown traveling team, and then at Fitch High where they lettered all four years.
"I still coach them. We talk before the game and after the game, and sometimes I talk to them at halftime. I still coach them a little bit and I give them a couple of tips from observations I make from the stands," said Castillo, who guided Fitch to five outright Steel Valley Conference championships.
Thakar having success
Castillo has a high regard for Westminster coach Girish Thakar, who has directed Westminster to a 44-13-4 record over the last three seasons, including 16-4-2 last year with a school-record 15 straight wins.
In fact, the Titans have set or tied school records for wins in each of the last three seasons. This year, they were 1-2 through last Wednesday.
"I think [Thakar] is an excellent coach," said Castillo. "I brought him to Fitch to my camps for a couple of years."
Thakar also coaches the Westminster women's soccer team.
Castillo said Chris, a defensive specialist, didn't play much as a freshman for the Titans, but started a few games as a sophomore before getting sick; and now is back as a starter.
"He is one of the central defenders in front of the sweeper. He gets back a little more," said Castillo. "He has good timing and he anticipates where the ball will be and he is able to get there and distribute the ball to the midfield.
"Offensively, he has a strong arm when he is throwing the ball in."
Alex also doing well
Castillo said Alex is coming off the bench to play central midfielder and be a playmaker, and has been doing a good job.
"He would take the ball from the defenders, like from Chris, turn the ball around, and get it out to the forwards to set up plays and goals," said Castillo. "He scored a few goals but he assisted more than anything else.
Castillo said the brothers are a team again.
"There are times in the game when they are in there the same time, and there are times when they pass the ball to each other. They play right in front of each other," said Castillo, noting that Alex wanted to join Chris at Westminster, and that both were lured by good financial-aid packages.
Chris is majoring in elementary education and has about a 3.4 grade-point average. Alex is majoring in business administration.
Back to coaching roots
Meanwhile, Castillo, despite his busy schedule, also has found time to return to regular coaching -- where he started originally.
"I went back to [my] roots to the Youngstown Area Soccer League, which is for boys and girls ages 8-and-up. I coach the Austintown 10-and-under team," said Castillo, who immigrated in 1973 from Costa Rica. "I played [soccer] there and learned there."
Another area player with Westminster is Scott Depasquale, a senior defender from Howland.
kovach@vindy.com