PLANT CITY, Fla. — Becoming a professional soccer player can be extremely difficult.

For Latinos, making it to a professional team comes with a lot of barriers financially.

What You Need To Know

  • Omar Castro played soccer professionally at the age of 17 in Germany

  • Now, Castro is a coach hoping to help his players become professional soccer players

  • Castro and other professional soccer players formed Prospects Futbol to help younger soccer players

One Plant City man is hoping to help others overcome those barriers by shining a light on the soccer community in his city.

It seems like just yesterday Omar Castro was training for his next soccer tournament.

Now, he’s coaching the next generation of soccer players.

If you ask Castro, he’d say this is his happy place. From a young age, the soccer field is where he’s spent most of his time.

“The first game I scored like, maybe five goals, and since then, I was passionate about it,” he said.

So much so that at the age of 17, Castro played for a professional team in Germany.

Now, as a coach, he wants other kids to have the same opportunities he had.

“If you have a good environment around you that each player is pushing each other, motivating each other is very important,” Castro said.

Not having the financial means to play was the biggest barrier for him. It’s why he and a few other former professional players formed Prospects Futbol. Their goal is to shine a light on their players by bringing in scouts from all over the world.

“I want to make sure that the next person that maybe doesn’t have enough is able to get the same opportunities as those that maybe do have the financial status or can afford certain things,” said Castro.

It’s also a way to show why Hispanic representation is important in soccer. According to Hispanic Ad, a website covering advertising, media and more for the Hispanic market, Latino males comprise 12.3% of NCAA soccer players.

Kevin Mendoza says they want to change that.

“We’re trying to communicate to them, you can make it, you can actually make it. It’s not that far away. You see someone on TV right now, but in a couple years it can be you,” he said.

Whether it’s on the field or off, Castro is dedicated to helping others in a sport he loves.

“With the proper training, I think more players can be exposed,” he said.

He’s helping them achieve their dreams one goal at a time.

Castro says they’re working to host recruiters from other countries this summer, to get their players more exposure.