CertificationsCertified Personal Trainer & Fitness Coach, International Sports Sciences Association
Exercise Science Certificate, University of Colorado, Boulder Autonomy Supportive Coaching Course, National Strength & Conditioning Association Fundamentals of Coaching Certificate, National Federation of State High School Associations Concussions in Sports Certificate, National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Nutrition Certificate, National Federation of State High School Associations Heat Illness Prevention Certificate, National Federation of State High School Associations
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Castro is a Bay Area native that quickly made his way back to the west coast after spending four years in New York City at Columbia University for his undergraduate degrees in Comparative Politics and in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He now serves as an educator, after he obtained a teaching credential through the Kalmanovitz School of Education at Saint Mary’s College of California, and coach with a specialization in cross country and endurance running, as well as track and field (400m-5k, shot put, and discus). He is pursuing an MS degree in Exercise Science and Wellness from Liberty University and is the new Head Track & Field Coach at Alameda High School this Spring (2023). He founded his own private coaching small business and has worked with some of the top athletes in the Bay Area. He is also an International Sports Sciences Association Certified Personal Fitness Coach.
Castro grew up in Alameda, California with his mom and two younger sisters and he has always been active and competitive in sports from little league, soccer, volleyball, track, to basketball, and it was not until high school that he decided to focus on cross country and track and field. Led by his coaches, Bruce Hicks and Brian Lodge, Castro was a triple crown League Champion (800m, 1600m, 3200m) his senior year, three time qualifier for the North Coast Section Meet of Champions in Track and Field, and a two-time State Championships qualifier in Cross Country. Coach Castro got the opportunity to walk on and compete for Columbia University’s Cross Country team for a year before he made the tough decision to quit and focus on his physical and mental health to overcome some challenges. He had a 5 mile personal best of 27:16 at Columbia (https://assumption.prestosports.com/sports/xc/2007/XC-fordham(2007)). He eventually became a member of the Central Park Track Club, and upon returning to the Bay Area he focused on running for himself and has completed the Oakland Marathon, Humboldt Marathon, and the Walnut Creek Half Marathon. He continues to run to maintain an active lifestyle and is looking to expand his reach as a personal fitness coach and explore his strengths and opportunities in that field. As an English teacher at College Park High School he became the Head Coach for Cross Country and Track and Field for 3 years, after supporting the team as an assistant coach for 2 years. In his first season as head coach he led the College Park Boy’s team to the CIF State Championships in Cross Country after a 5 year hiatus. In one year, the numbers for cross country grew from about 60 to 80+ and from about 100 to 150+ for track and field. School Records were set in the girls 3 mile for cross country (Isabella Alviz 17:35.8) , girls 5k (18:15.06), girls heptathlon (Gianna Myer 2693), boys 3 mile for cross country (Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel 15:00.1), boys 5k (Alex Lamoureux 15:42.86), boys 4x800m (8:01.51), boys distance medley relay (10:27.72), boys 400m (Jake Heinlein 48.95), and boys pentathlon (Lev Afonine 2571). Other notable accomplishments during his 3 year stint as heads coach for College Park include: Alex Lamoureux (1600m 4:19.53, 3200m 9:22.86, 800m 1:59.93, Arcadia Invitational Rising Stars Mile Champion), Jessica Chisar ( 400m 59.45, 800m 2:15.01), Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel (1600m 4:23.40, 800m 1:59.61, 3200m 9:46.06), Carson Nagel (800m 1:58.68), (Aiyana Lawler (1600m 5:18.77, 5k 18:41.9), Lindsey Reed (3200m 11:31.71, 1600m 5:25.06, 800m 2:24.97, 3 mile 18:02.06), Kylie Tseng (800m 2:19.28, 1600m 5:17.37), Evi Anderson (400m 59.18), Ethan Leach (400m 51.88), Girls Mt. SAC XC Invitational Individual and Team Champions, Girls Nike/De La Salle Invitational Champions 2019, Girls Arcadia 4x800m Qualifiers 2021 (9:46.63), Girls Arcadia Distance Medley Qualifiers 2021 (12:32.29), Girls 4x400m Qualifiers 2021 (4:04.58). As a private coach he also worked with athletes that broke the College Park boys 1600m school record (Alex Lamoureux, 4:09 for 1600m), boys 3200m school record (Alex Lamoureux, 9:15.33), and girls heptathlon school record (Jessica Chisar, Hep Score: 3436). While working on his Masters in Kinesiology at Saint Mary's College of California (where he initially started his studies during COVID), Castro also took a job as an athletic conditioning instructor and upper school sports teacher for grades 6-10 at the French American International School + International High School for the 2021-2022 school year where he also served as the head coach for cross country and track and field for one year. The IHS boy's had their best team finish at the Division V NCS Championships as a team in over a decade. The track and field team more than doubled following Castro's recruitment and marketing efforts and they had a record number of athletes qualify and compete at the NCS Class A Championships. A record number of athletes also qualified for the NCS Meet of Champions: Kaisa Hanni (long jump), Nikolai Harris (400m), Jakobi Smith (200m), and Nairobi Smith (200m). The IHS team was also represented at the CIF State Championships for the first time in over a decade by sophomore Nairobi Smith who had a pr in the 200m of 24.66, establishing herself as one of the fastest 200m athletes in the state and one of the fastest sophomores in the country. Coach Castro thinks it is a beautiful thing when a teacher has the opportunity to teach and coach at the same school due to the positive relationships, community, and physical, mental, and emotional development that everyone benefits from. When asked to describe Coach Castro, anyone that has experienced his teaching or coaching first hand, even as an observer, would say, “He actually cares.” CASTRO'S PERSONAL BESTS: 800m - 2:02.01 (relay split) 1600m - 4:25.65 https://www.cifncs.org/sports/track/Results_History/2006/2006_Bayshore_Results.pdf 3200m - 9:49.16 https://www.cifncs.org/sports/track/Results_History/2007/moc_finals_2007_results.pdf 5K - 16:13 https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/3900/results/19004 3 mile - 15:37 http://events.mtsac.edu/ccinvite/oldsite/results/2006/hs/45.pdf 5 mile - 27:16 https://assumption.prestosports.com/sports/xc/2007/XC-fordham(2007) |
