"I lived it and I did it the right way," said NNU Men's Soccer Assistant Coach Julio Castillo as he reflected on his journey, and what advice he would give to his younger self. "Continue to follow your dreams…if you have a dream in mind, you have to persevere. You have to go all the way."

Perhaps one of the greatest men's soccer players in the NNU program's history, Julio was very concise when asked the kind of role soccer played in his life.

"I've played soccer my whole life, I've been around the sport my whole life… I played from such an early age and I was always obsessed with the game and that hasn't really changed." 

Being around the sport his whole life, he recognized early on that what may have been just a game for many could unlock a whole other series of possibilities for himself. From as early as ages 11-12, Julio started to calculate what it would take to be a professional soccer player - something that many dreamed of, yet few could actually achieve. But Julio, with the recognition that he possessed something special, never let the novelty of the game get away from him. 

"It started early, I was playing before I could think that far ahead… obviously as a kid I only thought of playing." 

But at the same time, those aspirations were very real. Julio spoke of never thinking too far ahead, always focusing on what was immediately in front of him. But the older he got, the more real his dream of continuing to play and be around the game became. 

Despite his joyful passion for the game, that didn't stop him from pushing his competitive spirit from that young age. He talked about playing on travel teams and going to tournaments in different parts of Mexico from that young age. And oftentimes, he was on his own.

"There were many tournaments where I was not able to travel with my mother," said Julio, who calls his mother his biggest inspiration. "I had to be able to go by myself … of course there were other parents (of kids on the team) that would take care of me. But for the most part I was basically on my own in figuring things out, and that was one of the first times where I figured out that I would have to grow faster than most."

Solo traveling meant a lot of logistics that most young teenagers don't have to deal with on their own - managing hotels, dealing with taxis - it was all on him. And that only accelerated as Julio began to garner more and more attention.

"I started getting calls from professional teams and from the Mexican National U-15 team and for that it meant traveling completely by myself, being in clubhouses, hotels, and residences alone."

This attention only accelerated his growth; not just as a player but his maturity level. Navigating an increasingly adult and professional world, it was to adapt and mature or collapse under the pressure and fail. For Julio, there was only one option. 

Julio's first professional experience came at the ripe age of 14, leaving his home in Tijuana and moving to Mexico City to play and train for the Cruz Azul club in Mexico City. While Julio was used to being away from home on a consistent basis and felt ready for the challenge, his mother was less than enthusiastic about her son being so far away at such a young age.

"I just turned 14 when I first left my house and (6) months later my mom decided to bring me back. She thought I was way too young to be there ... she didn't like the idea of me being gone."

Despite the valuable experience that his time in Mexico City had provided him, Julio returned to his home in Tijuana, now awaiting his next step in his soccer career, unsure of how that would look. Luckily, it wasn't long before another club came calling, one that his mother was much more comfortable with.

"(A few) months later, Monterrey contacted my mom and offered me a spot on the team… she liked the city more, she liked the infrastructure of Monterrey better, we have a couple of family members there so she felt ok saying 'Okay, you can go here to this team'."

But even with his prior experience, that didn't mean that life was going to be any easier. After all, he was still only 15 years old, experiencing a new city for the first time far away from home. 

"It was hard", Julio said of moving to Monterrey, "but I think I adapted well to the moment and situation. There were some good days and some bad days, but that's what it takes to play at that level and what forms your character."

During this time, Julio's experience wasn't limited to club play. He played for both the U-15 and U-17 squad for the Mexican national team - something that pushed his soccer skills to new heights. While his national team experience hasn't been something he has found himself discussing frequently, it served as one of the most challenging and formative experiences of his career, and something he's been told he should brag about himself more.

While he was used to the challenges that came with tournament travel, juggling club training and the national team took things to a whole new level. Julio spent nearly three years in Monterrey, but there came a time where it was time to move on.

"My last few months in Monterrey, I started to look at the bigger picture and saw that in order to continue playing at the next level, I would have to go to a different team, to a different city." 

Julio realized that he had reached an inflection point at his time in Monterrey, and he began to consider other options. Maybe it was dropping to a different club in a lower division. Or maybe to  make the move to the United States to play in college and take advantage of his dual citizenship, despite not being in the country since the time of his birth in Los Angeles. 

"I didn't know any of the rules," Julio said, referring to the admissions and recruiting process. He didn't know what kind of paperwork was needed, or any of the steps in the process necessary to become a collegiate soccer player in the U.S. It was all foreign to him, in many senses. 

A former coach eventually helped Julio connect with Arizona Western College, a community college in Yuma, Arizona - less than 200 miles from his home in Tijuana. During his time in Arizona, Julio only experienced success. He was named all-conference, all-region, and was named to the NSCAA All-American first team at the junior college level. 

With that volume of success, Julio garnered attention across all levels of collegiate soccer, holding offers from schools at the DI, DII, DIII, and the NAIA level. But the whole system still felt unfamiliar. 

"In the end it came down to what was best for me." For Julio it wasn't about what other people considered the best or most prestigious, but what school felt matched his criteria. "Living situation, scholarship, soccer program, academics - the whole package."

After going on visits to several four-year schools in Arizona and California, including NCAA D1 UC Irvine, Julio came very close to not visiting NNU at all. 

"NNU was my last visit of a group of visits I had gone on, and I remember thinking 'Do I even want to take this visit?' … But I was like well, I already have it setup and it's my last visit … I should go with an open mind."

Julio says the first time he stepped on NNU's campus, he felt something different. 

"It felt like home right away… I liked the people, the professors, the coaches, teammates, the whole environment just felt different." By the end of his visit, Julio's mind was made up. When asked specifically what separated NNU from the rest, he said that more than anything else it was the people. 

"Right away it felt like a place that I could make good connections and friendships, and really feel more comfortable," which was something that represented a stark difference between some of his previous experiences. 

During his time at NNU, Julio thrived, becoming one of the most accomplished players to ever set foot on NNU's campus. He was an NSCAA Division II All-American in both 2014 and 2015, winning GNAC Newcomer of the Year in 2014 and GNAC Player of the Year during his senior season in 2015. 

After his time at NNU ended, Julio spent parts of the next several years playing professionally in Sweden, Spain, and Thailand. Each of those experiences presented a new opportunity to experience different cultures, learn from different people, and more than anything, to learn. When asked how all of these unique experiences have shaped his perception on soccer, he says that it's not so much about a change in perspective as it is taking advantage of every opportunity. 

"I've learned a lot from different countries, teammates, coaches, and people that I've met throughout my experience… I have taken all of my experiences - good or bad - to just prepare myself and to become a better coach. 

"Every level was a challenge, every level was unique. I don't really compare one to the other, I just like to take each experience as it was presented to me and always be the best that I can be."

One of the biggest differences Julio experienced throughout his playing career was the stark differences in play, specifically the transition between Mexico and the United States. Playing in Mexico for Monterrey and the Mexican youth national team saw a very technical style of play, one that placed an emphasis on control and technique. Contrasted with his experience in the U.S. where he played not only collegiately, but also for the U.S. Men's National U-20 team, where the style of play is much more physical, with an emphasis on speed and strength more than anything else. 

"You have to be able to adapt. You have to be good at both," said Julio, referring to the different styles of play seen throughout his experience. "It's hard to compare all of (the experiences) but at every level you can learn something."

Julio's built in desire to be around the sport of soccer made coaching a very natural transition for him - and it was also something that began before his playing career even ended. During his senior year, he had put himself in a good position with his academics and athletics that he was able to start coaching on the side. 

After wrapping up his professional career, Julio continued to invest in local youth soccer, as he and his wife, Mariah, partnered in coaching both in weight training and skill development. What started out as a smaller group of players continued to grow. There came a time where he and Mariah sat down and said if they wanted to continue they needed to solidify their business. For a time, they rented out parks, bouncing around as they saw fit, but they needed to find a permanent space.

"We were looking into a new building right before Covid, and we had a lease in our hands that we needed to sign within a week, or else we would lose the opportunity. And then Covid hits." After long discussion, some prayer, and weighing costs and benefits, they decided to decline the offer they had been given.

A day after declining the lease offer, they received a call from the owner of a former racquet and swim club about the potential of using the space. With nothing more than a business plan, the owner handed Julio and Mariah the keys. 

"It was a shock for us… there has to be something that we don't know." Crazily enough, there wasn't. The owner gave them full autonomy over the facility, and the ability to build it out however they needed. Only when their setup was ready would they have to worry about rent. "We were so lucky." In the three years since then, the business hasn't stopped growing.

When asked about goals in looking forward to the rest of his career, Julio did not hesitate.

"To win a national championship with NNU." He added that as always, every experience is a learning opportunity. It's always one step at a time. "We were close last year, but that gave us the experience to continue to learn and grow and get better." 

He also wants to continue to grow the training facility that he's built with his wife. "My aspiration is to get to a point where we can reach more kids in the area, and for the kids to use our facility as a supplement to their clubs and their careers, where they come and love their trainings and love their experience, and also that they learn, get better, and become better soccer players and better people."

As he reflects on how his soccer journey has brought him to where he is today, he reflects that for much of his career, both playing in coaching, it was always one step at a time.

"I think it's just about taking everything and continuing to learn. I have a goal to never forget that you will always learn and can always get better from different experiences, no matter where you are or where you go."