Golden Valley athletics fired boys soccer coach Guillermo Castro on Tuesday. The move was confirmed by Grizzlies athletic director Mike Edwards Tuesday afternoon.
Castro told The Signal that there was an ongoing dispute over practice time on the turf field and that there was a preference for other sports over soccer in terms of field use.
In response, Castro organized a protest on Monday. He gathered his coaches and team, as well as several players from the girls team, and took to the field for a practice.
The next day, Castro was called in for a meeting with administrators at 1:30 p.m. He was expecting a conversation and a solution, but soon found himself parting ways with the program.
“It was a peaceful protest,” Castro told The Signal. “…I don’t see what I did wrong. I’m just standing up for the boys because no one ever stood up for them in that manner.”
He said that despite the outcome, he wouldn’t have changed a thing he did.
“I have a peaceful heart now,” Castro said. “I feel content that I stood up for the boys. It was what I needed to do not just as a coach but as a human being. If I had to go, that’s the way I would like to leave.”
Castro coached one season for Golden Valley, which finished with a 2-15-3 overall record last year. With the season set to begin on Nov. 28, the athletic department will name an interim head coach on Wednesday.
