New Coach Series: Meet Batesburg-Leesville's Justin Castro

Name and school: Justin Castro - Batesburg-Leesville High School

How long have you been coaching? 
One year.

Did you compete in the sport at high school and/or college level? Please describe if so and experiences. Did this lead you to coaching? 
I competed at the varsity level for six years and at Newberry College for a few years.

What made you start coaching in South Carolina? 
Coming back to my hometown was the biggest selling point. I wanted to give back to the community that always supported me throughout my 8-9 years as an athlete.

Where and how long did you coach before? 
I have only been coaching for a year. Before coaching, I was a student-athlete at Newberry College.

View Justin Castro's athlete profile

How has the transition been for you? 
The transition from athlete to coach has been kind of challenging but as my first season progressed, it started to feel natural.

Have you met other coaches in the state? Please explain the experience (s). 
I met a lot of coaches so far. From meets, at the clinic, or even through social media. I've learned a couple things from them as well, such as meet management and team management.

What areas of focus do you have this season for track and field? 
I coach long distance and mid distance.

Do you coach other sports? Please mention the sport and how long? 
This past fall was my first year coaching cross country.

How important has a mentor been for you in the sport as a coach and athlete? Please explain your mentor relationship. 
Since high school, I always looked up to Coach Phil Peterson. He is someone I can count on to give me the right advice. He's been a main influence since I been competing in high school. He's helped me from whether it is what race strategy should I use to help me in the 1600m or what do I need to hit in the first 200 of the 800m to how can I keep my athletes to give more effort in workouts or how can I help out specific situations with athletes. He has always said the right things.

What's your coaching philosophy? 
My philosophy is STUDENT-athlete. Education always comes first. We start practice a little later to have a study hall session to ensure they succeed off the track. Track and field is only here so long but an education will take you as far as your mind will take you. Of course a state championship is the goal but I want to prepare them for the future beyond athletics, and eventually everything else will come together.

Do you have team leaders? Please explain this and how it works. 
In track, the coaches meet together, and elect captains based on work ethic, maturity, and their ability to get the whole team to work collectively. In cross country, we have the team vote for 2 captains, one for boys and one for girls. This way it is someone they trust, look up to, and can depend on to lead them to success.

What goals do you have this season? 
My goal is to have a region champion in all distance events. I also want 5-7 of my guys make it to state. Last year I had 1 region champion in the 3200m and no state qualifiers. But this is a new year and I have a dedicated group that can get the job done.

Why do you coach from the start and how old were you? 
I coach to change lives and give students a chance to achieve their ambitious dreams. I started coaching at the young age of 20 years old.

What meets are you looking to have your team be ready for this year?
When we set up our meets, we pick the meets that will get us prepared for the post season. The meet I am looking to have my team at their best is the State Championships!

How many athletes are on your team? 
We have around 50-60 athletes.

What would you like to see happen in the sport in South Carolina? Please explain.
I would love to see the sport grow in South Carolina. To me growth means having more national meets, finally having an indoor/ polar bear season, and I anticipated an expansion for the state championships, and it did!

"My philosophy is STUDENT-athlete. Education always comes first. We start practice a little later to have a study hall session to ensure they succeed off the track." - Justin Castro

What's your motivation for this season and the future? 
My motivation is not my success, but the success of my athletes! How can we improve our work ethic? What do you think needs to be corrected? Are we hydrating enough? I ask my athletes these questions and more, and to hear their responses so that I know that we are on the same page is enough motivation. That lets me know that they are motivated themselves to reach their full potential.

What do you think of the indoor opportunities in the state?
I think we need more resources. If it were up to me, I'd build an indoor facility on our campus as we are undergo construction already. We have a lot of dedicated and talented athletes throughout South Carolina that have to travel out of state to compete indoors. We have had multiple qualify for Indoor nationals from South Carolina.They need the same resources close by. Indoor will boost recruiting for most of these athletes.

What do you tell athletes about college track and field and the recruiting process? What's this process like for you as a coach? 
I tell them that colleges are looking for more than an athlete. They want someone they can depend on, someone who will benefit every aspect of their program (Team GPA, Team Morality, Championship Contention, etc.). Especially our multi sport athletes, I tell them that these football coaches, basketball coaches, volleyball coaches, etc. look at your resume and will see track and field on it. I let them know all the professional and top college players that did track in high school.