Josué Fernández: from the soccer field to the technical staff

From the field to the bench... Have you ever dreamed of being a soccer coach...Josué Fernández, a 2019 Propella first-generation member and former Point University student athlete tells us his inspiring story on how he transformed his passion for the sport into a rewarding career as a college team coach. Through an interview, we venture a bit into his journey. 

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What was the process of getting the scholarship with Propella like? 

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"It was very effective and transparent. Propella saw a potential in me as a student athlete and they told me that my desire to combine sports with studies was something I could easily do in the United States. We met a couple of times and from that I got to go to Point University in 2019 to study an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science," he said.

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Exercise science is also known as exercise physiology and is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the study of human movement, physical activity and exercise. The discipline studies a wide range of topics related to the physiological, biomechanical, psychological and social aspects of exercise. 

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Rice University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Iowa, University of Utah and University of Michigan are some of the most popular programs for studying exercise science in the United States and have highly competitive athletic programs. 

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How do you remember your time as a student athlete?

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"It is something very atypical and different from what I had experienced in Costa Rica, the opportunity to combine study and soccer is something I had not been able to experience. What I most appreciate is the treatment given by the institution in all aspects. They make sure you have good grades and balance classes to perform on the field and vice versa," he added. 

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How was the transition from student athlete to coach? 

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"Around junior year/sophomore year I was thinking about having some kind of job around soccer. It wasn't until that junior year that I realized I wanted to be a coach at a collegiate level and what I did was take the next step, which is to take the Optional Practical Training (OPT) to be able to work for a full year. From this OPT I was able to be an assistant coach at Point University and after a year and a half of work we won the conference championship". 

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Are there any requirements to be a college coach? 

"More than a requirement are the skills that are asked of a coach. To be dedicated, to understand that it takes countless hours of work, not only on the field, but it can extend to 10 or 12 hours watching videos, following up with the players in the soccer aspect and also academically. Therefore, I would say that the first requirement is dedication and passion." 

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"After taking the OPT, I got my "d" license with the U.S. Federation and now I am pursuing a Masters Degree in Tactical Analysis through the Football Science Institute (FSI)," he added. 

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Are you still an assistant coach at Point University? 

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"After winning the conference with Point I had the opportunity to work as an assistant coach at Howard University in NCAA Division 1. Here my role covers the areas of video, in this sense I evaluate the team we are going to play against. In addition, I am in charge of the technical adjustments in terms of the team, I meet with the players to understand what they did well and also talk about what needs to be improved. I am in charge of recruiting international players, I am working on bringing players from all over the world and it is a very culturally rich experience," he said.  

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Howard University is a four-year institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. Its athletic programs are called Bisons and the soccer team has a long trajectory behind it. It has been to the NCAA national tournament 13 times, reached the finals six times and won the Division 1 national championship, the most prestigious in college sports, twice in its history. 

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Since you work in the recruiting department of Howard's soccer program, what advice do you give to student-athletes who want to study in the U.S.? 

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"There are things that add value, dedication and patience mainly. I think that many times the player becomes impatient and patience is necessary to look for the best academic option, but also athletic. The player often forgets to do his homework, to see the information about the opportunities he has and it's all about being well informed to make informed decisions. That's why Propella is a great option to have that guidance and make those decisions." 

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" Soccer-wise, it is recommendable to prepare yourself in the best way. In this period of coming here you have to prepare yourself both by playing games and physically, soccer in the United States is quite physical and it is one of the qualities that the players find more difficult when they come here. On the other hand, it is important not to base the processes on other people's experiences. Many of the questions and expectations that the student-athletes I have met have are based on what their friends or acquaintances have experienced. I think each player is on their own path, has their own opportunity and basing expectations on someone else's expectations is not the appropriate thing to do."

Certainly, Josué is the perfect example of how, once the university period is over, it is possible to continue combining soccer and work responsibilities. Therefore, for student athletes who wish to follow a similar path, Josué advises patience, but above all, a lot of dedication.

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