Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into the beautiful game.
I am from Bhola, Bangladesh. Bhola is an island district located in south-central Bangladesh. The most popular sport in Bangladesh is cricket. I grew up playing both cricket and soccer.
When I was younger, television (TV) was not available in our region. I watched my first World Cup on TV In 1998 when it took place in France. Then during the 2002 World Cup that took place in South Korea and Japan, I helped organize and set up a gathering for people to watch and enjoy the games together. Shortly after this World Cup, satellite TV became readily available at which time I was able to follow soccer clubs on a regular basis.
I eventually became very fond of the soccer club Chelsea FC. In 2004-05 when Chelsea won the English Premier League under José Mourinho, at that time I became very interested in the coaching/managerial side of the game. Unfortunately, I could not find any soccer education pathways to pursue a coaching career path in Bangladesh.
How did you get into coaching and how did you hear about the New York Red Bulls?
I came to the United States in 2016 and discovered that there were soccer coaching pathways here. I started taking grassroots courses. During one of the courses, I came across Bryan Alcantara who was one of my coaching instructors and a regional manager for the RBNY Youth Program. He introduced me to this program. I applied to Red Bull and was hired, and my coaching journey continued from there.
What do you like about working for the RBNY Youth programs?
In the country from which I came, there was not really any soccer infrastructure in place on the grassroots level. As a result, I liked everything I experienced at RBNY and have learned so much from the RBNY youth programs. I believe that coaching a travel soccer team is a privilege. I was able to manage a good number of teams within a short period of time here. I really enjoyed every moment of it.
I also admire Red Bull’s grassroots soccer structure, how the organization operates from season to season, and the education systems, and I believe in the Red Bull soccer philosophy which is well integrated. Red Bull’s soccer programs are one of the world’s biggest. The RBNY Youth Program is in fact the biggest in the USA. I feel very fortunate and grateful that I am a part of this amazing organization. It is an honor and when anyone asks me where I work, I proudly say I am a coach for Red Bull. Thank you Red Bull for being part of my journey and for letting me be a part of yours.
Fyzul Hoque
Currently works in Greenburgh United
Started in the Fall of 2021
