About a year ago, Oscar Pareja retired as a player for FC Dallas. The Colombian-born midfielder had spent his entire career, save for a 13-game stint with New England in 1998, playing in Big D.
His FCD tenure spanned two different team names, three different head coaches and countless numbers of teammates. But he didn't stray far from his roots, as this season is his first as an assistant under head coach Colin Clarke.
"I think he's enjoyed it (coaching)," Clarke said. "Anytime you quit the game, it's a tough decision particularly when you don't want to. It's always tough thinking about what is next and coaching is the next best thing. He's done a great job working with the young kids and has worked very hard with them."
Pareja's role is working with the younger players on the 28-man squad as he and fellow assistant Marco Ferruzzi work closely with the Hoops reserve side. It is a role that Oscar thoroughly enjoys and one that helps ease his transition from player to coach.
"I like it very much," Pareja said. "That's the best way for me to make that transition from being a player to being a coach. The transition isn't easy sometimes because I was teammates with many of them and now I am their coach.
"Working with the young guys is easier because I know that I can come across to them in a better way. I can give all my information to them and know they don't have that from before. It is a pleasure and very natural for me. I also worked with the younger players when I was playing."
The feeling is mutual as the FCD rookies also like being coached by Pareja. His being a former player allows him to relate especially well to them.
"He's only a couple of years out of the league," said rookie forward Alex Smith. "It's nice to have someone that has been there recently. He knows the ins and outs of MLS. He is a great guy and works well with the players. All of us have a good relationship with Oscar. It's nice to know that he's been there and that he knows what every player is going through."
Fellow rookie Justin Moore agrees with Smith's assessment.
"Oscar played in the league for a while and has a lot of experience that can help us first-year guys know what it takes to get through our rookie season," Moore said. "He helps here and there, coming out and doing the work every day in practice. He tells us that if you don't work hard in practice, you're not going to get better."
One thing everyone immediately notices about Pareja is the great amount of enthusiasm he has on the training field.
"No one on the training field is more enthusiastic than him," Clarke said. "He isn't afraid to still get out there and mix it up with the players."
"It (my enthusiasm) is part of my background and from the way I grew up," Pareja said. "I come in every day to practice and play the sport I love. Everything is a pleasure. I still have that Latin spirit inside when I come in and relate to the kids, make jokes and help make their job easier. You have a lot to deal with from frustration, heat, physical effort and all those things. If we didn't have that, it would be harder."
Moore agreed that Pareja's positive energy is something that acts a great motivator for him and the rest of the FCD rookies, especially in the often-stifling Texas heat.
"Some days it's hot, it's hard to get your legs under you and it's tough to get motivated at the beginning of practice," Moore said. "He's always in our ear to get us motivated and telling us to get going and be a professional about it, since this is our job now."
Besides his work with FCD, Pareja carries helping younger players a step further with a series of clinics he has held this season. The Oscar Pareja Community Clinic Series, which is presented by Allstate, is a series of 10 clinics organized by the FC Dallas Foundation throughout the year benefiting children in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods.
The first four clinics of the series were well-attended, each attracting over 250 kids who received free coaching from the FCD players and coaches plus gifts and tickets to an FC Dallas game at Pizza Hut Park.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
