DeSouza leaving Fallbrook to return to Upstate New York

Andy DeSouza spent two years as Fallbrook High School’s head boys soccer coach and head boys tennis coach and was at Fallbrook High School for five years altogether.

Fallbrook became a second home for the Upstate New York native, but DeSouza’s family remained in the Rochester area and DeSouza left Fallbrook at the end of the 2007-08 school year to return.

“I just need to be home,” he said.

“I just feel lucky having coached such great kids and such great competitive players. It was a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me,” DeSouza said. “I can go back to New York with a lot of valuable coaching experience, and I made a lot of great memories.”

DeSouza’s departure won’t be a total loss for Fallbrook. He has applied for a teaching position with eight school districts in the Rochester area, but he has also secured a position as an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester. “I definitely will keep in touch with the Fallbrook coach,” he said.

Roberts Wesleyan is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. DeSouza hasn’t yet researched the NAIA rules about recruiting. The position will constitute his first college experience. “Very excited about that,” he said.

When he learns what recruiting actions are acceptable to the NAIA, his connections with San Diego County will be a benefit not only to Roberts Wesleyan but also to local athletes. “It will give me an excuse to fly out here and visit and check out some soccer matches,” he said.

DeSouza attended Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, playing both soccer and tennis for the NCAA Division III university. He obtained his undergraduate degree in 2002 and his Master’s degree in education in 2003. He had also taught at a tennis club during the summers.

After obtaining his Master’s degree, DeSouza moved from New York to California and sought opportunities to teach on the West Coast. He applied to several high school districts, and Fallbrook Union High School District gave him his first job offer. DeSouza taught math at Fallbrook High School in addition to his coaching duties.

“I came out here not knowing a single person,” DeSouza said. “I made roots here.”

DeSouza became an assistant coach for John Hayek, who at the time was the boys varsity soccer coach, and DeSouza also served as Fallbrook’s freshman team coach. He holds a United States Soccer Federation “D” coaching license and also holds an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, which the USSF considers sufficient to waive the “C” license requirement to seek a “B” license.

DeSouza spent four years with the Fallbrook Youth Soccer League as a coach, including one year split between the Fury and the Pegasus club, and two years coaching with Pegasus including the season spent with both Pegasus and the Fury.

DeSouza lived in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego during his first three years of teaching at Fallbrook High School and moved to Fallbrook in September 2006. On September 8, 2006, DeSouza was officially named both as Fallbrook High School’s head varsity boys soccer coach and as the Warriors’ head varsity boys tennis coach.

Hayek, who had spent four seasons as the head varsity soccer coach, stepped down at the end of the 2005-06 season due to other commitments, while Dennis Houlihan, who had coached boys tennis for the previous seven seasons, left the district after the 2005-06 school year.

Fallbrook’s boys soccer team finished third in the Avocado League standings during both of DeSouza’s seasons. “It was very close at the top, and we had very competitive teams,” he said.

Fallbrook’s boys tennis team finished second in Avocado League competition in DeSouza’s first season and won the 2008 league title.

DeSouza noted that he will benefit from his teaching and coaching experience in Fallbrook. “I’m very thankful for my time here,” he said. “Definitely no regrets.”

DeSouza cited his family as the primary reason for his return to Upstate New York. He had rented his California residences, but another benefit of the move is that he may be able to own a house in Upstate New York. “That’s my next big goal,” he said.

“I’ll miss the people and the relationships that I made,” DeSouza said.

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