By Jim Hague
As a teenager, Ariel Parada was fortunate to play soccer for the New York Red Bulls’ youth soccer academy.
His Red Bulls’ team for youngsters used to practice and play at Frederick Douglass Field, the home field of the Rutgers-Newark men’s and women’s soccer and softball teams.
So Parada played on the field and dreamed.
“I always played there and practiced there,” Parada said. “I must have been on that field about a thousand times. I was there at least once a week.”
Then, Parada was introduced to Rutgers-Newark head men’s soccer coach Kevin East.
“I trusted him a lot,” Parada said. “I could tell right away that he cared about all of his players. I knew I liked him.”
The feeling was mutual for the veteran head coach of the Scarlet Raiders.
“He always had a good soccer IQ,” East said. “He’s just a great kid. He’s quiet, but he’s a very bright kid. I talked to him a lot.”
Parada had a fine career at Hudson Catholic in Jersey City and always expressed interest in attending Rutgers-Newark.
“They have a very good criminal justice program and that’s what I wanted,” Parada said. “It was a perfect fit for me, playing good soccer and challenging myself academically.”
And there was no doubt in East’s mind that Parada was going to play for the Scarlet Raiders right away.
“What makes him different is that he’s a right footed player who likes being on the left side,” East said. “That’s just his personal preference. He likes to be able to cut in and set up his shot. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re able to put an opposite footed kid and do his job. Ariel can use both feet. He’s able to find good passes and makes good plays. He’s very technical and can be very dangerous.”
As a sophomore, Parada stands 5-foot-10, but he appears shorter, especially going up against defenders that stand 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4. He’s also playing forward instead of in the midfield, where he began his collegiate career.
“Ariel has to go up against a lot of bigger guys,” East said. “The physical stuff could be a bit of a challenge. We don’t need him to be physical, but he could get a little stronger. He needs to withstand the physical side a little better.”
But there’s no question that Parada has been a find for East and the Scarlet Raiders. Parada has collected five goals and added two assists this season.
“I think I needed to mature a little and get physical,” Parada said. “I said to Coach, ‘Wherever you play me, I can make plays.’ I think the college game is a little faster. It’s got a lot easier for me to dribble and create some chances. I like shooting the ball. I think I’m getting more chances to score. I used to get more assists, but now I’m scoring more.”
Parada had four goals and two assists as a freshman in 2017, but he feels he’s a better player this season, basically because he’s developed more as a leader.
“To be honest, we had a good recruiting class coming in, so the younger players are getting an opportunity to play,” Parada said. “Although I’m one of the younger ones, I also have a lot of experience from playing a lot last year. I have a responsibility being one of the older guys. The younger guys are going to help us out in the future. I really think we’re going to get some wins.”
One of the younger players is freshman midfielder Brandon Parada – Ariel’s cousin.
“He’s the first kid I ever played soccer with,” Parada said of his cousin, who is also a product of Hudson Catholic. “When we were younger, we played soccer together all the time. It’s a good feeling to have my best friend on the field with me. I think he’s fitting in well.”
“I think it was probably more helpful to Brandon,” East said of the family connection. “Both are technically sound, good players.”
East may be a little concerned about the elder Parada’s personality.
“He’s super quiet,” East said. “He needs to bring a little more personality to his game. I think that would help him out.”
But as a player, East knows that Parada will be a huge help to his program.
“Without a doubt, he’s a great kid,” East said. “He’s a quiet kid, but he’s skillful and technical.”
If there’s one obstacle that Parada has faced this season, it has been staying healthy. He’s battled a serious hamstring injury for most of the season.
“He’s been held back because of the injury,” East said. “He had an ankle problem, then the hamstring. He’s been able to come back from that now.”
“It’s been a little frustrating watching the team play and I can’t do anything to help,” Parada said. “We played crucial games this month and I couldn’t help. I always like to contribute to my team and I know they need me. But I’ve still been there to support my team.”
East knows that the injuries played a big part in both Parada’s success and the success of the Scarlet Raiders as well.
“More than anything, the injuries slowed him down,” East said. “But he’s had a major impact on our season. He’s missed a decent amount of time. He’s the type of kid that relies on passion more than anything, but he’s dangerous in front of goal. If he’s healthy, we are going to count on him to be a goal scorer for the next two years ahead of him. If we get him healthy, Ariel’s going to be one of our main guys.”
Parada wants to be healthy to help the Scarlet Raiders in the ECAC Division III Tournament games that could be played next weekend.
“I think we have a chance to prove some people wrong,” Parada said.
It’s safe to say that Parada’s mind is set on bringing a championship home to Newark next weekend.
Parada is a criminal justice major with the goal of becoming an FBI agent one day.
“When I was growing up, I watched a lot of the crime shows, so that got me interested,” Parada said. “That got me hooked.”
Parada’s favorite show? Criminal Minds on CBS.
