When it came time to hang up the boots, Morales decided not to leave the pitch entirely, as he quickly made a transition to coaching. But for Morales, switching to coaching, and quickly finding his way to Inter Miami, wasn’t as challenging as one might think.

“To be honest, the switch from player to coach was pretty easy. After playing so long, I realized toward the end of my career that coaching was something I’d want to get into. I also felt that as a veteran on the field, in some ways, you almost became a coach for the younger players on the team.”

“Getting a player to the pros deals with a lot more than just technique and tactics. I like to be a coach for my players more than just on the field. For me, it’s also teaching them how to grow into a mindset that can help them grow as a pro player,” said Morales, citing the importance of being well-rounded and having a strong mindset.

Although the Inter Miami CF Academy presented by Baptist Health is in the early stages of its journey, he believes that with time, it can become one of the best talent-producing academies in the country. In fact, Morales himself has played a part in guiding a talented young player, Edison Azcona, from the Academy up to the Inter Miami First Team, whom he coached with the U-17s.

“The club itself is only about a year old, it’s quite young. But if you look at the numbers, we’ve already signed three homegrown players (Ian Fray, Azcona, and Felipe Valencia) from the Academy to the First Team. If we did that in just one year, it makes you think. How many players will get to the professional level in five years? In 10? It’s exciting to think about what we can do.”

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