Castillo sticks to his process Bombers kicker always puts his best foot forward By: Taylor Allen Posted: 8:45 PM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 Last Modified: 9:42 PM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 Updates

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Sergio Castillo is unfazed by the sea of gold pompoms and cartwheels surrounding him.

As the Blue Bomber Cheer Team works to fire up the crowd ahead of player introductions, the veteran kicker remains on the field, methodically drilling the final kicks of his pregame routine.

“That’s the thing — you got to stick to your process,” said Castillo.

But what do the hours leading up to that moment look like? And what does his night look like once the game concludes?

The Free Press had a lengthy chat with Castillo after Tuesday’s practice at Princess Auto Stadium to get a detailed look at what his game days at home look like.

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The road to hitting a last-second game-winning field goal sometimes starts the day before on the golf course.

To subdue any anxious feelings about the upcoming four quarters of action, Castillo will get out and take some swings — likely at Kingswood, Old Drovers Run, or Niakwa — to get his mind off things.

He’ll even play the odd hole barefoot. It’s an idea he got from his wife Adriana who recently got him into grounding — a practice where you make bare-skin contact with the Earth’s surface.

Many believe it has several health benefits.

“Shoot, John Daly does it all the time, right? So, I started doing it and it’s pretty relaxing. I’m really big on the vibes and energy that come from the Earth,” said Castillo.

“I do it on the back holes where there’s nobody because I want to be respectful.”

He better find a golf simulator if the Bombers are still playing when there’s snow on the ground.

“The week I didn’t golf, I missed two kicks in the Banjo Bowl, so I got to stick to my routine,” he said. “Is it superstitious? I don’t know, but I went back to golf the next week and I haven’t missed since then.”

The day of the game, the 34-year-old Texan will try to sleep in as late as he can, eight or nine o’clock, before going out for a hearty breakfast.

“I had friends come up here last week from Texas and we went to Ben & Florentine. I had three eggs over easy, bacon, ham, sausage, cubed potatoes, three or four pancakes — the big ones, too, you can’t have the small ones — but then I won’t eat the rest of the day,” he said.

Castillo has had family or friends in town for every home game this season except for two. Adriana, a high school Spanish teacher and soccer coach, and their young son Jared stay in Winnipeg with him until class is in session. When they’re here, and it’s an evening game, Castillo unwinds in the late morning/early afternoon with Jared by watching classics like Toy Story, Shrek or Cars, or going outside to play catch with a baseball.

“I dedicate time to him when he’s here,” said Castillo. “Obviously, it gives the wifey a break, too, right?”

If it’s a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, Castillo arrives around 3 p.m. and the first thing he does is jump into the cold tub.

“I go from the neck down, and I go 11 deep breaths because your heart starts racing, kind of like in a game,” he said. “If I can control my breathing in an environment like that, it helps me out there.”

But why 11?

“I do 11 because that was my mom’s favourite number. That was her high school basketball number,” said Castillo.

From there, it’s a trip to the hot tub for a few minutes before hitting an upper body workout. He then attends a chapel session led by the team’s chaplain Lorne Korol. Castillo then makes his way down the tunnel without his pads on and boots six field goals on each side of the field.

His furthest attempt is from 40 yards out as he believes he can gauge what his distance is for the night based off that. Castillo will then report to special teams co-ordinator Mike Miller with less than 10 minutes remaining until game time to fill him in on what his range is.

“I always kind of lie and say I can do another five yards,” joked Castillo.

Before putting his gear on, Castillo writes a list of affirmations on a small piece of paper and slides it into his football pants. They include Adriana and Jared’s names to remind him he’s playing for more than himself, his favourite Bible verse: Luke 12:48 (“When much is given, much is expected out of you”), and one that says he’s the best kicker in the CFL and that he’s going to go out and prove it.

It’s something he learned over a decade ago when he was at West Texas A&M University from sports psychologist Dr. Michelle Bartlett.

“I was so negative in my thinking. I had just finished my junior year as an All-American in West Texas where I went 21-for-23 and I had so many doubts,” he said.

“After being two or three hours into a session with her, it boiled down to my insecurities came from the fact my dad wasn’t in my life. We just came up with all these affirmations to help me with life and now I carry it onto the field.”

The game begins and once the offence starts moving the ball, Castillo reads the list and puts his helmet on. He then visits Olivia Friesen, one of the team’s athletic therapists, for a squirt of water before trotting out for a kick.

“I always go to her and it’s one squirt, that’s it,” said Castillo. “It’s been like that since I came back in ‘23 and I don’t switch. I don’t go to anybody else.”

Castillo doesn’t kick off a tee, instead he has a piece of tape on the right side of his helmet that he takes off to place down on the field as a marker for holder/punter Jamieson Sheahan. After a make, the loudspeakers will blare out mariachi music — a nod to Castillo’s Mexican roots — while he exchanges handshakes and headbutts with Sheahan and long snapper Ian Leroux.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s an extra point or a 63-yarder, the process is the same,” he said.

Once he returns to the sideline, Castillo grabs a sharpie and marks a tally underneath the visor of his Bombers hat — something he just started doing this season.

“I have a cap that I’ve had all year long and I tally all the field goals I’ve made. Looking back, I wish I did that at the beginning of my career so I could be like ‘Oh, this (cap) is from ‘23, this one is from ‘24,” he said.

After the final whistle, he retreats to the locker room for a shower and to chat with reporters before taking the elevator up to the suite level with his loved ones for a post-game feast. The Bombers put out a mouthwatering spread for the players and their family members at the end of the night.

“I’m starving at this point. I’ll have three or four cheeseburgers, or half a pizza, whatever it is,” he said.

The kitchen staff also hook him up with a parting gift.

“They always give me a whole tray of watermelon to take home,” said Castillo. “They’ve been doing that for two years now.”

Sometimes he’ll also head to Nicolino’s Italian restaurant or to Leopold’s Tavern with his co-workers to hang out before heading home.

Castillo — who’s enjoying a brilliant year during which he’s gone 44-for-50 on field goal attempts — like most players, is wired after a game and struggles to fall asleep.

Fortunately for him, he’s found something that helps.

“I’ll take a tequila shot,” he said with a laugh.

Castillo and the Bombers (9-8) close out the regular season Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Montreal Alouettes (10-7).

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca