Kilee Holcomb

Photo of Christian Sanchez Tato holding a soccer ball. Image by Kilee Holcomb.

Reflecting on his life journey, Christian Sanchez never imagined he would end up teaching Spanish at Fremont High School. Born and raised in Venezuela, Sanchez originally dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. However, rising political unrest and instability in his home country led him to move to Spain to be with family — a decision that ultimately set him on the path to education.

Although the move was difficult, Sanchez also took the opportunity to try out for a Spanish soccer team.

“There’s a bad situation with the government,” Sanchez said. “But I got the opportunity to try out for a team in Spain. I was lucky enough to pass the tryouts and stay there.”

Sanchez lived in Spain for approximately 12 to 15 months, staying with family members along the coast. During that time, he immersed himself in the culture and lifestyle.

“The summer is what I remember the most by the coast,” Sanchez said. “The beach was always so nice. Spanish food is a little bit different, at least on the coast. There was a lot of fish, shrimp and stuff mixed into that.”

After his time in Spain, Sanchez immigrated to Texas after receiving the opportunity to play soccer for Laredo Community College. At the time, he knew only limited English, which he had learned during high school. Because he lived close to the Mexico border, English was not commonly spoken in his daily life.

That changed when Sanchez transferred to Iowa Lakes University for another soccer opportunity. While living in Iowa, many of his teammates were English or from England, forcing him to learn English more quickly.

“When I was in Texas, I wasn’t learning much English because I was really close to the border with Mexico,” Sanchez said. “But when I transferred to Iowa, a lot of my teammates were from England, so I had to learn English. I think that’s the best way to learn a language is just being with those kinds of people and learning, you know, not being afraid of making mistakes and trying it out.”

Sanchez did not remain in Iowa long before moving to Nebraska, where he received an opportunity to play soccer at Midland. He has lived in Fremont ever since.

“I always wanted to be a coach,” Sanchez said. “The teaching opportunity came out of nowhere and just kind of landed in my hands, and I’m still here.”

Today, Sanchez is one of the Spanish teachers at Fremont High School. Outside of the classroom, he coaches soccer at Midland University and serves as the head coach for the Fremont High School team. He also has a background in strength and conditioning.

Despite now calling Fremont home, Sanchez still reflects fondly on his past and the people he misses.

“I think more about the people than the place itself, I think I miss the people you know, my family lives in Spain, my parents live in Spain. So that’s kind of what I miss the most.”

When thinking about Venezuela, Sanchez remembers moments of joy despite the challenges.

“I think my favorite memory from Venezuela was Christmas,” Sanchez said. “It was always a time where the whole family would be together, and, regardless of the situation going on, it was a really happy kind of season in Venezuela. At least that’s how I remember it.”

Looking ahead, Sanchez remains grateful for the opportunities soccer has given him.

“Because of soccer, I’ve been lucky enough to travel all around the United States,” Sanchez said. “If I ever move, which I don’t know if that will happen, I’m probably gonna go to a warmer place somewhere south, but I don’t see it coming. I really like it here, and I plan to stay here.”