Soccer has been a part of Coach Jeremy Christie’s career almost as long as he’s been alive. When he was just three years old he started playing with his older brother’s team. From there, he traveled all across the world to pursue his dream of playing professionally, even making it to the World Cup. Now, he coaches both Lake Highland’s boys’ and girls’ varsity teams and club teams. So how did Coach Christie go from a kid who loved watching Liverpool FC with his grandfather to leading the Highlanders to success, both in soccer and other aspects of their lives?
Coach Christie’s passion for soccer began when he was at his brother’s game. Dressed in, rainboots and sweatpants, the team realized that they were short a player, so Coach Christie stepped in, and he learned just how much he loved the game. However, his biggest mentor in the sport was his grandfather. Coach Christie says, “He was my first coach and taught me to love the game. For as long as I can remember I’ve always played, watched, and been a student of the game.” At 14 Coach Christie left his hometown to go to boarding school to play soccer, then signed a contract to play in England at 16. While his family had a hard time with the idea of him leaving at such a young age, they saw how big of an opportunity it was for him to achieve his goals in soccer. He advises, “Surrounding yourself with people who help you achieve your goals is one of the most important things you can do.”
After years of playing with supportive coaches and friends, Coach Christie decided to take up the opportunity to join the New Zealand team. He and his friends pushed each other to reach their full potential by eventually getting selected by U16 level for New Zealand. Eventually, he captained the U17 New Zealand team and played for the U20 and the U23 national teams before debuting for the men’s national team in 2005. At 27 years old, in 2010 he played for New Zealand in the World Cup, hosted by South Africa, drawing all three games. Despite being undefeated, his group placed third, meaning they didn’t qualify for the knockout rounds.
However, due to three knee surgeries and a hip surgery, Coach Christie decided to leave the New Zealand team. When he finished playing for the national team, he wanted to continue his strong passion for soccer so he took the great opportunity to coach for Lake Highland’s soccer teams. He started FC Highland, a club team with many people from Lake Highland. Coach Christie says he started the team because he wanted a good way to develop character as well as values and skills players could use both in and outside of the game, which is evident through the team’s motto: “Better People Make Better Players.”
Therefore, it is clear that Coach Christie’s passion lies in not only loving the game of soccer, but also in pushing athletes to make the most of their potential. One of the team captains, Rory Brown, grade 11, testified in this saying that, “Coach Jeremy is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met” who, “Treats all of his players with respect” and, “Pushes everyone to be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” So from playing and watching the game with his family and friends to going to the World Cup, Coach Christie’s hard work and perseverance have brought world-class coaching to Lake Highland.
