Just for fun, the Lewisville varsity soccer team played a special game against Lewisville soccer alumni Monday. One of the alumni hopes to inspire the students and teach a lesson about success, grit, and community pride. This alumnus was Kris Gutierrez. Gutierrez, now an Emmy-award winning news anchor for NBC Channel 5, played varsity soccer at Lewisville, two years in Oklahoma, and another two years at Texas Christian University.
     “[Playing varsity soccer as a freshman] was a great experience,” Gutierrez said. “I was really fortunate. Our head coach, Gino Ristevski at the time, started coaching at Lewisville High School back in 1980. I graduated in ‘95 so, you know, alumni games like this are just a total flashback for someone like me. I remember growing up and my dad driving by Max Goldsmith Stadium and talking about ‘some day you’ll be able to play out there.”
     Gutierrez’ father was right. Gutierrez would end up developing a passion for soccer and would play on the varsity squad by the time he was a freshman at Lewisville.
     “To be a letterman as a freshman— to play varsity soccer was a real blessing,” he said. “My dad grew up playing. My dad’s from Mexico and he and his brothers and sisters grew up in Mexico playing soccer and so for me, it was in my blood, you could say. From day one I was kicking soccer balls.”
     His passion for soccer drew attention, and he eventually went to college on a scholarship for soccer.
     “The first school I went to was a small school in Oklahoma City,” Gutierrez said. “I went there on a soccer scholarship and then I transferred to TCU my junior year. I started right away as a junior and then also lettered my senior year, so I got two years of varsity letter, D1 soccer.”
     However, Gutierrez’ sports aspirations did not continue as an athlete. Instead, he became a sports reporter.
     “When I was in college, we had to write a paper about what we wanted to do when we got out of school and for me, I thought it would be the greatest job in the world to be a sports reporter,” he said.”I interned at a TV station here in Dallas when I was a junior in college and quickly realized that there were about four people on TV in the sports department and there were about 15 people on air in the news department. If my endgame was to come back home to Dallas, my quickest route home would be through news.”
     A month after graduating from TCU, Gutierrez would land a reporting job in Sherman, where his journalism adventures began.
     “I was there [in Sherman] for a year,” Gutierrez said. “From there I went to Youngstown, Ohio. I was a weekend reporter anchor there. From there I went down to Austin, and was in Austin for three years,” he said.  Gutierrez said he went to Houston for three years, then came back here and worked for Fox News Network for five years.  After that, he says he was in Chicago for another three years.  “And now I’m back home,” he said.
     His entire reporting career included the opportunity to cover national events and experience some of the biggest news stories in the South. Gutierrez was responsible for covering the Yearning For Zion Ranch that was raided by the FBI, the Fort Hood shootings, the BP oil spill, and more. His reporting also earned him two Emmy Awards in Houston. For these opportunities, Gutierrez is grateful.
     “It’s a blessing,” Gutierrez said. “God is good. He’s really really good to me and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
     Just two years ago, Gutierrez was inducted into the Lewisville High School Hall of Fame. Gutierrez, who is proud of his school and hometown, wants to teach the students there that they can be anyone they want to be.
     “I just look at the demographics of our community,” Gutierrez said. “Today is much different from when I grew up. I think a lot of these guys out on this field right now are in the same situation I was when I was 16, 17, 18 years old. They may have a parent or two from Mexico like I did. They may think the stack is against them, but I’ll tell you what, I am living proof that hard work pays off. I just never let anyone tell me ‘no.’ I just kept going until I had to stop, and I’m not at that point yet.”
     After a 1-1 tie in the second half, the LHS soccer team won 2-1 in overtime. While Gutierrez left Max Goldsmith Stadium, the students in the stands waving and smiling at him showed the influence a fellow Farmer can have.


To see all pictures from the game, go here.

Story by Anthony Mazur
Posted 12/30/15