Football is simply a way of life in the Lone Star State.
Need proof? Look no further than the Gomez brothers.
Juan, Luis, and Andres Gomez moved to Texas from Mexico in 1989 as young boys and quickly immersed themselves in a game that would shape the rest of their lives.
ANDRES
Andres, the youngest brother, has been the head football coach at Houston’s Northbrook High School since 2020. The path he’s walked to get to this point has been paved by perseverance.
Coming to the United States as a nine-year-old boy was just one event in Andres’ long list of circumstances.
“We didn’t really have a lot of friends. We always stuck together. We did many sports like little league soccer and baseball.” Andres said. “I had to communicate with other kids, so it forced me to figure it out.”
The language barrier forced Andres and his brothers to work through some tough conversations with their peers until communication became easy.
“It forced me to figure it out,” he said. “I believe this is where my perseverance comes from. In times of adversity, I take pride in being a problem solver.”
Those skills have aided him well in his coaching endeavors, which have included stops at the following Texas high schools: Chavez, Tomball, Aldine, Nimitz, Klein Oak, College Park, and Klein Cain.
His goal has always been to connect with athletes who need guidance.
“I try to develop relationships with them, so they can trust me in times of trouble,” Andres said. “I wasn’t the strongest when I played football, but I worked on my weaknesses so they could become strengths. I try to let my players know that you may not be genetically gifted, but if you work hard at what you do and continually grow yourself as a person, you’re gonna see results.
LUIS
Luis, just like Andres, fell in love with the game after seeing oldest brother Juan play.
“After that, I fell in love with the sport on my own,” said Luis, who is currently the defensive tackles football coach and assistant soccer coach at Brenham High School. “I loved the coaches and my teammates. I was never the biggest. I just loved being part of a team.”
Also like Andres, coming to Texas from another country was a huge adjustment for Luis as a ten-year-old.
Much like his little brother, coming to Texas from another country was a huge adjustment for Luis, who was 10 when the Gomez’s made the move.
“It took me a while to learn English,” he said. “I was really shy and didn’t like talking to people because my English wasn’t as smooth as other kids.”
Although he had a hard time adapting in the beginning, Luis was able to persevere through his problems and he credits a lot of his tenacity to the sport of football. He hopes his student-athletes can glean some of that tenacity from him.
“I want to be a good role model for all of my players.” Luis said. “I try to teach them to be responsible and to work hard.”
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