Growing up in a Mexican household in Fresno, California, Christian Chaney spent most of his childhood around the sport of soccer. From playing out of the country to playing on multiple teams in the US, Chaney’s soccer journey has been packed with adventure and excitement, beginning with moving to Mexico alone when he was 16 years old.
“I would go to Mexico a lot as a kid to visit family over there but I never actually lived there,” Chaney said. “I never really liked school so I dropped out when I realized that there was an opportunity for me to go play in Mexico and pursue the dream of being a professional soccer player at a young age. I moved away from home completely on my own and I learned a lot about myself and about the game. I think it made me such a better player within a very short period of time. It made me better physically, but I learned a lot about the mental aspect of the game as well.”
After his time in Mexico, Chaney returned to the US where he resumed his education, while honing his soccer skill set.
“Right after Mexico I moved back to America and played at a junior college in Fresno. After that I moved to Armenia and it was very different there. It was a culture shock for sure. I was homesick and couldn’t learn Armenian because it’s a really hard language to learn, but it was still amazing because it was so beautiful there.”
After his time in Armenia, Chaney returned back to California where he played in the USL Championship for Sacramento Republic before leaving the country again to play in Malta, an island off the coast of Italy. After enjoying the island experience, he returned home and played a season with USL League One’s Central Valley Fuego FC before finally ending up in Madison.
“I needed a breath of fresh air mentally and physically, I just needed to move. The coaching staff, the great people that we have here, really encouraged me to come and they believed in me so it felt like it was just a better place for me mentally. It ended up really working out because I love the coaching staff and the team here. I’m very happy with where I’m at right now and I’m just trying to continue building forward to see where life takes me.”
While Chaney plans on playing soccer as long as he can, he recently realized his love of coaching, as it opens a door for him to stay involved in the sport he loves for the rest of his life. In the off season, Chaney coaches a high school varsity boy’s team, using his experiences on the pitch to help his youth coaching.
“I plan on using this game to keep going and to continue getting unique experiences out of life. I also want to continue meeting new people. I recently picked up coaching, which is something that I’ve avoided doing because I didn’t think I’d like it, but I like coaching a lot now. I feel like it’s a simple transition from being a player, loving the game and being involved with the game as much as I have, and I think it’s just a good way to keep it going. I coach a varsity team back home, so when I go back to Fresno in the offseason I jump right into their season.”
Through his travels around the globe, Chaney has grown to have a large appreciation for the game and the people within it. As his love for playing grew with each location and team he was a part of, his perspective on the game has been altered, reminding himself not to take anything for granted.
“Playing now, I take it all in for what it’s worth and I enjoy the moments a lot more. You have no idea how many more years you have left. When you’re a kid you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna play for the next seven or eight years,’ but then seven or eight years pass by fast and you wonder where the time went. I make money doing something I love and it really is a blessing.”
