After moving to Columbus from Mexico this year, Alberto and Kevin Galindo Sanchez were happy to join the Columbus East boys soccer team.
But early in the season, the sophomores were having a little difficulty. Since they didn’t speak English, they were having a hard time communicating with their coaches and teammates.
That’s where Javier Lara stepped in.
Lara, a fellow Mexican native, had just joined the East coaching staff and was more than happy to be a translator between the coaches and the Sanchez brothers. Since then, Lara has developed a close bond with the pair.
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"They thought about quitting the team, not because they didn’t like soccer, but they couldn’t understand the orders and the game plan," Lara said. "They were always trying to catch up. At least now, instructions are clear, and they can just follow and be on the same page and be part of the team."
That team is among the final four still standing in the Class 3A state tournament. The 3A No. 5 Olympians will play 3A No. 1 Zionsville in the semistate at around 5 p.m. Saturday at Seymour.
Kevin, an outside midfielder, usually is the first player off the bench for East. With four goals and four assists, he ranks fifth on the team in both categories.
On Saturday, Kevin assisted on the lone goal in a 1-0 overtime win against Bloomington South in the regional semifinals.
"Kevin has settled in as our 12th player, and he is a multi-functional player, able to get forward and create goal-scoring chances within the attack, but equally as strong on the defensive side of the ball, and he showed that against Southport, where he played his best game," East coach Brad Barber said.
Alberto, who is 11 months older than Kevin, played an attacking center midfield role for the junior varsity team.
"Alberto continued to improve throughout the course of the JV season, and I look for big things for him in the future," Barber said.
Kevin and Alberto began playing soccer at age 5. They were playing at the high school level in San Isidro, Mexico, last year before their mother Lorena Sanchez took a job at Faurecia.
Besides a couple rules differences, Kevin and Alberto have noticed how much more structured the environment is in their new home.
"Here, they have three coaches sometimes overseeing them," Lara said. "They get chocolate milk after the practices and games. They have pasta parties before big games. We offer training, also athletic trainers being on site and helping them. They like that the discipline is much more strict than over there (in Mexico)."
Kevin is excited to play in another big game on Saturday.
"It’s the first time for him to be to semistate," Lara said. "He’s really thankful to all the coaches because we all saw his qualities since Day 1, and we all had confidence in him. He puts the effort in and shows some abilities."
Lara came to the United States in the early 2000s to attend Northern Arizona University. He stayed in the U.S. and now works at Cummins.
"While most our staff has come from a United States soccer background, Javier brought a new prospective that was beneficial to our staff and players," Barber said. "Our program culture is built on passion and love for ‘The Beautiful Game.’ As I tell our players, if you love ‘The Beautiful Game,’ you’re going to fit in here."
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What: Seymour Semistate
When: Around 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Seymour High School
Who: Columbus East (17-0-3) vs. Zionsville (19-0)
Admission: $10
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