WHILE HIS mother earned a nursing degree from Motlow State Community College and worked full time to support her family, Chris Fritz watched with silent admiration. “I’ll never forget waking up at night when I was in elementary school and seeing her studying or doing homework,” recalled Fritz. “She worked her tail off to provide Hamburger Helper for dinner. She read to me every night and made sure that I believed academics were a way to change my life.”
His mother’s dedication to earning a college degree, coupled with a string of teachers pushing Fritz to give his best efforts, molded him into a teacher, soccer coach, and mentor who prioritizes investing in his students and players.
“I had a long line of exceptional teachers that helped me mature by investing in me as a person first. I wasn’t the easiest student by any means. Ann Spencer, Ardis Rittenberry, and Marla Agee were a few, but these aren’t all of the teachers who helped shape my personality. One of my current best friends, coach Neal Gordon, was my chemistry teacher, and he allowed me to flourish in his class,” Fritz said.
After graduating from Shelbyville Central High School (SCHS), Fritz earned a degree in criminal justice from Middle Tennessee State University. A chance encounter with coach Gordon changed the trajectory of Fritz’s life when he encouraged him to pursue teaching.
“Within a year, I was working at the high school as a teacher, and coach Gordon took me under his wing as an assistant coach. He showed me how rewarding both responsibilities can be when you truly give yourself to the kids. I’ve been blessed to know a man like coach Gordon. He taught me how to reflect, own my mistakes, and be true to myself.”
When done well, coaching and teaching students in the classroom can have similar outcomes. According to Fritz, “Both require you to pour into people, be passionate, and focus on the growth, not the outcome. I love watching people develop grit and self-confidence to achieve in ways that surprise themselves. That carries over to the classroom with some of the difficult or hard-to-reach students. The ‘light bulb moment’ is a real thing in a good teacher’s classroom; it’s a lot slower than most people realize, but when it happens, it’s immensely rewarding.”
When it comes to sports, Fritz vividly recalled the financial struggles his single mother faced. “I don’t take coaching fees for the youth soccer teams that I coach. That’s nine different age groups of boys and over 130 little guys that I’ve coached over the past decade. I have strong opinions about affordable sports for our community and free public spaces for people to gather and play sports. It’s also the same philosophy we had with the Bedford County elementary league. In trying to give as many kids the opportunity to play as possible, we even ran our camp last year for free.”
Fritz taught history and math at SCHS for 16 years and has coached soccer for 17 years. While teaching, he also became a student, earning a master’s degree in school administration from Arkansas State University in 2018. Because of the investments he continues to make in the lives of countless students, the board of education promoted him to dean of students. He faithfully served in this capacity while also teaching. The board expanded the position for the 2024-2025 school year, so Fritz now mentors full time at all three high schools.
He is a devoted husband to his wife, Misty, and the father of three sons, Mason, Callum, and Rory. “My wife is a nurse in Lynchburg. She has been my rock, and honestly, I look up to her. She is the most optimistic and caring person I have ever known. She helps me work through the ups and downs of the coaching world. She even coached alongside me when I was coaching the girls. She will tell you that coaching has made me a better father and husband. Our three sons have lost a ton of ‘dad time’ to my coaching, but I try to make it up as much as I can. I think people generally just take for granted the sacrifices that come with pouring yourself out in coaching kids that aren’t yours. It truly must be a calling on your soul.”
As a teacher, Chris believed in the value of academics, and as a coach, he models the importance of teamwork and physical exercise to his players. But as someone who looks at the greater picture, he knows every athlete must be well-rounded, capable, and mature adults. To achieve this, every player becomes a mentor through the Cooper Steel Twelve/Twelve Reading Program or by volunteering during elementary league practices.
“Most of the boys go way above and beyond in helping with that league. We have some of our boys that show up every Saturday to support their favorite player.”
Fritz’s motto is: “Do the work others won’t and that you dread. Never be satisfied.” GN
