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Christian Yelich in a brewers uniform with a baseball bat over his shoulder

Meet Christian Yelich

Christian Yelich joined the American Family Insurance Brand Ambassador family in 2019 with a focus on creating a major impact in local communities.

Welcoming Christian to the Family

Christian Yelich sitting in a chair

Dreams Are Worth Pursuing

Ask any kid what they want to be when they grow up, and more than likely you’ll have quite a few of them declare they will be professional baseball players. And who could blame them? You get to dedicate yourself to a sport you love, be a role model for others across the country and make a difference in communities.

Take it from Christian Yelich, once a California kid with big ambitions, now, an all-star athlete and one of the biggest names in professional baseball. Christian told himself as a young boy that he was going to make it to the professional league and held himself to it. But his success certainly didn’t happen overnight.

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Goals are achieved through hard work. You can't hope or wish it happens, you have to go out there and do it. – Christian Yelich

About Christian Yelich

Christian had to put in the work to get where he is today.
CHRISTIAN YELICH: We're at Westlake High School, where I went to school about 10 years ago, 2010. Going to school here was cool. I mean, it was your average high school experience.  Football games on Friday nights, playing baseball games here. It's cool to be back. It's a pretty common dream and goal is to play pro sports, whether it's baseball, basketball, football, whatever it may be. As a kid, I had that dream. All my friends had that same dream. Yeah, it was here, where you were just playing with your buddies for fun. Trying to make the team freshman year and then having a chance to go pro four years later as a senior, it's pretty cool that a lot of it just started right here. I didn't know I was ever going to play in the big leagues until probably the year before I did. I was a first round pick and all that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't mean anything either. That just means that's where you're drafted, and now you're in the minor leagues like everybody else. I don't know if I ever knew that I'd play at an MVP level. But once you get there and you know you're capable of it, then that's the standard and that's what you hold yourself to. My family, my friends, people that have known me forever, they've seen good, bad, all those moments since I was a kid. Not even just baseball stuff, just life things. After my injury, there's a frustration period. You have a couple day lull. And then once you realize there's no changing it, you have to put your focus into getting better. I know that I can do it. I've got all the confidence in the world to do that, and that's what's going to happen. I think to be fearless means you acknowledge the fear, adversity, but push through it anyways. Sure, there's a sense of doubt there, but you have to have belief in yourself and kind of laser focus on what you want to achieve. And that's what makes it possible to achieve your dreams, and I've had that since I was a kid. You get to play the game for a short amount of time, so why not get everything you can out of it while you can? I think you'd be cheating yourself, the game, the fans, the team, the organization if you didn't have that drive and you didn't want to be the best version of yourself.

A Fearless Dreamer

Christian grew up in Thousand Oaks, California and worked tirelessly to take his baseball career to the next level. Whether he was staying a little later after practice to stand out on his high school team or working on his skills with his two brothers year-round, Christian was always working towards something great.

But even with a strong goal in his mind, he never forgot to embrace what was going on in the moment. Christian is proud of his journey from freshman year high school baseball tryouts to making his debut to the professional level in 2013 and eventually earning all-star status and an MVP award. Why? Because sometimes it’s the journey that shapes you into the dreamer you need to be to accomplish your goals!

You’re bound to run into obstacles when pursuing your big dream. Like in 2019 when Christian fractured his kneecap and was ineligible for the rest of the season — but that didn’t deter him from getting back to the game. With determination to recover, Christian came back stronger than ever thanks to his persistent drive to overcome anything that comes in his way.

So, what’s next for this big dreamer? Whatever it is, we can count on Christian to bring his A game and the same laser-focus that got him where he is today.

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Oftentimes when you get to that end goal and accomplish what you’ve set out to do, it feels special, but a lot of times the memories or experiences you had along the way are just as special. – Christian Yelich

Charity Work and Philanthropy

a baseball player behind a chain link fence

Remembering His Roots

Even with all his success as a professional baseball player, that California kid is not long forgotten. As one of the founders of California Strong, Christian supports his home state through this initiative to provide financial aid to those impacted by natural or unexpected disasters in his home state. Christian’s commitment to his community is one of the many reasons we’re so proud to partner with him as our brand ambassador.
Visit the California Strong Organization
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The community element of our partnership is important to both of us, and I look forward to seeing the impact we can achieve together. – Christian Yelich

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Now that you’ve met Christian Yelich, consider meeting the rest of the family! Learn more about how they help us inspire dreamers everywhere.
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