If you're a coaches wife, you know that "normal" doesn't apply to us when it comes to most things. Family traditions are no exception. Here are 4 football-specific traditions our family holds dear.
1. Attend a Coaches Outreach Summer Marriage Retreat
This tradition quickly became a must-do in our family. We learned about them early in our marriage, I think in year 2. We've only missed one since, and we'll never make that mistake again. The retreats are super simple and casual. The format is the same each year, which is what makes it so comfortable and familiar. There are countless benefits of attending, but here are my top 2. First, it reminds me that I am important to my husband. (Tell me I'm not alone. I always start to question this during the season ...) We don't get much time away together to just be a couple. This is a weekend I know I can look forward to each summer. Second, joining together with other coaching couples reminds me that we're not alone. Coaches Outreach does an amazing job of showering us with love all weekend and reminding us how important our coaching ministry is. This boost recharges me for another season.
2. Start of the Season Gift
I stumbled into this tradition, but it's one of my favorite. I'm not great at gift giving for Christmas. Or birthdays. Or Valentines. Or anniversaries. You get the picture. But somehow this occasion gets my creative juices flowing. I try to come up with something fun and surprising (and inexpensive!). I've failed to impress more often than not, unfortunately. But maybe that's part of the appeal. I think the Cincinnati Bengals shirt I got this year will be a hit.
3. Player Cards
"Player cards" were born out of my desire to help my then 2-year-old learn who each of dad's position players were. I asked Greg to take individual pictures of all his players during the team photo day. He wasn't a fan of this request but obliged. I printed out each player, glued the picture to a piece of construction player, and had the cards laminated. On the back I wrote the player's name and grade level. It was fun to quiz my little one of who each person was and then introduce him to them in person. Greg liked to line up his players and then, holding Keats, go down the line having Keats name off each of the players. It made the players happy to have such a tiny fan. Greg happily takes their pictures for me now. :) Bonus: I now also use the cards as I write notes or pray for the players.
4. Budget for "Football Travel"
Each fall, we add a "Football Travel" envelope to our budget. This is money the kids and I use to eat out on Fridays, either as we travel to away games or at the concession stands. I love having this money set aside for this purpose and knowing we can have a treat as we head to the game.
I've learned it's important for the entire family to embrace our coaching lifestyle. As the kids get older, I'm sure we'll add more fun traditions to this list. What are some of your most favorite football family traditions?
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Thursday, June 30, 2016
What I Learned From a Rookie Coaches Wife
Season 8 in a nutshell? It was great. It will go down as the season I met a rookie coaches wife who rocked my world. Emily is a fireball, full of energy and passion. One of the first things we connected over was our shared character trait of being "realists" and not "pessimists."
Not long as our friendship began, Emily proclaimed me to be her "coaches wife mentor." This still makes me laugh to this day. I've had 3 mentors in my life, but I've never thought of myself as one. I've always been so grateful for the advice, wisdom and life lessons my mentors provide, never realizing that the benefits flow both ways.
So after an unbelievable year, here is what I, the mentor, learned from the mentee.
1. I am not alone.
Sometimes this coaching life can be downright lonely. Coworkers and friends (and sometimes family) don't understand the demands. They don't understand the sacrifices. They don't understand why I operate like a single parent during the season. Emily does. On many occasions, she kept K after school until I could arrive or she shuttled him across the street to the high school. I'm not sure how I would have survived the year without her.
2. Why we do this.
Emily shares my passion that coaching is a ministry our families are called to. She values the impact our husbands have on these young men. We both have husbands who come home late because they drive a player home (most don't have cars). We have both prayer walked around the high school. She reminds me that yes, it's all worth it. And sometimes I remind her.
3. Two is better than one.
Crazy ideas are so much more fun when you have an accomplice. Enter Emily. She is up for whatever fun or ridiculous scheme I cook up. And lots of times, she's the chef. This past year we have: bathed my children in my driveway with a water hose, baked cookies, and picnicked in my neighbor's yard. One night Greg returned home really late from a meet, expecting us all to be asleep. Instead, he found the kids running around like nuts and Emily and I gabbing like school girls. There was also a water balloon failure that I'm not ready to talk about yet. :)
4. God answers prayers.
Emily is a triple threat when it comes to answered prayers. I had prayed for our family's transition to kindergarten and for a new friend when a dear neighbor moved away last fall. Emily is God's solid answer to both. She kept me updated on the kindergarten social scene (K held a girl's hand on the circle rug?!) and explained CVC words and blends. She became my go-to friend for sending memes, kid pictures and funny stories. The third answered prayer? It was something I didn't even know to ask God for. In our 5 years of parenting, we have been terrible at asking for help. I've always felt like I was imposing. Emily freed me of this fear. She has loved on our boys so fiercely that accepting her help does not feel like an imposition.
It is my prayer that you will find a coaches wife mentor or mentee this upcoming season who blesses you the way Emily has blessed me. And be sure to check Emily out at Life Below the Mason Dixon. She captures everything on Instagram, so you might be able to find a few pictures documenting Season 8's shenanigans.
Until next time!
Not long as our friendship began, Emily proclaimed me to be her "coaches wife mentor." This still makes me laugh to this day. I've had 3 mentors in my life, but I've never thought of myself as one. I've always been so grateful for the advice, wisdom and life lessons my mentors provide, never realizing that the benefits flow both ways.
So after an unbelievable year, here is what I, the mentor, learned from the mentee.
1. I am not alone.Sometimes this coaching life can be downright lonely. Coworkers and friends (and sometimes family) don't understand the demands. They don't understand the sacrifices. They don't understand why I operate like a single parent during the season. Emily does. On many occasions, she kept K after school until I could arrive or she shuttled him across the street to the high school. I'm not sure how I would have survived the year without her.
2. Why we do this.
Emily shares my passion that coaching is a ministry our families are called to. She values the impact our husbands have on these young men. We both have husbands who come home late because they drive a player home (most don't have cars). We have both prayer walked around the high school. She reminds me that yes, it's all worth it. And sometimes I remind her.
3. Two is better than one.
Crazy ideas are so much more fun when you have an accomplice. Enter Emily. She is up for whatever fun or ridiculous scheme I cook up. And lots of times, she's the chef. This past year we have: bathed my children in my driveway with a water hose, baked cookies, and picnicked in my neighbor's yard. One night Greg returned home really late from a meet, expecting us all to be asleep. Instead, he found the kids running around like nuts and Emily and I gabbing like school girls. There was also a water balloon failure that I'm not ready to talk about yet. :)
4. God answers prayers.
Emily is a triple threat when it comes to answered prayers. I had prayed for our family's transition to kindergarten and for a new friend when a dear neighbor moved away last fall. Emily is God's solid answer to both. She kept me updated on the kindergarten social scene (K held a girl's hand on the circle rug?!) and explained CVC words and blends. She became my go-to friend for sending memes, kid pictures and funny stories. The third answered prayer? It was something I didn't even know to ask God for. In our 5 years of parenting, we have been terrible at asking for help. I've always felt like I was imposing. Emily freed me of this fear. She has loved on our boys so fiercely that accepting her help does not feel like an imposition.
It is my prayer that you will find a coaches wife mentor or mentee this upcoming season who blesses you the way Emily has blessed me. And be sure to check Emily out at Life Below the Mason Dixon. She captures everything on Instagram, so you might be able to find a few pictures documenting Season 8's shenanigans.
Until next time!
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