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!