Go the extra mile

 November 4, 2024 

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Matthew 5:41 

The verse from Matthew’s gospel comes from a chapter that you will easily recognize.  This chapter from Matthew is titled, “The Sermon on the Mount” and Jesus is teaching the people how to respond to someone when you have been wronged.  The world tells us to take an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth when we have been treated unfairly.  That sounds good to a guy that has a pretty hefty amount of Eads temper in his blood!  But that is not the way Jesus taught and certainly not the way he reacted to the many people who mistreated him all the way to his death on the cross.  I think a lot of lessons can be learned from the verse from Matthew 5:41. 

First of all, a little history lesson from some of the boring reading that I do.  During the time of the Roman Empire they built a network of roads that covered over 50,000 miles.  These roads included bridges and every twenty miles there was a state owned inn for travelers to spend the night. These roads were constructed in such a way that many of them can still be found today.  They have lasted much longer than any of the roads built today with modern technology.  Along these roads there was a marker at each mile point. These stone markers would tell the traveler the distance to each town along the road he was traveling and directions to points of interest.  The old saying of, “All roads lead to Rome” was true because each mile marker included the distance the traveler had traveled away from Rome, the center of the Roman Empire.  The phrase, “Go the extra mile” comes from the Roman Empire.  It was a common phrase to mean helping someone more than they expected. We have probably all had someone go the extra mile for us and we have all probably gone many extra miles for others.  I wonder if Jesus used this phrase in his sermon because the people in the audience would know the meaning. 

The game of football requires you to go the extra mile if you want to experience success either as a player or a coach. Doing extra work as a player, staying away from distractions that can keep you from the game, and studying the game are all ways a player and coach can go the extra mile. The consuming nature of the job and a coach’s natural desire to do more is the part that is equally exhausting and what keeps you excited about the job. In our Christian walk, going the extra mile for someone in need is also a special time.  However, in the verse from Matthew 5:41 Jesus says, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles”.  I don’t think he is talking about helping someone who is grateful for the help and it creates a special moment for both of you.  Actually, in the time Jesus lived on the earth, the Romans had total control over the Jews.  A Roman soldier could make a Jew serve him.  He could make the Jew carry his load for a mile, but one mile only.  The Romans even made Simon of Cyrene carry Jesus’ cross to Calvary.  Jesus is telling the Jews to not only do the uncomfortable task demanded by the Roman soldier but to do double the amount.  He’s not talking about helping someone do something that is enjoyable and I am sure he is not talking about football!  He is talking about going the extra mile when it is difficult.  The days when the person you are going the extra mile for is ungrateful or treats you like you owe them the help.  Those people become more difficult to deal with as you go through life!  People become less grateful and believe they are somehow owed the help but we must remember that we do not work for them.  We work for a Savior who tells us to go the extra mile, but also promises the reward is at the end of that second mile. 

Coach Eads

He's Here, He's Perfect!

 April 9, 2023

 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.  Matthew 28:7

 He’s here! He’s perfect!

On April 9th of this year we will celebrate Easter and the resurrection of our Savior.  Three years ago on this date the Eads and Watson families were celebrating the birth of Watson Graham Eads just a few days before Easter Sunday.  This baby boy would be born during the Covid pandemic and our family was not able to be at the hospital to meet our first grandson.  We would all have to wait a few days for Watson and his parents to come home, but we would get to meet our new grandson on Easter Sunday.  As I woke up that Easter Sunday I was filled with emotion about the resurrection of my Lord and Savior and also about the excitement of meeting my grandson who had been born three long days earlier.  My thoughts immediately went to praying for and thanking God for the healthy little boy I would soon get to hold for the first time.  I began to look back at the pictures that had been sent to us from the hospital and was amazed at the love I had for a little guy who I had never met.  I also looked back to the text my son had sent to our family just moments after his son’s birth.  The text said, “He’s here!  He’s perfect”.  These were only four simple words but they had so much meaning on a special Easter Sunday.  When I met Watson Eads a few hours later I realized the text from my son had been exactly right.  His son and my grandson was perfect!

I keep a picture of my son’s text from that day to remind me of the special little boy that was born on April 9, 2020.  Most importantly, it reminds me of the Savior who was hung on a cross for me, was buried in a tomb, but rose again to sit at the right hand of His Father in Heaven.

This year, on April 9th, we will celebrate the third birthday of Watson Graham Eads who is just as perfect today as he was the day I met him for the first time.  We also get to be thankful that our Savior is risen and the tomb is empty.  On this Easter Sunday we can celebrate that our Lord and Savior is here and He is more than perfect!

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day

Ephesians 6:2

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise

I think the many years of coaching offensive linemen has taught me much about the job of a mother.  I may be the only person on the earth that could relate the job of a mother to the job of an offensive lineman, but maybe you will understand after you read this letter.  In a home with a mother and a father, the father is like the quarterback and the mother is like the offensive lineman.  Dad, much like the quarterback, is known by everyone and has the glamorous job.  Dads can come home from a day at work to cheers from his children at his sight, while mom is standing exhausted in the background.  Dad gets to sign the autographs while mom quietly goes about her thankless job of protecting the members of her family.  Fathers get to throw the ball in the yard with his son or hold a baby girl, while mom is busy making our homes comfortable and our lives possible.  Dads get the credit for raising a well behaved son or confident daughter while mom, much like an offensive lineman, has quietly upheld the standards of the home and made it possible for dad to be the hero.  

However, any good quarterback knows his security, health, and image are not possible without the thankless work of the offensive line.  The fans would never know his name and he would not last for a single minute of the game without the offensive linemen who make it possible.  I have often told offensive lineman, when teaching about protecting the quarterback, that their job is to keep the quarterback upright on his feet.  As the son to a wonderful mother I know I would have never learned how to be a father myself without her.  The expectations she had for me as a child and her commitment to my father held me to a high standard that prepared me for my life as a dad.  The beautiful lady who is the mother to my children has certainly protected me over the years and kept me upright.  Her tireless and unselfish work at my home made it possible for me to come in the door at my home to a hero’s welcome from my children.  

Today is Mother’s Day and I want to make sure I express these same feelings toward my own mother and the mother of my children and now to the mother of my grandson.  I hope you, whether you are blessed to see your mother on this day or only through a phone call, will let her know that her thankless work did not and does not go unnoticed.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms but especially to the three mothers in my life who have made everything I have today possible.  I love you very much!

Chad 

Be Still!

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  Mark 4:39

I have to stop listening to the news because I get frustrated with the foolish ideas and thoughts that we hear from so many people.  There are so many topics that are twisted to fit what someone wants us to believe and the fake anger that we see about issues is getting out of control.  I keep having the thought that, as a society, we are going backwards.  I know I can sometimes seem like a negative person but I hope you will see my positivity about the world we live in today.  Not positive like, “I am positive these people are stupid”, but positive that God has always been in control and will continue to be until His Son returns for us.

As a country, many people of all colors and nationalities have worked to overcome the racial hatred that has existed in our world since the beginning of time.  Anyone who has those beliefs is simply ignorant.  It is certainly not my place to judge another, and I have plenty of areas of my life that need correcting.  But, I do not believe a person can have a relationship with the Creator of all life if he or she does not believe that He created all life.  It often seems like we are headed back to a time where, if you listen to the news, one man hates another because of the color of his skin, where he lives, or what he believes.  These beliefs are as equally wrong today as they were 100 years ago.  Why do we not see the ignorance in our own thoughts?  Have we become so educated, rich, or out of touch that we believe everything we think?  Or, have we become so ignorant, poor in character, or distanced from reality that we believe everything someone else thinks? 

Jamie and I have been at the beach for the last couple of days and it always reminds me that we are never in control.  Yesterday a storm came through the area and I was amazed at the size of the waves and the strength of the wind.  This morning I walked to the beach and was amazed at how calm the ocean was only a few hours later.  Most of all it reminds me that what seems out of control to us is being easily controlled by our Heavenly Father.  Not only did He create the mighty oceans of the world and all that lives within them, but He, with only a word, can calm the waves.  If He can control the wind and waves of something that can so easily destroy us, how much easier is it for Him to control my simple life.  The ocean reminds me that He is always in control of everything.  He already knows the good that He has blessed me with but He also knows the stormy days that may be ahead and is also preparing me for those.

I have to be reminded that He is in control and needs me to trust Him.  He knows that our world is and will continue to be filled with lost people with sinful beliefs.  The positive part that I want you to see is that He knew today would happen long before we existed.  He knew the storm would blow across the ocean last night and He knew the waters and wind would be calm this morning.  He needs me to trust Him regardless of the craziness I hear on the news. He has an amazing plan for you that will include many lost people who need to see Him through you.  He needs us all to remember that we are a vital part of His plan and to trust that He already knows the storms that are coming and the calm days that will follow.

We can rest in the assurance that He knew exactly what our world would be like today.  He knew who would be here, the issues we are facing, and that our world would still be full of lost people.  He also knew that we would all be here.  He knew we would have locker rooms full of young men who need a coach to care for and guide them.  He knew there would be classrooms full of small children who need a teacher who cares for them far beyond the daily lessons.  He knew there would be a community whose members often depend on a sport to add excitement to their days and guidance for their sons.  He also knew a simple “football family” would be in a position to influence that community far past the stadium and Friday nights.  He also knew there would be a head coach and his wife who want to have an influence far beyond a single season, but will certainly need His guidance.  

I have to remind myself, especially on those days when I have listened to far too much news, that He knew today was coming and, most importantly, knew that we would all be here.  The Creator of the world, who can calm the mighty oceans, also knows I am sitting at my desk writing a letter to all of you guys at this exact moment in time.

Love you guys!

Just sit in the boat

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. Mark 4:1

As football teams get closer to the end of the regular season and closer to the play-off time of year, the distracting noises always increase.  There is talk of possible play-off scenarios, future opponents, and constant planning for events that may not even occur. The intensity of the game increases as does the trash talk from fans and the tempers of most coaches.  Region championships and paths to a state championship are on the line in each game. The players are hearing about how good they are from their friends and family and the opposing fans are always a little more obnoxious. According to the fans, the coaches have suddenly forgotten how to coach, the referees are always plotting against their team, and they know exactly the correct play that should have been called.  All of this comes together to create a lot of extra noise that can be easily distracting to the players.  

As a football coach, I have to block out the noise.  It could come in the form of a parent complaint, a player who is having an issue in his life, or outside worries that are on my mind.  There is a time to deal with the issues of life but it is not during practice and certainly not during a game. I want our players to understand this as well.  It is difficult for a young man to put away his worries for a time and totally concentrate on his job as a player. We have talked a lot in the past few days about blocking out the noise around our team as we prepare for a very noisy environment on game night.  

Our game on this coming Friday has several aspects that will cause this to be a noisy environment.  Our opponent, if they were to win, will be the champions of our region. For my team, a win will mean home field advantage for the play-offs.  We would also get to ruin our opponent’s chance to be the region champion. The crowd should be large, we will be the visiting team, and emotions will be very high for all involved.  In order for our team to be successful on Friday night, we must block out the noise. There could be “trash” talk from our opponent, their crowd will be geared up to yell their team to victory, and our very own fans will have many suggestions to help us win.  There will be a lot of noise! Several times during this week we have talked about blocking out the noise but I know it is easier to say than to actually do. I have told the team, in order to truly block out the noise and distractions, we must be completely absorbed in preparing ourselves and our teammates for competition.  If each player is totally devoted to helping his teammate prepare, each young man will be too busy to notice the noise. During the game, if each young man is excited and celebrating a teammates success, there will not be any time left to hear the noise.  

I believe as Christians we also have to block out the noise.  As we go through our days, there will be people who need help with a problem, people who need a kind word, and people with a complaint.  Each of these issues crosses our path for a reason and each takes a toll on us personally. I also believe God places us on this earth to be in the middle of all the noise but, He also knows we need a break from the noise.  In Mark 4:1, Jesus has been teaching the crowd and has gotten into a boat and is sitting offshore. During Jesus’ time on the earth, he lived his life very much like each of us, with many of the same emotions. I am sure he was sitting in the boat because he needed a break from the crowd.  He had been teaching and had a full day of hearing their problems. There were probably several in the crowd with a complaint or with suggestions of how he could be a better teacher. I am sure, while sitting in the boat, he was asking his Father for guidance. He probably asked for energy to help the ones with an illness and patience to deal with the many others.  He most likely asked for wisdom to allow his Father’s words to come from his mouth when he returned to the shore to teach. He may have even taken the time away to regain his composure and remember why he was teaching. He just needed to sit in the boat for a while. Probably, while Jesus was in the boat, there were probably many who yelled to him from the shore. Jesus needed to be in the boat to block the noise and concentrate on the will of his Father.

I don’t live close to a lake and I do not own a boat, but I need to “Sit in the boat” sometimes.  I need time to get away from the voices who are asking for help or registering a complaint. I need time to refocus so my words will be my Heavenly Fathers, and not my own.  I need to block the noise so I can remember why I coach.

Chad

"Flag on the play"

So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:17

In the game of football nothing is more exciting than a long touchdown pass or a long touchdown run, unless there is a penalty that negates the score. While the team is celebrating the touchdown the coaches are always looking for the yellow flag on the field. It is comforting to quickly scan the field and find no yellow flags on the ground. But there is nothing more demoralizing to a coach and the team than to hear the words, “Flag on the play”.

Without the yellow flags thrown by the referees, the games would be total chaos. As a coach, I know there is a constant battle between coaches and referees. For every call they make, one coach thinks he is brilliant and the other thinks he is the most ignorant person on the planet. But, I also know that only with the rules of the game can the players be protected from many terrible injuries. The rules allow the game to continue play after play. Without the rules, the game would stop every time one player became angry with another. And without the rules of how a player should conduct himself on the field, the young men would never learn the many difficult and valuable lessons of football. I have often found it ironic that the young men on the field, involved in an emotional and intense game, are expected to conduct themselves much more appropriately than the adults in the stands. On most Friday nights around this country, the people watching the contest, could learn many valuable lessons from the young people involved.

What if our world had people walking around, dressed in referee uniforms and throwing yellow flags for each inappropriate action, word, or thought? In those moments, when someone is stretching the truth about themselves to impress a potential employer, the referee could throw the flag at them. He would announce in front of everyone, “Personal foul. Making yourself sound better than you really are! 15 yard penalty and loss of job”. What if every time an inappropriate word came from our mouths or while we were gossiping about someone, a yellow flag was thrown? The referee would say, “Trying to make yourself look good by tearing someone else down! 15 yard penalty and loss of respect”. Worst of all, what if a yellow flag was thrown at us for each thought we allowed to dwell in our mind that is not pleasing to God? I am afraid the referee would hurt his shoulder throwing so many flags at me!

The young men on the field on Friday nights, have within them, the mental toughness, emotional control, and the discipline to play the game and represent themselves according to the rules. They have been equipped with these tools and because of them, they are capable of playing the game of football. The players who do not possess these skills usually find themselves on the sidelines. As Christians, we are also thoroughly equipped with the skills and strengths necessary to live each moment for our Lord and Savior. Sure, there will always be those moments and situations in life that cause us to become angry, lose our temper, or say things we regret later. But, just like the football player who has to play an emotional game without allowing his emotions to control his actions, we also have to do the same in our lives. In those moments when all around us are becoming angry, reacting inappropriately to a situation, or allowing selfish desires to control their actions, we have to step back and ask God how He wants His Son to be revealed through us. I believe God uses every moment of our lives, both big and small, to teach us to trust Him more, how to show His Son more in our lives, and to draw someone closer to Him. When we look at our lives as thousands of tiny moments, created by Him, we begin to respond to people in a better way. We are equipped with everything we need for every moment of our lives.


Chad

Where were you?

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Every year, on the anniversary of the tragedies of September 11th, I make my students watch a video that talks about the events of that horrible day. I also talk to them about always remembering the moments in time when others have suffered and, for this day, when the world changed forever. My students were not even born when the World Trade Center was attacked. They have heard the stories but I always worry that this event will slowly become another part of our history. Is it because it did not affect us and we were not harmed? I explain to them that, although they were not yet born, the events of 9/11 had a tremendous impact on their lives. Life changed drastically on that day and the world will be forever different. I am not talking about simple things like getting through an airport quickly or having to fill out government paperwork. I am talking about the fact that we continue to be at war against terrorists, one man does not trust another just because of his nationality, or the fact that there is tremendous evil in our world. After my students watch the video I am always pleased with the respect and concern they show. They know more about the events than I give them credit for knowing and they actually make some very smart comments. I always talk to them about placing themselves in the position of the family members of the victims of 9/11. I think we see the people and the world in a different way when we do that. Suddenly we have compassion for their loss, and although we may not totally understand, there is a part of us that feels their grief.

As I left for work early this morning, I was reminded of where I was on the morning of September 11, 2001. I had told my wife and three year old daughter goodbye for the day and had dropped my seven year old son off at his school. While driving to work, I heard the news reports as they began. First, the reporters did not understand the magnitude of what had happened and were reporting it as an accident. Soon, their tone of voice changed drastically. I remember I stopped at a gas station and went inside to watch on a TV with several other men and women. I hurried to my school and sat all day with students as we watched the events of the morning. I remember thinking about how drastically the world had changed for my children. I was also thankful that our lives had not changed as drastically as the over 3,000 people who lost their lives and the hundreds of thousands who lost friends and family.

I think our Heavenly Father expects us to feel compassion towards people whether they are a stranger or our closest friend. I know today is 18 years since the horrible tragedy that our country faced on September 11th of 2001 but don’t ever forget what people endured on that day. Also never forget that although evil is in this world and is at work every day, our God is stronger. He also makes us strong to battle the evil that may face us.

Chad

"It's just too hard"

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2nd Corinthians 12:10

During the long and hot summer months of a coach’s life, we are often faced with young men who decide, for various reasons, to no longer play football. It has become so regular for me lately that I hardly listen to the excuse. I do try to find out the underlying reason for a young man’s decision and often try to change his mind, although their minds have already decided before our conversation. I remind them that at some point in their life they will be a 50 year old man and will look back over their full life and recount every decision. One of these decisions will be the one they are making while sitting in my office. They may be able to convince others that the coaches did not like them or they were being mistreated, but they will not be able to convince themselves. They will always wonder why they could not withstand the difficulty. After all, that is what makes football and life thrilling. Sure, an easy day with little to worry about is needed by many of us but we remember the difficult days and hard decisions because we either learned something about ourselves or proved something to ourselves.

Most of the young men who decide to stop playing football say things like, “I am going to concentrate on another sport or academics”. Some say they simply do not enjoy the game and want to spend their time on other activities. Some stop playing because they have met the “Love of their life”, and hope to spend every moment outside of the classroom with her. All coaches know that when it comes to coaches vs. girlfriends, the girls are undefeated. A coach has never won out over a pretty girl!

One particular young man dropped by my office a few days ago and asked if I had a few minutes to talk. I told him yes and we moved into my office to talk. I knew what the conversation would be about but asked him what he needed. He went on to tell me that he had decided to quit football. I encouraged him to think very carefully about the decision he was making and ran through my normal speech about the experiences and opportunities he would be missing over the next few years of his life. It did not seem to have any impact so I asked the young man, “Why?” I had never heard his answer before although I know it is the real reason for most young men quitting football. He said, “It’s just too hard”. I talked to him about how so many people in this world quit one thing and then it becomes very easy to quit the next difficult thing in life. People often get excited about a new activity, don’t experience immediate success, and quit just before the best part begins. Quitting becomes easy and before we know it we have lived a life of quitting during difficult moments. And we miss the opportunity to find out what we are made of and how our Heavenly Father will give us the strength to continue. I felt like I was giving a great argument but I could tell by the look on his face that he was not buying it and had already made his decision.

I am afraid his statement of, “It’s just too hard”, says much more about his personality than it does about the game of football. I believe we have found ourselves as part of a society that not only accepts quitting but continues to make it easy to quit. I pray I am wrong about this, but I am afraid that young men and women who quit because a sport is too hard will also quit in more important moments of life. What if the young girl who was the love of his life becomes hard to love? Will he quit on her? What if after the excitement of having a child wears off and the difficult moments of parenting come along, will he quit on being a father? What if he gives his life to our Heavenly Father, but it becomes too hard to live as a follower of Christ? Will he quit on his relationship with his Savior?

One of my favorite quotes comes from a speech given by President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy stood before a huge crowd on September 12th of 1962 and spoke about our nation’s goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. He spoke about the people who question this goal by asking, “Why the moon when it would be much easier to reach other goals?” President Kennedy goes on to say, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade, not because it is easy, but because it is hard”.

Our Heavenly Father knows our lives will be full of difficult moments and days when we feel as though it is, “Just too hard”. He also promises to give us the strength to continue because He wants us to find out what comes at the end. The end of a playing career when we are thankful we did not quit and, most important, the end of a life lived for our Savior and an eternity spent with Him. I wish I could have convinced this young man to continue working through the hard days and trusting God to give him the strength every moment.

Chad

"Some people did some things"

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Matthew 27:23

"Some people did some things"

This quote has made its way through the media outlets for the past few weeks and has stirred up many emotions from several different people. I do not know the lady who originally made this statement but, when I realized she was talking about the tragedy of 9/11, I was shocked by how casually she was speaking. She spoke as though it was an everyday event with little lasting consequences. I have thought about her statement for a few days and have been reminded of a few other events throughout history when some people did some things. Some people in Nazi Germany did some things and over 6 million members of the Jewish population were killed affecting the lives of millions of family members for generations. Millions of others lost their lives fighting in a World War to save countless others. Some people did some things in the past few years and their horrific actions have left a scar on the Roman Catholic faith that will possibly last forever. Their actions not only affected the victims of their crimes but have caused possibly millions of others to lose faith in their savior. At a point in the history of the United States, some people decided that one man was more deserving of the blessings and liberty our country has to offer because of the color of his skin and did some things. Those “things” caused generations of people to suffer through the racial prejudices that continue to cause a divide in our country. Toward the end of Jesus’ life on earth, He and Barabbas stood before Pilate as the Governor asked the people, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” The people, many who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles, did some things and all cried out, “Crucify Him”.

As Christians we are also called to, “Do some things.” We are called to go into the world and show our love of Jesus through our thoughts, words, and actions. We are called to pray for those in our lives, even the ones who we disagree with or consider an enemy. Even the people who, “do some things” we don’t agree with. These things we are called to do by our Heavenly Father will never make the news, we will never be known to the masses of people, and our name will not be known all over the world. However, the impact of the simple things we can do will last forever and will have eternal consequences for the many people we interact with each day. As a coach, I can pray daily for the young men who have been placed under my care. I can pray for their health as they play a crazy game but, more importantly, I can pray for their eternal salvation. I can pray for their lives to be forever changed by the saving grace of our Heavenly Father. No one will ever know the words I speak on behalf of these young men, but God is faithful to answer my prayers.

I believe God is calling all believers to also do some things. Not the kind of things that make the news or will be remembered throughout history, but the kind of things that will change a person’s life for eternity.


Let’s do some-thing!

Chad

"Standing in the fire but never feeling the heat"

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

James 1:2

The past year of my life has been full of many first time experiences. After taking a position as a head football coach my life suddenly turned upside down with hiring a staff, meeting a new team, being presented with everyone’s list of problems, not knowing how to fix many of them, and several others I cannot list. It has been quite an experience so far and I am even more thankful for the many men I have worked for in the coaching profession who taught me by their example. Each day has brought it’s individual problems, needs, and concerns. Along with taking on the responsibility of being the head coach of a new team, my wife and I decided it would be a good time to begin the renovation of and the addition to a new house. We have spent the past year in a temporary house with our dresser in the dining room, boxes of items for the new house scattered throughout, and clothes jammed into closets and piled on spare beds. My wife has done an amazing job of coordinating the construction and making the difficult decisions about the house, all while I was away at work. Needless to say we are ready to finally settle into our new home in a few weeks and get our lives back in order. At least the amount of order a coaching family can expect. It has been a year of having to constantly focus on several issues at once and make the correct decision about each. We also continue to remind each other of how blessed we are to have lives that are filled with young people, new friends, and new and old challenges. We are also blessed to get to go through all this excitement together.

I was in church yesterday and I heard someone say, “Standing in the fire but never feeling the heat”. When I heard these words I thought about the past year my wife and I have spent together. A year full of blessings mixed in with challenges that forced us to step outside of our comfort zone. A year full of days filled with emotional ups and downs only to be reminded of our Heavenly Father who is ever present through the ups and the downs.

I know in my life, and I am sure in yours also, we become so discouraged by the flames that we forget our Heavenly Father is always walking before us, protecting us from the heat. After all, the flames of a fire are beautiful, when you are a safe distance away, but the heat is what pushes us away and keeps us from going further.

My prayer today was for God to give me the courage to not run from the flames and the faith to trust him to protect me from the heat.

Chad

What's your excuse?

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.  Romans 1:20

As a coach, you are in a unique position to spend your days with many of the best young people in the world. I get to be around them when they are still young enough to have the innocence of youth but are mature enough to have many great plans for their futures and unique views of the world in which they live. I am able to form a bond of trust that does not exist outside of the relationship between a coach and a player. But, there is always a young man on every team who does not respond to any of the coaches and continues to make bad decisions. Every coach can probably immediately think of the young person who they feel like they failed to connect with and worry about this young person’s future. I know there are a few in my twenty-six years of coaching.

Throughout this past season there was one particular young man who never seemed to respond to any of our coaches. It was a daily struggle to have him act appropriately, behave in class, and follow instructions. I felt like I would wake up each day and wait on the next bad report from another coach, administrator, or teacher. This particular young man has had several unfortunate and sad situations occur throughout his life. When I first heard this young man’s name, I continued to hear the same story of his childhood from former teachers and coaches. As a very small child he had witnessed the death of his mother but fortunately was too young to remember the details. From everything else I could learn about this young man, he lived with relatives who cared for him and wanted the best for him. I am sure he had many difficulties in his life but had also been given a chance for success if he will just take advantage of the blessings and learn from the negative. What stood out to me was the way many adults excused away each moment of bad behavior because of an event that occurred when this young man was very young. Each time his name would be mentioned in a conversation someone would remind me of this story. I am blessed to not only have the world’s best mother but I have spent my life with people who want the best for me and expect the best from me. One of my many prayers as a coach is to ask God to give me some insight into how to treat and respond to a young person who has had a much different life than me. It has bothered me that so many people allow a terrible event that happened many years ago to be his excuse.

The young man I am writing about has recently left the school where I work and moved to another school. I worry that the story will be told over and over again and his behavior will be excused away, over and over again. I hate for anyone, especially a young person to have so many challenges in his or her life. We all have challenges and many of us have challenges that we must deal with on a daily basis. How we allow those challenges to shape our lives makes all the difference.

For the past few weeks the eighth grade football players have been coming to the high school in the afternoon to lift weights with the varsity coaches. As they were leaving a few days ago one of these boys asked me if I knew the young man I have written about. I told him I did know him and hated that he was leaving our school. What he said to me next was interesting and something I have thought about since our conversation. He said, “Coach, he is my cousin and I hope he does not get into trouble at his new school. I am so tired of people using what happened to him as an excuse”. I was already thinking what a mature young man this thirteen year old must be and then he said, “My mother left me at the hospital the day after I was born and I have not seen her since but that is not going to change my life. I know one day when I have made it in life, she will show back up but it will be too late then”.

After he left for the day I began thinking about what he had told me and his reaction to his life’s challenge. Both boys have been greatly disappointed but the way they allow this challenge to shape their lives is drastically different. Both have missed out on a relationship with a loving mother who they know they can depend upon. Both have days when they wonder why the person who gave birth to them is no longer in their life. But one allows the challenge to be an excuse that so many accept as a good reason for poor behavior and bad choices. The other uses the challenge as a driving force to succeed in life, in his future career, and the way he treats others in his life. I have no doubt that this young man will be a success in his life regardless of the size of his bank account. He will one day have his own children who he will raise in a loving home. His mother may show up again one day and she will be the one who has missed out on spending her life with a young man of character in spite of the challenge she created for him many years earlier. I hope they are able to form a relationship but it will never be what it could and should have been.

It seems as though we live in a world of excuses. We could all blame bad parents, lack of money, or bad teachers for our lack of success in life. In recent years we have even heard the excuse of affluence. Someone actually had so much good in their life that they did not know the difference in right and wrong. I believe God places these challenges before us and expects us to use these obstacles to learn more about His love for us and to show others how we trust in Him through these challenges. These challenges can be our excuse for poor behavior or bad decisions or they can also be our excuse for succeeding in life and demonstrating God’s love for us even while facing our challenges each day. So far, one of the young men uses his challenge as an excuse for failure but the other sees his challenge as his excuse for success. So, what’s your excuse?

Chad

Live the life you've imagined?

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  Ephesians 3:20

Since Christmas is only a week away, I agreed to go shopping with my wife and daughter. I am always amazed at what I will agree to do just to spend time with my daughter. We slowly drove through all the traffic to the stores we would visit. You all know the stores I am talking about. The ones where they sell a $10 dress for $300 but try to get you excited about a 20% off sale! We walked through several stores and eventually found one with the exact items we were hoping to find. I spent my time in the stores wandering around and making sarcastic comments about the prices. One particular store had several motivational signs on the wall. I walked around reading the signs and found one that said, “Live the life you’ve imagined”. I stood there for a minute thinking about the life I am blessed to live with a wife I love and two children I am very proud to call my own. I am blessed to go to a job each day that I enjoy and I wake up each morning looking forward to my day as a teacher and coach. Certainly a job I never imagined as a young person and my wife and children are much better than I could have ever imagined. I also began thinking about what my life would be like if I was living the life I imagined as a young person. As a young boy there were several lives I imagined I would live. I remembered being fascinated with the men who road on the back of the garbage truck and thought, what an awesome way to spend the day. At one time I hoped I would be a fireman so I could drive the fire truck and save people from fires. As I got older I imagined I would be a park ranger and live in the woods with the bears and wolves. There were other lives I imagined as a little boy and most were influenced by my latest favorite television show. I certainly never imagined the life I now live every day.

I am thankful God never allowed me to simply follow my imagination because He had a much different plan for my life. In Ephesians 3, He reminds us that He is able to do more in our lives than we can imagine. What if you or I were living the life we imagined? I would have missed all the exciting moments of my life. I would have missed the relationships that He arranged that will last a lifetime. I would have missed meeting my wife and having two amazing children. I also would have missed the trials and heartache He has lead me through. I am thankful for a future of many blessings that are greater than anything I could imagine.

Chad

Willing to sacrifice for an unknown?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Our football team is planning to have pizza and a movie together later this week. The parents will provide the food and drinks and my job for the evening is to choose the movie. Watching a movie together as a team is a very simple event but is an invaluable moment for young men to spend together as a team, away from football. It also gives them an opportunity to be with their coach and his family in a setting much less intense than the practice field. I have spent the last few days deciding between a few movies but finally settled on my all-time favorite sports movie, Miracle. This is the story of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team who beat the Soviet Union for the first time in over twenty years on their way to winning the gold medal. At the time of the 1980 Olympics, I was twelve years old and my brothers and I were hockey fans. Our hometown had a hockey team and we had quickly grown to love the sport and our team. We were all excited to see the U.S. Hockey Team in the Olympics but few people expected what would eventually happen. The U.S. Team consisted of college players, or recent graduates, and the Soviet Union was the most feared hockey team in the world. Their players were much older, much more experienced, and had played together for over ten years. This was before the United States began using, “Dream Teams” in the Olympics but, as Herb Brooks, the coach of the 1980 Team said, “We began using dream teams, but we seldom get the dream”. I hope I am not spoiling the movie for anyone but, the U.S. went on to defeat the Soviet Union in the semifinals and defeated Finland in the finals to win the gold medal. The whole country, or at least the boys in my house, went crazy with excitement. I have probably watched the movie a dozen times but still get nervous in the final minutes of the game as the U.S. is fighting to hold onto a one point lead. Not until Mr. Al Michaels, the announcer for the game, says, “Do you believe in Miracles” does my heart rate go back to normal.

My favorite moment in the movie is at the end when all the players are celebrating at the gold medal ceremony. Coach Brooks is talking over the scene and says the best part of the Olympics was watching the young players celebrate. He says it was a group of young men, from different backgrounds, who were willing to sacrifice for an unknown. This week, as I have talked with my team each day before practice, I have asked them, “Are you willing to sacrifice for an unknown?” Are they willing to work hard at the day’s practice with the knowledge that the game’s outcome may not be what they had hoped? Are they willing to work hard through the long days of the upcoming off-season without the promise of a starting position? Are they willing to sacrifice for an unknown? I hope they are because I believe that, even if the end result is not what they had dreamed about, they will discover something valuable about themselves that will last a lifetime.

The quote from this movie reminds me of our faith as a follower of Christ. As we learn of His promises we must have faith in what we cannot see and an assurance of a future planned by Him. While the world is searching for evidence of His existence we, as believers, must be willing to trust in the unseen. Are we willing to sacrifice for an unknown? As Christians we must wake up every day, asked for His guidance in our words and actions, and strive to live a life that reflects Christ within our heart. Like Him, being a servant to others, and working toward and trusting in, the unknown. Are you, and am I, willing to sacrifice for an unknown?


Chad

“Being too funny to ever experience the fun”

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12


There are a lot of fun moments in my job as a football coach but, there is nothing funny about my job. That sounds like an odd statement to make but I honestly believe it with all my heart. I also honestly believe I have one of the most fun jobs on the earth. Does that even make sense? Hopefully I can explain. It is always fun to have a former player come back to visit and hear how his life is going for him and it is fun to have little kids get excited about meeting the head coach. Nothing is more fun than being with a group of young men after a win and celebrating with them in the locker room. It is fun to walk onto a field on Friday nights with a group of young men for competition but it is the farthest thing from funny. There should be laughter in the game of football and the young men who play should look back on their career and remember it as a fun time of their life. If they were to describe their career to me as fun, I would know exactly what they meant. Fun would mean that they totally immersed themselves into the game. They did not take a day of playing for granted and they were committed to being successful, whatever it took. For the players who are totally committed, the game is fun because their commitment always leads to winning. And winning on Friday nights is the ultimate fun. For a player who thinks it was all funny, I would probably also be able to describe his career exactly. He was the player who never totally committed himself to his teammates and never worked hard enough to make losing matter. He was so busy being funny that he never had any fun moments. His Friday nights ended with losses, but he really barely noticed because he was too busy being funny. As coaches, we often joke about the amount of difficulty we go through during a normal week, just to get to the game on Friday night with a hope of a chance to win and have some fun.

The fun moments in football usually come after many long days of tiring work and stressful moments. The funny moments in football are usually experienced by the members of the team who halfheartedly commit to their team and are too busy being funny to ever experience the fun.

I believe our Heavenly Father wants us to enjoy life and He wants us to have fun. He also tells us that a life, lived to glorify His Son, will be filled with difficult moments, days of wondering which direction He is leading, and a world of evil, constantly tempting us to live for ourselves. He also promises that a life lived for His Son will ultimately lead us to eternal life with Him. Until that day, He needs us to experience the fun of being used by Him to lead another to a relationship with His Son. So many in our world spend their life being funny, but their life is empty and they never experience the fun of seeing God's will fulfilled in their life.  They never have the fun of witnessing God's calmness in their life while all around them are struggling through life. While the world is busy being funny and living a life of selfishness, He needs us to continue the daily tough work and wait for the fun days of an eternal life with Him.



Chad

"The game always pays you back"

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Luke 12:12-14


Throughout my coaching career, I have had the blessing of seeing the impact the game of football can have on a young man’s life. Whether it is a boy from a dysfunctional family who finds his, “family”, among his teammates or a young man from a supportive family who learns how to help others who are not as fortunate. I have seen the young man who the game forces to put away his selfish ambitions for the good of his team, when everything about his nature is saying to do otherwise. I have witnessed the young man whose life was headed in a terribly wrong direction but, when he felt accepted by a team, found something that made his life valuable. I have coached the young man who was a daily struggle for me as a coach only to return a few years later to tell me how great his life is and how much he credits the game. I have seen young men who do not have a father figure in their life and do not trust any men, find a coach who pushes them to succeed, holds them accountable for their actions, and counts them as their own son. I have also been blessed to coach the young men who are wise beyond their young age, whose character causes me to evaluate my own life, and who go on to change the world. I have been blessed to see the positive impact the challenges of this game can have on a young man and I have also known the young men who are never willing to commit to their team and continue on with a life of little commitment or devotion. They could never put away their selfish ambitions and accept the benefits the game has to offer those who totally put themselves aside for the good of others.

There is an old saying about the game that has always meant a lot to me because it is very true in my life. The saying is, “The game always pays you back”. There are some who the game repays them with stardom, popularity, or even a huge pro contract. Others are paid back through lifelong friends they would have only made by being a member of a team. Some are paid back on the day they walk into a job interview and meet the person making the decision, who was also a football player. Many others received the same payment from football that I received as a young man. The game gave me an opportunity to find out if I was mentally tough enough to handle the challenges of life. Through the game I learned that I could handle waking up and doing my job regardless of how I felt because I had proven to myself that I could on the many long days in a football players life. Whether the game pays a player back early in his life or years after the playing days are over, it always pays you back. The game also continues to pay back until the end of each players life.

Our Heavenly Father also repays our good deeds that are selflessly done for one of His children. In the verses from Luke 14, we are told about a banquet. At first glance the story does not appear to have anything to do with humbly serving others without expectation of being repaid. The verses tell us, when inviting guests to a banquet, to not invite our family, loved ones, or neighbors because they can repay you with an invitation to their banquet. You will receive your reward on earth instead of in heaven. Instead we should invite those who cannot repay us and make them our honored guests knowing that we will one day receive a reward in heaven that is much greater than a banquet invitation. The game of football always repays those who honor the game by giving our best efforts and seek to make their teammates better players and people. Our Heavenly Father also promises to reward us for living our life in a way to make others better without anyone ever knowing. And His rewards are much better than recognition and fame on the earth.


Chad

The Best Days?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

I have had something on my mind for several weeks and have been talking to my team about this topic throughout the week. A few days ago, I asked the team if they have ever heard someone say, “The teenage years are the best years of your life”. Most of the group raised their hand and I replied by saying, “Well they were lying to you”. I went on to tell them their teenage years should be great years and they should be filled with fun and memorable experiences. They are able to experience making friends, going to high school, and playing sports all while having someone else worry about the details. Someone else paying the bills, cooking the meals, and filling up the gas tank is a pretty nice way to live. My point to them was that these should be great times of their lives but the “Best” years are coming. Later in their life when they have a job they enjoy, meet the young lady they will marry and love forever, have their own children, own their own home, and have their own grandchildren. Those are the events that make life worth living and truly are the best days of your life.

Unfortunately, many of today’s teenagers will never experience the best parts of life because of poor decisions and negative influences that creep into their life now. In Jeremiah 29:11, we are told that He knows the plans for us. These are not plans to harm us or to give us a life of misery and loneliness. These are amazing plans of a future filled with prosperity and hope. I don’t want the young men who make up my football team to miss out on a future planned by Our Heavenly Father because of a bad decision during their youth. I pray the great days of their youth will be filled with exciting moments, laughter, lifelong memories, and even a few trials. I also pray He will protect them from the evil of this world that only hopes to rob them of the best days of their lives.

I woke up early this morning, told my wife, “Happy Game Day” and left my home for a long and exciting day. The upcoming game and the events of the day are exciting enough but, the most exciting part for me is my daughter coming home from college for my game. She will arrive just before kick-off and although I may appear to be working during the time before the game, I will really just be watching for her. I will spend the day trying to make everything look nice for the game, not for the large crowd that will come to watch, but for one young lady who I still try to impress. Also, in the next few days, my daughter will turn 20 years old. I am in the final few days as a parent of a teenager. I have been sad about the approaching day but, as I woke up this morning and remembered my conversations with my team, I thanked God for protecting her through the “Great” days of her youth and preparing her for the “Best” days of her future.

Happy almost 20th Birthday to my Sydney Love. Thanks for letting me be a part of the great days of your teenage life. I can’t wait to see the plans He has for your future.


Chad

Good Days

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”  Luke 5:26

The wife of one of my coaching friends has recently undergone surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed. All has gone as well with her surgery and treatment as can be hoped for but the last few days for this couple has been very stressful. My friend and I were talking about the many people around this earth who spend endless days with the reality of a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. My friend talked about, even with the frightening news of her illness, she would not allow herself to have a bad day. She knows that, regardless of her trial, there is someone who is struggling with a much larger issue.

I thought about our conversation throughout the day and later talked to our football team. We talked about how, as football players, we often wake up to a day of workouts, classes, meetings, and practice. These are often long and tiring days but we forget how blessed we are to be able to physically and mentally be a part of something worthwhile and exciting. We talked about the many people on this earth who truly are having bad days. They are waking up to a day of illness, pain, family issues, or personal loss. They would trade their best day for our worst day.

I know I have also at times allowed a single bad event during my day ruin the entire day. I decided a while ago to try to never have a bad day. I have bad parts to my day but I don’t want a single bad moment to ruin my day. It has not worked as well as I had hoped, but I am working on it. I hear people say all the time, “this is a horrible day”. I always think, you are still walking and talking so it must not have been horrible. It may have had a bad moment, but it is not totally bad. I really cannot say that I have ever had a bad day when I think about it. I have had my share of bad moments and some have taken up most of the day, but I was breathing at the end of the day and I still had my family when it was over. We have all had bad parts to many days and I am sure there will be many more bad parts to future days. My prayer today is to not let a day go by that I do not find the good. Sometimes we have to look real hard but it is there if we look close. Have you ever thought about your life like this? If you live to be 80 years old, that is only 29,200 days. I have already used over half of mine! If I allow even two days a month to be bad days that is 1,920 total bad days in my life. That is also a little over 5 years worth of bad days in my life. Search for the good today and rejoice in what you see and hear. Maybe it is the changing of the season coming soon, the stars at night, or a few moments with a friend or loved one, but find something that at the end of the day you can say, this was a good day, overall.


Have a Great Day!

Chad

"If not for the Grace of God"

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.  Romans 8:34

I was talking to my mother a few days ago and telling her about a situation with one of my football players I have been dealing with. My mother has always loved me being a football coach and, although she does not always understand the many aspects of my job, is always able to give good advice. I was telling her about a young man who has been an issue for me since the first day we met. He has made a few bad decisions that have lead to several problems for him at home and at school. I was explaining my dilemma to my mother about whether or not to keep him as a member of our team or not. I explained that the easy decision for me would be to tell him he is no longer on the team and have one less problem to deal with, but I am hoping his being involved with a team will be what helps to change his life. There is an old saying among coaches that goes, “Some young men need football more than football needs them”. This is definitely the case with this young man. As my mother and I were saying goodbye from her visit, she asked me for the young man’s first name. I told her his name and she said, “If not for the grace of God, that could be me”.

The following day, while in the church service, the pastor asked for prayer for a young girl who has been diagnosed with cancer that has attacked most of her body. A picture of this little girl was shown on the screen and I immediately thought about my daughter, Sydney Love. I wrote on the back of a piece of paper, the little girls name and Sydney Love’s name and said to myself, “If not for the grace of God”.

My life has been full of God’s grace and I was never more thankful for it than at that moment. As I listened to the sermon, I quietly prayed within my mind and thanked God for His unending grace. I also prayed for the little girl who is suffering from a horrible illness. I prayed for God’s grace to be poured on her. I also prayed for her parents. I prayed for the dad, who loves his girl as much as I love mine, and is dealing with the frightening thought of losing her. I pray God will remind him of the grace of God that is present even in her hospital room.

Pray today and thank Him for His grace that is ever present in our lives. The same grace that protects us, is the same grace that saves us from our sin, and carries us through the challenging days of our lives. He promises to hear our prayers, even when we feel very small in the world. Not only does He hear our prayers, but He also hears the prayers on our behalf from His own Son. His Son, who is sitting at His right hand, praying for us constantly.


Chad

You have a job to do!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23


My wife and I have spent the past few days preparing to move our daughter back to college for her sophomore year. I thought year number two would be easier but I have found that I dislike it as much this year as I did on the first. One of my assigned duties for the move was to pick up a trailer at the rental place for us to move furniture. I woke up on the morning I was scheduled to pick up the trailer feeling sick. I have been blessed with a life that has been relatively free from any type of illness. So, on the rare occasions when I have a fever, it totally throws me off. I walked into the office at the rental place and was greeted by a very nice young lady who was working for the day. We talked for a few minutes while she did the paperwork for my rental. I left the office, backed my truck into a parking lot, and found my assigned trailer. My problems began immediately. The trailer I was to pick up was very large and heavy. I realized quickly there was no way to lift the trailer onto my truck other than by using my “brute” strength. So, there I stood, only person in sight, sweating from a fever and the summer heat, with a heavy trailer to lift. I finally was able to lift the trailer onto my truck only to find the hitch on the trailer was broken and would now have to be removed from my truck. The young employee walked out to the parking lot to check on me and I realized she was several months pregnant. I told her about my problem and she walked behind my truck, stood over the trailer hitch, and began to try to lift the trailer. Of course, I stopped her and said, “You are pregnant. I am not going to let you lift this trailer”. She moved away and said, “But I still have a job to do”.

She quickly reminded me that, just because I did not feel well, I still had a job to do for the day. Not only were my wife and daughter depending on me to get a trailer, they were needing me to load that trailer before the next morning. The following days success was dependant on me getting a trailer and loading that trailer. The rest would not happen without me completing my duty for the day regardless of how I felt at the moment or what was working against me. Now, I am still not sure why a young girl needs so much stuff in a college apartment, but that was not my job for the day!

The young lady at the rental place also reminded me that, as a follower of Christ, I still have a job to do. He does not tell us that, while doing His work, we will always feel well, everything will go our way, or there will not be struggles. In fact, He tells us the exact opposite. He knows there will be days when we do not feel well, the daily struggles of life will get in the way, and all will seem against us. But, we still have a job to do and He expects it to be done. He tells us in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”. Not only is there a lot of work to do, there are not many workers to do the job. He still needs His work to be done.

Ask Him to give you the strength to continue His work. Regardless of the trials we face, the overwhelming harvest, and the limited amount of workers, there is still plenty of work to be done. I prayed today and asked God to give me the patience, wisdom, and strength to do His work. I also thanked Him for the hundreds of days when I don’t have a fever to deal with and a heavy trailer to lift!

Chad

"Reasons Why"

I thank my God every time I remember you.  Philippians 1:3

My wife and I were in a local hardware store a few days ago buying lumber for a house we are renovating. We are trying to figure this out as we go so every step brings on a thousand questions for which we do not know the answer. While shopping, I heard my wife ask another customer a question. He was wearing a shirt with his company name and I quickly realized that I recognized the business name. I asked the young man who was the owner of his company and he said, “It’s my dad”. He also told me his dad’s name and I began making the connection. I asked the young man, “Is Hoyt Hammock your grandfather”? He answered yes and asked me how I knew his grandfather. I was excited to meet the grandson of my high school football coach and a man that I admired greatly. We talked for a few minutes and I told him about my time as a high school football player and the many days I had spent with Coach Hammock. Coach and I always had a special relationship. I had spent many days with him, even after finishing high school, working on his lake house. I told the young man about his grandfather calling me, on several occasions, to say, “Let’s go to the lake. We have a little work to do and then we will do some fishing”. I told him I never fished a single moment at his grandfather’s lake, but I dug every foot of the foundation of his house by hand! Most special of all, was that Coach Hoyt Hammock had also married me and my wife. On our wedding day, our pastor and Coach Hammock both performed parts of our wedding ceremony. That has always been a special moment in my life and I told his grandson that I was the only person to have been coached by and married by the same person. As we were leaving the store and saying our goodbyes, this young man asked me, “What type of coach was my grandfather”? I told him, “Your grandfather was the type of coach that every coach should be. He expected you to be a tough young man and I always wanted him to think I was a tough person”. Although he was tough and expected toughness, He was also a very caring person. Coach Hammock passed away over eight years ago when his grandson was only a teenager. I could tell his grandson was excited to hear someone speak highly of his grandfather.  It reminded me of the feeling I would have as a young man when I would meet someone who had known my grandfather.  It was always nice to hear someone confirm the good thoughts and memories you had of your grandfather.

I was blessed to have known Coach Hoyt Hammock and I am thankful that God placed him in my life as a young person. I was blessed to have a great dad who continues to be a model of a godly man and father for me. Coach Hammock was a living example of the person my dad was training me to become. The thing I remember about Coach Hammock the most was his toughness. He was the most physically tough person I have ever known but he was also the most caring man to so many. I spent the day remembering my days as a young boy playing football for Coach Hammock. Later in the day, I realized that I never thought about any football skills that he taught me or that he was a great offensive or defensive mind. What I remembered was that he expected great things from me and he was proud when I overcame an obstacle or a challenge. Talking with Coach Hammock’s grandson also made me remember why I am a coach. I do not believe God made me a football coach because he simply wanted me to teach young men how to tackle, throw a ball, or score touchdowns. He made me a coach because he knew that hundreds of young men would need someone in their life. Some would need a coach who would be an example of the type of person their father was training them to be. Many others would need a coach who would serve as their father. They would need a coach who would correct them when their life was headed in a bad direction. They would need a coach who would expect great achievements and be proud of them when they had overcome a challenge. They would need a coach who would love them regardless of their playing ability.

Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson reminded me of the reasons why I became a coach. God did not make me a coach because he knew young men would need someone to teach them how to block and tackle. He knew I would be around hundreds of young men who would need someone to believe in them, have faith in their abilities, and to be proud of them just for being a good person.

Meeting Coach Hammock’s grandson also reminded me of why God puts all of us here on earth. It is not so we can make a lot of money, gain worldwide fame, or to enjoy a comfortable life. He put us here to be used by Him to impact someone’s life. Coach Hammock’s life was well spent in the service to his Lord by the impact he had on my life and the countless others he met. Maybe God used me to have a small impact on his grandsons life by letting me meet him and tell him how much Coach Hammock still means to me.


Chad