Dear God,
As coach begins his season, I pray he can remain focused on the good and not get weighed down by the bad. May he remain focused on his purpose here and not become jaded and drained.
I know You hear some talk about him sometimes like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, like he hasn’t dedicated every waking second to studying the other team and working through every possible scenario. They think that they have all the answers and could do it better than him.
I pray he knows that his larger family, filled with players past and present, knows he believes in them and that his main goal is to encourage and inspire them.
Most importantly, I pray they know he will never give up on them.
His boundless energy and endless enthusiasm keep them going when things get tough. His open heart and support keep them in the game even when they want to quit. They understand just how lucky they are to have him in their corner, even long after they’ve left the school.
I pray he knows that he has nothing to prove to them.
You see that he has missed some very important moments with our family because of practices, or games, or recruiting, or meetings about any one of those things.
He’s had to say, “I am sorry, I can’t make it to that,” so many times, he usually doesn’t even get an invite anymore.
It eats away at him that time after time he asks too much from me and I have to pick up his slack. That in fulfilling his calling, I am the one who shoulders a lot of the burden.
I pray he remembers he has a wife who has his back (sometimes maybe too much), no matter what.
I am strong enough to be a coach’s wife.
I hope he realizes his kids see him live out his passion and purpose in service to others every day. I pray they understand the importance of hard work, sacrifice, and loyalty because of him.
The quality of time spent with us is better than any amount of quantity.
We see him worry and wonder how to lead better when the players make a mistake. We know nobody wants positive outcomes (and not just on the field) more than him. We know his heart.
I pray he knows that he has nothing to prove to us.
You see that he keeps up with a ridiculously demanding schedule and is always under an unrelenting amount of pressure. It can’t be easy being responsible for so many players, setting an example, giving them feedback, supporting them in all aspects of growing up, not just in sports.
I pray he knows it’s a rare person that can take all the blame when things go wrong but will hand out all the credit when they go right. I hope he knows that he’s not defined by his record or the stats. Those numbers don’t explain his value and impact. But his passion, patience, care, commitment, and devotion are a start.
I pray he knows that he has nothing to prove to himself.
This life isn’t for the faint of heart and can be extremely stressful. I pray he doesn’t grow weary.
But if he does, I pray he can feel you—that he knows You see it all and he only needs to call on you to find his strength.
In Your son’s name, I pray,
Amen.