Football season has its own clock—it starts long before the first kickoff and keeps ticking long after the last whistle.
For the coach, it means early mornings, late nights, and a mind constantly running plays and strategies. For the coach’s wife, it means holding down the home front, juggling schedules, keeping the kids alive, and keeping up with household chores and to-dos.
Some days it’s a lot, and the weight of doing this alone can be felt more than ever. And when the resentment and frustration start to creep in, we should remember that there’s a quiet and powerful exchange that helps to keep the marriage strong through every season: the gift of grace.
Grace is what allows a coach’s wife to smile when her husband walks in late—again—after a tough loss or an endless film review. It’s what reminds her that his long hours aren’t a choice to be away from her or the kids, but a commitment to shaping young men into leaders on and off the field. It’s understanding that while the season demands much of him, it also fuels his purpose.
He teaches discipline, commitment, responsibility, and how to work together for something bigger than themselves. And that is worth giving grace for.
But grace shouldn’t be one-sided. It goes both ways. A good coach knows his wife is running her own plays at home—solo-parenting, managing homework and sports practices, cooking meals, handling appointments, and still finding ways to cheer him on and support him.
He notices her strength and thanks her not only in words but in how he loves her during the rare quiet moments they share. He understands that she’s carrying the load so he can carry his team.
Grace means choosing patience over frustration. Encouragement over criticism. It’s letting go of the scoreboard and remembering the bigger picture—that although carrying different parts of the load, you’re on the same team.
So, extend patience instead of resentment and offer gratitude instead of taking sacrifices for granted. Trust each other’s role and give each other the benefit of the doubt.
Football has wins and losses, but your marriage wins when you give each other grace. Remember that this is a season – not forever.
*Game Day Marriage Play: In every season—on the field or at home—choose grace first. It’s the play that keeps love strong, teamwork tight, and your family undefeated.