I met coach when he was a player. Then he went right into coaching, so we’ve never known a world where his schedule didn’t dominate our life.
I used to wonder what it would be like if coach had a regular job.
What would life look like if he didn’t have to work every weekend during the season?
What would we get to do as a family if he didn’t have to travel during recruiting periods?
What would it be like if he could take a day off? And not even for something extravagant like a vacation; maybe just so I didn’t have to go to family functions solo.
What hobby could I take up with the spare time I’d have since he could help the kids with homework, take them to at least one of their millions of activities, and maybe even occasionally make dinner?
I’m pretty sure every coach’s wife daydreams about this every now and then (if not all the time.)
But then the games stopped.
Sports and this lifestyle came to a screeching halt.
Suddenly, he was home all the time.
All that boundless energy that he directed into his program and his players was suddenly and unexpectedly turned on us.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s a very present and involved father and husband. But, the kids and I had been used to functioning independently for so long, that even a little more attention was too much.
He had all these plans.
He was going to teach the kids how to ride bikes.
He was going to introduce them to all the sports, not just his.
We were going to take daily walks, finish all the items on the “fix it” list for the new house, and all while keeping the kids’ screen time to a minimum.
Maybe if we had actually been able to go places and do things, it would have been a little more enticing of a lifestyle ... but I learned not to wonder.
It was clear that he was built for coaching and we were built for cheering.
Never again will I daydream about a “normal life” where we can control our own schedule.
I look forward to the day where he’s back on the field, whistle around his neck, play sheet in his back pocket, hands up in the air protesting a bad call.
I can’t wait to be back in the stands, nervously pacing and swearing under my breath while the kids test the limits of what they can get away with in public while I’m distracted.
Pre-COVID-me would never believe it, but that’s what I find myself daydreaming about these days.