Ah football......it's a wonderful time of the year. Well, wonderful most of the time. I have grown up loving football. My father played football at Ole Miss and became a football coach upon graduation. He coached until I was born and then it was time to find a better paying job. He had two daughters to help support so coaching definitely didn't get the job done. He began coaching again when I was a junior in college. My cousin, Jason Simpson, was a standout player at South Jones in the late 80's. He is now the head coach at University of Tennessee Martin. And, last but not least, my husband coaches football at West Jones. So, one could say, we kinda like football. Now, I will proceed to list some of the things I LOVE about football and being a coach's wife.....in no particular order:
1. The atmosphere......West Jones football has the best atmosphere by far.....very electric!
2. The close relationship my husband and I form with some of the players. There is something so special about a young man looking up to my husband in many different aspects of life. I love feeding those linebackers at our house from time to time. If we could afford it, we would do it every single week during football.
3. Football t-shirts and sweatshirts. They are just downright comfy!! Sweatpants too!
4. Drum line......there is nothing like the sound of those drums to get you fired up for the game!
5. Our supporters. We have never been to a school that has as much support as our program does. It's amazing! We have some very generous and kind-hearted fans that want nothing but the best for our players and coaches.
6. Cheerleaders......let's face it....they are pretty dang good. State champs!
7. Tailgating! We are so blessed to be able to set up tents in the end zone and entertain and fellowship before, during, and after each home game. Not many schools are able or allowed to do that.
8. Friendships. Justin and I have made some pretty great friendships with other coaches and their families. They have lasted long after moving on to another school. Pretty great!
9. Leadership. Being able to watch a young man who would probably drop out of school or end up in jail succeed in academics and graduate all because of football and his coaches. May sound arrogant but it's true. Some boys stay in school because football is all they may have. Very special to see a young man choose the better and smarter path.
10. Success! Sorry, but it feels good to win. We have also been on the other side of this too and will be again. The other side is not so great.
Here are the things I DO NOT love about football
1. Bleacher Coaches! They are everywhere!! It never fails at every school there is always a group of men that think they are Mike Ditka. It's pretty tough to listen to some schmuck talk about and belittle not only your husband, but players too. I have learned to deal with this pretty well though. Due to my 3 yr old and 1 yr old, I do not sit in the bleachers at home games. When I do venture to the stands, I just laugh and let it roll of my back. I know those coaches have worked their tail off to prepare for the game and those players want to win more than anyone. Sometimes, they just play teams that are better than we are.....GASP!! Sometimes, those coaches and players make mistakes.....DOUBLE GASP!!
2. Hours. If Justin was paid by the hour I would be a stay at home mom. We would live rather comfortably too. The hours they work are not so lovable. They put in anywhere from 60-80 hours a week and sometimes more depending on who we are playing. Thank goodness the season only lasts from August to Dec. (hopefully) When I start to feel sorry for myself, I just think about my cousin Jason's wife Julie. I have now determined that she is superwoman. Since Jason coaches college ball he only has about 1 month off each year. They have 3 kids! So, she manages 3 kids and the very hectic and sporadic life of college football.....Ok, now My head is spinning.
3. Moving. Let's face it, Justin wasn't hired because he is an outstanding World Geography teacher. He was hired to coach football so his job comes down to wins and losses. If we go a couple of seasons with a losing record or don't make the playoffs, we will be looking for another place to work. Having your job basically depend on how a bunch of 16, 17, and 18 yr olds play on Friday nights is a little frightening at times. That is part of the job though. We will not be at West Jones forever. It affects many different parts of our life from buying a house to our kids moving schools. Kinda exciting and scary!
4. Pressure! There is more pressure than ever this year! This is 'THE YEAR" as we have head A LOT. We do have the potential to make it to Jackson but you never know. Justin has gotten much better over the last few years as far as pressure and nerves go. He doesn't get sick on Friday mornings anymore and we can actually have a conversation on the way to school. He isn't as superstitious as he once was. I finally convinced him that if we lost a ballgame that it wasn't because I made peanut butter cookies for the boys instead of chocolate chip. (yes, that was an issue before). Now that we have kids, his perspective on a lot of things has changed including football.
6. Goodbye. Becoming attached to players is a very hard part of the job. Justin coaches linebackers and he has some very special boys. Some have started since they were in the 9th grade. There are a couple that will graduate this year and next year that I will probably shed a tear or 50 over. It's tough watching those kids graduate and move on but rewarding at the same time. I DREAD the football banquet every year because that is it.....season is DONE :(
7. Losing. It stinks! It's hard to watch those players work their butts off and lose. The disappointment and heartbreak is not a fun thing to feel much less witness. I always feel worse for the players because they only have 4 years to make it to the "big finale." Coaches have their entire careers to win a state championship although most never do and some win multiple times. A state championship is what everyone ultimately works for and when those dreams are crushed......it stinks. The end!
At the end of the day, I couldn't imagine Justin doing anything else. Although there are times I HATE his job I am very proud to be a coach's wife. I look forward to the day when he becomes a head coach.....I think????
