Fall has arrived in our house. We are a football family. Our son plays, my husband coaches and I am a coach’s wife.
That last bit is important because every year for just about 6 months, myself and thousands of other women are picking up the slack left behind in the football season. Ladies, if your husband is a coach of any kind whether it be volunteer for young kids or all the way up to the college and professional level, you know the commitment our husbands make to these athletes. They are “all in,” recruiting, forming teams, attending coaches meetings, working on & off the field with the athletes, communicating with parents and schools, watching game film and always finding a way to develop their athletes and strengthen their team. Believe me, it does not go unrecognized…we are so proud of these coaches changing the lives of these kids and often are the only strong, consistent and positive role model regularly found in these kids’ lives. I have seen it, time and time again. So, thank you coaches for making this world a better place. You teach our children so many valuable life lessons that are tough to learn anywhere else.
But I want to take a moment to say “Hail to the Coach’s Wives!”
Not as a martyr or “look how hard we have it,” but an honest to goodness thank you. Most of us have other kids at home, work full time, act as CEO of the household, play taxi driver, chef, laundress and all the roles we juggle throughout our day. Our job as the coach’s wife, is almost as stressful, as being the coach. It can be a lonely job since coaching a football team can require long hours away from the family with a strong chance of attending a few family celebrations solo. This is the hardest adjustment for most women that are new to the coach’s wife job, including myself. I found myself missing my husband, even though he was coaching 10 minutes away from our home. But the minute I see him on the field with these boys, I forget the sacrifices we have as a coaching family and feel so proud of his dedication to the success of his team.
Each year is marked with an end of season party. Many are celebrating that it’s over and some are just plain celebrating! Team players are thanked, coaches are thanked and then it’s light’s out, party is over. And every year I leave wondering…why didn’t anyone thank the coach’s wives for their supporting role? I have fought the urge to stand up for the other coach’s wives in the room and say thank you to my fellow co-workers. And I know they are standing there wondering the same thing.
So to all of my fellow coach’s wives out there…I am standing up to THANK YOU for everything. You are the MVP! May you have a great season this year and learn to let go of a few extra dishes in the sink or the laundry that doesn’t get folded. We are part of a coaching family and will continue to celebrate the victories and suffer through the losses together. Go Team!
