I gave one of the toughest speeches of my professional career Friday night after our game! We had just won our regular-season finale, clinched the #2 seed in the state playoffs and had been named our Conference (undefeated!) champions for 2015. Needless to say, everyone was flying high. Unfortunately, I had to share something with the team and their parents that put a bit of a damper on the evening’s festivities.
I called everyone, players and parents, together in the gym right after the game. I started off congratulating everyone on a great season and talked about plans for the playoff and, hopefully, a state championship run. Then… I shared that as of the end of the season I would be retiring as their head football coach. There was stunned silence.
My reasons are too varied to go into here. Suffice it to say that I knew “It’s Time.” I’ve been doing this for 41 years— 30 of those as a head coach. The long bus rides, my worries over the mounting number of injuries to players and simply a need to move on were all factors. Most importantly, the Lord showed me that it’s time to give the “first fruits” of my time and energy to my wonderful wife of 43 years. She’s been beside me through all 41 years of coaching. We’re both still in good health and she wants to travel. It’s time that I make myself available to take some of these trips she wants to take. I can’t do that if I’m tied up with football year-round. The Lord is closing one door while He’s opening another. I’m excited to see where He wants me to go. It’ll be a new chapter.
Coaches: If you are married, take care of your wife! Especially now that high school football season is drawing to a close for most of you. I’ve written about it before— take your wife away for a “Get reacquainted weekend adventure” here real soon. Spoil her rotten. Let her know how important she is to you. Make it “her” weekend. She deserves it!!!
I’ll still be posting here on a regular basis. I’ve even had some thoughts about writing another book. But… before all that, we have a 2 game season left! In our association, it’s like the FCS in college football. You fight your way through the regular season to earn a berth in the Final 4. We have to win 2 games to be crowned state champions. It all starts today when we hit the practice field. Remember: PROPER Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!!!”
