Guest Post by Momma : Dad, Coach, Hero, Man of God, Making it Happen
Thank you, KidChrisAroundTown, for allowing me to be a guest on your blog. I love your, "Guest Post by Momma!" entry title. I love you, son!
KidChris' dad, my husband, is amazing. He works hard to show his boys how to be Godly, how to be the man for their mom when he isn't with us, how to handle adversity, and how to handle life.
When it was time for the boys to participate in sports, he didn't just turn them over to sports leagues, he became what I call Coach Dad. He coached our oldest son through the Upwards sports program at Crossroads Christian Church. When KidChris came along and was old enough to play flag football, he did the same thing. There was something a little different about the group he coached with our youngest.
Along with Assistant Coach Brown, they have coached these boys since second grade. The team can't help but be great. You see, Quinton and Terry share some very strong bonds. They are both members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and have known each other since their college days. Terry's family joined Crossroads and soon became members of our connect group. These men, these fathers, these coaches have trained this team not only for athletic stamina, skill, and endurance, but also for endurance in life, and what I call athletic graceness.
It's not just Coach Q and Coach Brown, it's a tightly woven village of fathers and families guiding and supporting the football team. It's the mothers praying over our sons and coaches. It's the events we plan to celebrate the boys and their seasons.
There's one more piece of this pie.
My husband has given our oldest son the opportunity to be an assistant coach. The pleasant surprise, which you would think would be obvious, but none of us even thought about it - is how much the boys look up to Coach Quincy. He is 16 and was middle linebacker for Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, until joining Grace Prep Academy in this year where he will also play middle linebacker.
The summers and off seasons aren't time off for the boys. The coaching team conditions the boys by running skills drills and fitness training exercises on a weekly basis. When Coach Q set up the condition, little did he know, Coach Quincy was preparing his arsenal of conditioning staff. He recruited some of his football teammates to run all the drills. Most drill sessions are led by high school football players! It just doesn't get any better than this!
Wait! It does!
Coach Q and Coach Terry are always looking for opportunities for the boys. Coach Q will search tirelessly until he finds what he thinks are the right opportunities for the boys. He recently rounded them up for the NFLs Rush Play 60. Always putting their faith in God first and being sure that the boys are Christlike in sportsmanship, the coaches would wear Crossroads coaching shirt and the players wore Crossroads shorts.
I witnessed other coaches seeing something different, something special about our team. I would see other coaches come up to Coach Q and Coach Terry, shake hands, thank them for being there, the very presence of the team seemed to encourage others.
The team was accustomed to playing in a church organization, not in community-based organizations. It was a transition and a learning process that I know our boys are better for having experienced. Even in the midst of adversity and challenges, the boys were taught to still hold their heads high win or lose. Their character that our boys exhibit often serves as an example to other teams.
I love my husband with all my heart, I really do, but sometimes we all want him to take a break from recruiting these boys for this opportunity or that opportunity. You don't see Quinton and he's not talking playing opportunities for the boys.
We are all eating our words now.
The latest opportunity has morphed from league play at the Star in Frisco to playing a half-time game at the first Cowboys Preseason Game happening TONIGHT vs. the Indianapolis Colts at 6 pm at AT&T Stadium!
This team, Jerry's World, tonight!
Wait! There's still more!
The team will play tonight - Saturday, August 19th - in full Crossroads gear! How awesome is it that this little football team that has been together for years, attend school together, support one another when they get baptized, most are in the same connect group at church - gets to play on national platform?
I am so proud of my husband, Coach Q, Coach Terry, Coach Quincy, our boys, and Crossroads Christian Church for supporting their journey. Thank you to the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys for doing more than just allowing the boys to play tonight. Thank you for showing them that hard work and commitment pays off!