A Football Coach's Wife

It is that time of year again: football season. The season officially began today for me, even though we live football year round in my household. My husband starts full-on practices and our first game is the 26th of this month. So, I decided today's topic would be about my life as a coach's wife...

I must say, it is not the easiest job on the block. But, every time I get a little upset, I remind myself that I am being selfish. Nathan has loved football since he was a child, and he loves all of his players and fellow coaches. I don't know if they get enough credit for all of the extra hours and hard work they put into a game that actually only lasts 48 minutes one night a week. The mental stress alone can wear them out, but it is all for "the love of the game." I have been told by several former football players and coaches in my family that you never forget the smell of a typical Friday night on the field. These guys learn to love the smell of sweat and body odor. Nostalgia, I guess! : )

From this point until the middle or the end of November, Nathan will be in full football mode. He eats, sleeps, and even dreams football! There are nights that he wakes himself up and gets out of bed just to write something down that he was dreaming about. He puts his heart and soul into this game!

On a typical day, he will get home around 8:00 or 9:00 at night, which is enough time to eat and tuck Kate into bed. When Kate was born, we made tucking Kate into bed the thing that he gets to do with her (since he is gone so much during the fall months). The only time that he doesn't get to do this is when practice runs really late or when he plays a game out of town.

I found an article entitled, "Coaches Wives Must Live Football, Too" that really explains the life of a coach's wife...

Acceptance, understanding, sacrifice and participation are the methods used by most wives to maintain healthy marriages from August through December.

Many wives, such as Deana Hargrove, spouse of Jim Ned coach Walter Hargrove, see it all as a simple matter of attitude.

"You just have to understand that you're not going to have your husband around for a while," she said. "It's a sacrifice, but I enjoy being a part of what he's doing, and I wouldn't have another life. You have to love it and not be resentful of it. You have to enjoy being around it, or it will be very difficult."

Kim Slaughter, spouse of Clyde coach Craig Slaughter, has learned to adjust another way: by viewing players as her own.

"It's tough, but you've got to make the team part of your family, so they're just as important to you as they are to your husband," she said. "When you make it as important to you as it is to him, it makes it a lot easier."

Overall, being a coach's wife is not something that everyone is cut out to do. Actually, I wasn't sure if I was cut out for it in the beginning. I have adjusted a lot since he first started coaching seven years ago. At the beginning, I griped, complained, and made it very hard for him.  I was young and thought that I couldn't live without him for 5 minutes. LOL!!! It took me awhile to adjust to life with him gone a lot during football season (and then baseball season in the spring). But, let me tell you, there is no other place I would rather be on a Friday night. I enjoy the crowds, fans, cheering, band, and the excitement in the players' faces when they walk onto the field. I love everything about this sport on game night! And, that is what makes it all worth while...

I am so proud of my husband, the other coaches, and players for making Fridays so exciting for me and my family!!!

Nathan coaching in 2006

Caruthersville/Kennett game (September 2006)

Caruthersville/Hayti game (September 2007)

Kate's first football game (September 2009)

Kate first football game in 2010 (September against Kennett)

Caruthersville/Portageville game (August 2010)

October 2010

Playoff game in Herculaneum (November 2010)

All of the coaches!

It is that time of year again: football season. The season officially began today for me, even though we live football year round in my household. My husband starts full-on practices and our first game is the 26th of this month. So, I decided today's topic would be about my life as a coach's wife...

I must say, it is not the easiest job on the block. But, every time I get a little upset, I remind myself that I am being selfish. Nathan has loved football since he was a child, and he loves all of his players and fellow coaches. I don't know if they get enough credit for all of the extra hours and hard work they put into a game that actually only lasts 48 minutes one night a week. The mental stress alone can wear them out, but it is all for "the love of the game." I have been told by several former football players and coaches in my family that you never forget the smell of a typical Friday night on the field. These guys learn to love the smell of sweat and body odor. Nostalgia, I guess! : )

From this point until the middle or the end of November, Nathan will be in full football mode. He eats, sleeps, and even dreams football! There are nights that he wakes himself up and gets out of bed just to write something down that he was dreaming about. He puts his heart and soul into this game!

On a typical day, he will get home around 8:00 or 9:00 at night, which is enough time to eat and tuck Kate into bed. When Kate was born, we made tucking Kate into bed the thing that he gets to do with her (since he is gone so much during the fall months). The only time that he doesn't get to do this is when practice runs really late or when he plays a game out of town.

I found an article entitled, "Coaches Wives Must Live Football, Too" that really explains the life of a coach's wife...

Acceptance, understanding, sacrifice and participation are the methods used by most wives to maintain healthy marriages from August through December.

Many wives, such as Deana Hargrove, spouse of Jim Ned coach Walter Hargrove, see it all as a simple matter of attitude.

"You just have to understand that you're not going to have your husband around for a while," she said. "It's a sacrifice, but I enjoy being a part of what he's doing, and I wouldn't have another life. You have to love it and not be resentful of it. You have to enjoy being around it, or it will be very difficult."

Kim Slaughter, spouse of Clyde coach Craig Slaughter, has learned to adjust another way: by viewing players as her own.

"It's tough, but you've got to make the team part of your family, so they're just as important to you as they are to your husband," she said. "When you make it as important to you as it is to him, it makes it a lot easier."

Overall, being a coach's wife is not something that everyone is cut out to do. Actually, I wasn't sure if I was cut out for it in the beginning. I have adjusted a lot since he first started coaching seven years ago. At the beginning, I griped, complained, and made it very hard for him.  I was young and thought that I couldn't live without him for 5 minutes. LOL!!! It took me awhile to adjust to life with him gone a lot during football season (and then baseball season in the spring). But, let me tell you, there is no other place I would rather be on a Friday night. I enjoy the crowds, fans, cheering, band, and the excitement in the players' faces when they walk onto the field. I love everything about this sport on game night! And, that is what makes it all worth while...

I am so proud of my husband, the other coaches, and players for making Fridays so exciting for me and my family!!!

Nathan coaching in 2006

Caruthersville/Kennett game (September 2006)

Caruthersville/Hayti game (September 2007)

Kate's first football game (September 2009)

Kate first football game in 2010 (September against Kennett)

Caruthersville/Portageville game (August 2010)

October 2010

Playoff game in Herculaneum (November 2010)

All of the coaches!