Submitted by Laura Glover Pruitt

I’ve watched a football coach run down the sidelines next to a running back with a ball and follow him as close as he could to that end zone. I’ve watched a football coach get beside a lineman at the end of practice and run that last sprint with him so that the lineman will run hard so that the old coach doesn’t beat him. I’ve watched a football coach meet a referee at mid-field with his hands up and headset off battling for his kids because the wrong call was made.  

I’ve watched a football coach cry with a young man whose dad is in the hospital getting a liver transplant. I’ve watched a football coach pull athletes aside after practice to pray with them because he knows their load at home is heavy. I’ve watched a football coach go to the front of a 5th Quarter and pray with a former football player after a Region Championship win while he’s being led to Christ.  

I’ve watched a football coach come home defeated after a loss. I’ve watched a football coach worry to death about kids that don’t even play football anymore because they took a wrong path in life and ended up somewhere they shouldn’t. I’ve watched a football coach cry in the closet because his job is so stressful and he’s put under a microscope daily and expectations are high. 

Why does he do it? He could easily go to school, teach his classes, leave at 3:20 like other teachers and come home. But he doesn’t. He stays. On the season, the off-season doesn’t matter. He’s always there. Why? Because his heart won’t let him quit.  

His heart has determination. Grit. Passion. Dedication. Integrity. Sacrifice. Motivation. Drive. Humility. Inspiration. But mostly, love. Love for the game, and love for his athletes. 

The heart of a football coach is one of the most beautiful things there is. If you’ve been lucky enough to have a great one, you know. If you’ve been lucky enough to have your child play under one, tell them thank you. “It’s not the life for all for sure, but I’m so glad it’s the life for some.”