Football Fam

Hello my B&B-ers! 

I hope this post finds all of you having a fantastic day. Over the weekend, my Dad’s coaching staff had a family picnic/photo shoot. Their school’s colors are navy and gold, so in order to be in theme I wore a white oxford, navy chino shorts, navy sperry’s, and accessorized with a pearl hammock necklace, pearl earrings, a pearl bracelet, and a silver bracelet from Tiffany & co. 

I do not have a picture of the exact outfit I was wearing at the picnic (other than the family photos that were taken, but we do not have those back from the photographer yet,) and the day was far too busy for me to snap a pic! The only differences between the above outfit and the one I wore this weekend are that this weekend I wore plain navy blue chino shorts (not Lilly Pulitzer fireworks shorts,) a pearl hammock necklace (instead of the pearl cluster necklace in the above picture,) and that I wore navy blue Sperry's instead of gold flip flops.

Though this outfit was theme-specific, it’s a great nautical inspired outfit in general. It’s classic and perfect for the summer time! 

The picnic itself was really fun. The “Football Fam,” really leans on each other year-round, but even more so during the season, so it was great to have everyone together in one place. Nobody really understands being in a coaching family unless you grow up in or marry into one. For starters- from July through October (late November if you’re lucky,) your dad (or husband, depending what shoes you’re in,) is NEVER home, and when they are home, they’re usually preoccupied with watching film, making practice/game plans, or are on the phone with other coaches. Very rarely do they have spare time. 

Secondly, some of the fans/ parents are absolutely horrendous. The coaches’ families are not easily mistakable. Pretty much everyone knows who we are. Not only are our families highly publicized, but you can pretty much guess who we are based on who we hug and kiss before and after games. When we’re having a winning season- everything is great, and people are very kind and gracious toward all of us. When seasons aren’t so great- that’s when sitting in the stands becomes rough. Most people are still absolutely amazing toward us, and our team has the most supportive fan base; however, there are more than a select few spectators who choose to make uncouth comments (putting it mildly.) Sometimes it’s easy to disregard them and just say a prayer- other times it takes everything inside of you to hold your tongue and turn the other cheek. This is why the Football Fam sticks together: because in the end, each other is all we have to hold on to on the Fridays that aren’t so celebratory.

It’s great to imagine that every football season plays out like it does in “Remember the Titans,” but it’s also extremely unrealistic. Last season, our team went 2-8 (for those who aren’t so sports-savvy, this means we won 2 games and lost 8-yikes.) A record that poor makes for some very on-edge spectators, leading to some very nasty comments being screamed from the stands. It’s also very easy for people to say “well, it’s just high school football,” but the truth is- it is so much more than that. Sure, for these boys football is just something to do during the Fall and on Friday nights. Maybe, if they’re good enough, it’s their ticket to college, but overall, nothing happens to them if they have a bad season. What people seem to so easily forget is that for our daddies (or husbands, once again, depending on the spot you’re in,) it’s their careers; and for our families- it’s our livelihood. Bad seasons can quickly lead to losing jobs, which is terrifying, because most of the time- losing seasons aren’t a coaching issue, they’re a result of a lack of talent. 

Nobody on the outside seems to understand the stress level of being a coach. Imagine if your career’s future was placed in the hands of teenage boys- pretty scary, right? Well, this is what coaches deal with. Yes- they absolutely chose their careers with this fact in mind; that’s undeniable, but, choosing this path does not make it any less frightening to pursue. These men do what they do for the love of the game, and because they love mentoring the young men on their teams; they also do it while balancing fatherhood and husbandry. 

Daddies who are coaches are the best kind, and let me tell you why. As a coach’s kid, you aren't “taught,” things as you grow up- you’re coached. What’s the difference, you ask?  Coaches encourage, they provide clear instruction, they instill perseverance and class- all of which combined are a recipe for success. 

Being in a coaching family is a completely different lifestyle- but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Coaching has provided my family with so many opportunities we NEVER would’ve had otherwise. Whether we like it 100% of the time or not-high school football is our lives, and it will always be a part of our identities. The Friday night lights will fade, and seasons will come and go, but our passion for football will never die- and neither will the bonds the Football Fam has built. Are any of you part of a coaching family? If so, how do you make the lifestyle work? I hope you all have a very blessed, wonderful day!

Forever on the fifty,

C