Rouse Raider Football: "When you make a commitment, when you decide to do something, you stick with it."

Saturday, November 13, 2010

"When you make a commitment, when you decide to do something, you stick with it."

I am so incredibly humbled today.

I have an amazing life and family. I have choices-even though sometimes I don't always make the right one. I have freedom to say whatever I want- even though THAT gets me in more trouble than ever.
I have an amazing life. I love it. I wouldn't change a thing at all. I married into football- and I have 2 boys that will grow up to be football players (I think:)

I have an incredible coach, who is an amazing husband to me. He is also the best father that any kid could dream to have. He is hardworking and loyal and will do anything for his kids. Not just for Jace and Judson, but for all 200 of his kids. And fortunately, Jace and Judson do not mind sharing him.

I have these things in my life because of our Military who fights for out country for ME. They risk their lives for my and my family, so that I can have these things in my life and you can have the things in your life that you cherish the most.

I know that for the last year we have done a lot to recognize our military here at Rouse. We have ALWAYS had a ton of respect for our troops, but it wasn't until Jay Severe passed away that we really felt that it made a huge impact on us. And today I realized how many times something or some situation had been thrown in our faces that made us take a step back and really think about our Armed Forces and through FOOTBALL, we were able to recognize them.

1) First it was Jay Severe's death- and we hosted a game in honor of him.
2) Second it was Tyler Hawkin's Grandfather that was spending time in Iraq. He is/was a Chaplain in the Military.
3) Third, it was Deanna Roger's organizing the toy box for the Military troops to send over to Iraq, Our school donated so much stuff that they shipped a 300lb box over to IRAQ!
4) Fourth- because of that 300lb box, they wanted to honor us, by sending the American Flag that they flew over their base to Rouse. It was presented to us at the Pep Rally and it now resides in a flag box on the Athletic Office.
5) In June, my friend Lindsay and her husband moved back to NY because Michael re-enlisted in the Navy. That got me once again thinking and once again appreciating the life I have.
6) Thursday was Veteran's Day and honestly, I must be a bad parent because I forget to tell my kids about this stuff. Shame on me. But when Jace got home from school, he asked me to turn on the news and then he grabbed my newspaper- which truthfully, I only had because it featured an article that I happened to be interviewed in. He looked all through the paper looking at the military pictures. I went upstairs to take a shower and when I came out he told me all about what he saw on CNN, then he wanted to call my Grandpa because he knew he was a Marine and the man on the news was a Marine. He talked to my Grandpa for almost 30 minutes and told him ALL about Veterans Day and embarrassed as I am to admit this, he actually told ME stuff that I didn't know. I was so impressed and it taught me that I need to talk to my boys about these things and they aren't too young. Jace is interested in 2 things, Football and Army stuff. He actually will play with Army men. (now, he puts them with his football players- as he does the pre-football stuff with his plastic players, which was the original reason he wanted them:) ha
7) and now, a touching story, got me motivated to once again find away to recognize our military troops, only this will be much easier as it involved an Amazing football coach at Maritime College. His name is Clayton Kendrick Holmes

This is not a Veteran's Day post, this is much more near and dear to my heart.
Lindsay, sent me a text this morning about watching a special on ESPN. This coach is a personal friend on MY friends. I didn't get to watch it, so I googled it- please view the following video and then click the ESPN link to view the ESPN video as well.
As you read in my last post, I am not a crier, don't cry. Well, I had tears running down my face while watching this.

The ESPN story

What an amazing impact this man gets to make. I know first hand the commitment and time it takes to be a coach. As a coach you are not just A coach, you are also a mentor, a teacher, in some cases a father figure. This man gets to make an impact on the athletes AND gets to fight for our country. What an amazing message he is sending these kids.

He had an impact on me today. He made me appreciate what I have. For some reason my brain functions in a way that things only affect me deeply if it involves football. I know how strange that MUST sound. But honestly football is SO dear to me. Its not because of Josh, it was that way for me LONG before I met him. If I was a boy, I wouldn't be the best athlete, but I guarantee I would have MORE heart than anyone on the team. I truly don't think I could function without football in my life in some major way.

I have always had a huge respect for our Military, but I never really talked about it, nor did I think about it too much. However, once Jay passed away, it really put things into perspective for me and for the past year, one thing after another has been thrown into our lives that made us step back and think about it more and more. In 1 year, 7 things have happened and it just so happens that this last thing involved NOT ONLY the military, but football and not only football, but the man is a football coach.

Today, I am humbled. I know the hours that a coach works and if it wasn't for the fact that i GO to the school to see Josh, I wouldn't see him. I can't imagine not having the option of seeing my husband. I can't imagine fearing for the life of my husband on a daily basis, and I do not ever want to. I am so blessed that I do not have to worry about these things, because this man, this coach, that is sacrificing for me and you.

I know there are a lot of service men and women out there that need our prayers and I ask that you pray for them and add Clayton and Johanna Kendrick-Holmes and their boys to it as well.

I don't know them personally, but my friend does and I am SO grateful to Lindsay for telling me about this story. Its been on my mind all day, and somehow, some way, I am going to worm my way into his wife's life! I want to talk to her. From one Coaches Wife to another:) Only she could probably impact ME more than I could her.

Their game will air tomorrow night on ESPNews at 3pm. We should get that channel (THANK YOU Direct TV:) and I will certainly be watching it. If you have a chance, you should watch it too and remember to send good Raider thoughts their way so that they can keep their season alive.