Since the 3rd grade, the late summer and early fall has always represented the start of a new football season. Year after year as a player or now as a coach, I jog out onto the field for the first practice with hopes of having a successful season. However, after 25 plus years of football, I have come to learn that I truly have no idea what each season will bring.
My Junior year in high school was a season of loss as our record was 1-9.
My Senior year in high school was a season of triumph as we made it to the eastern regional championships after going 1-9 the year before.
My Senior year at Villanova was a season of perseverance as we started 2-5 and won our last 4 games of the season to finish with a winning record .
My 2016 Freshman Football season (Coaching) was filled with high expectations. As we were expected to be really good and did not disappoint.
My 2018 Freshman Football season (Coaching) was one filled with adversity. At one point during the season, there were more players on the sidelines injured than players who could actually practice. We even had a coach tear his achilles tendon during the season.
Some seasons like my Junior year at Villanova, have shown me how quickly your fortune can change. Our starting QB broke his arm during the first game of the season and we never recovered.
Other seasons have reminded me of why you shouldn’t listen to predictions. My 2017 Freshman Football Team (Coaching) only won 1 game as 8th graders and were predicted to struggle but two players who never played before lead us to a 5-0 start and plenty of shocked faces around the school.
A few seasons, like my sophomore year in high school, led to self evaluation. The lack of playing time I received pushed me to give up basketball, join the track team, and hit the weight room in order to become a better football player.
There have been seasons that I never wanted to end and others that I couldn’t wait to be over. However, I can unequivocally say that regardless of the outcome of the season, I always grew as a player and am continuing to grow as a coach. This year’s Freshman Football season (Coaching) is a perfect example, as the lessons from seasons past helped me guide our team to a 5-2 record and victories against teams we have never beaten before.
My life, like football, has been and will continue to be filled with different seasons. I’m realizing there will be victorious seasons, losing seasons, seasons filled with adversity, seasons that go as planned and seasons filled with the unexpected. There is no choice but to go through whatever season I’m in, understanding that any success or struggle, happiness or pain, will only last for that season.
As 2022 approaches, I’m excited to jog onto the field of life hoping for the best, embracing that I truly have no idea what this season of my life will bring, and trusting that all seasons are being used for the GOOD!
Happy New Year!!!
*1H/6W
The tag above stands for 1 hour a week, for 6 weeks, and was a challenge issued by the Pastor of my church. He asks that for 1 hour a week, for 6 weeks, you go and intentionally share/use one of your Gifts. In August/September, I decided to sit at my computer every Sunday afternoon for 1h/6w and write. The last 5 blogs have been the fruit of that labor.
PeaceofAB 