My Dad was a High School football coach for almost 2/3 of his working career (over 30 years of coaching). For 17 years of his career, he was in sales and sales management for Random House, the publishing company. After he "retired" for the 2nd time at 69, he became Mayor for another 7 years. He was still working at the age of 76 when he died in 1998. From my view, he lived a rather full life. In addition to raising 4 children (including me), his influence on other young men and women touched thousands of others. I remember in just one school year, he was Head Football Coach, Athletic Director, Head Girls Basketball Coach, Guidance Counsellor, Assistant Principal, Head Baseball Coach, History Teacher and he had a summer job too.
I can remember as a young boy carrying a football under my arm when I was so young I could barely walk. I decided rather early that I would walk in the footsteps of my Dad and my older brother and become a football coach like they both had done. My Dad had different ideas for me and he convinced me to focus on business and that was the path I eventually took. I have to admit I have always wondered what the life of coaching would have been like. In my mind, I privately had a "backup plan" that one day I would leave business and become a football coach and maybe even a wrestling coach. I even thought about which one of my Dad's friends and fellow coaches might agree to mentor me. Unfortunately, the door to coaching has not opened for me, yet.
I remember when I was in elementary school in the mid 60s in Cordele, Georgia, my Dad left coaching football to sell books for Random House. At the time, my heart sunk. I was so proud of my Dad being a coach. More importantly, I could not wait for the day that I would be in high school and my Dad would coach me. My brother Rickey who is 13 years older had played his high school football for Dad. He often told me just how fortunate I was that I was not going to "have" to play for Dad. Rickey pointed out that Dad was a very tough coach and he was significantly tougher on his own son. I know Rickey was not exaggerating, but I still was so incredibly disappointed not to have the opportunity to have Dad coach me on the football field.
He did help coach me for one season when I was in the 8th grade and that experience was rather remarkable. I mostly played offensive guard and linebacker. I was one of those people who loved contact and even though I wasn't too big or fast I was always able to hold my own. In that 8th grade season, my Dad had a pretty serious health scare and missed a game while he spent a few days in the hospital. Our team dedicated the game to my Dad. During the game, I asked our coach if he would let me play fullback some and have a chance to carry the ball. Even though I never before or since asked my coaches to do anything different for me, I did that particular day. The coach gave me my chance. I hope I don't sound like I am bragging, but I ran with the ball very well that day and broke more than one tackle. You could say I had even extra motivation. Late in the 4th quarter, I scored my one and only career touchdown carrying a defender with me into the endzone. The final score was 6-0. The difference was one touchdown. You can imagine how great I felt inside giving the game ball to my Dad in the hospital with the rest of our team. I still have that ball. The score is written on it. That ball means a great deal to me. As a Father now, I understand even more how much it meant to my Dad.
When I was preparing to play football in high school, my Dad sat down to speak to me about my disappointment over the reality that he was not going to be my football coach. He knew I wanted so badly to play for him and while Dad was not my high school football coach, he was one of my greatest life coaches. Here is what my Dad had to say:
He said, "Son, I know that you are really disappointed that I am not going to be your football coach. I am disappointed too. But I am doing what is best for our family and I know you understand that." (You know even though I was only 13, I did understand, but it still hurt inside.) He continued, "I have something to say about your playing football that I believe will mean more than me being your coach. You see son, I have seen so many young men play football that I believe what I am about to share with you is the most valuable lesson I can share about the game. I have seen so many young kids injured and carried off the field for the last time and they didn't know that they would never play another down. I have had many young men come into my office and say that they had no choice but to give up the game they loved. Some said, "Coach I am so sorry, but I have to give up football, my girlfriend is pregnant." Some times they would have to quit playing because they had lost their Father or Mother and needed to go to work. Maybe their families hit on hard times and they just couldn't see it coming." My Dad's description of the painful hurt he saw in these young men's eyes hit home then and has always stuck with me.
He paused and then he went on, "Son, every time you put on your helmut, and buckle your chinstrap, when you step onto the field, play every down as if it may be your last. And, if your really do this, and you are one of the lucky ones, you just might know when you are about to play your last down." I thought about what he said, I swallowed hard, and I said, "Yes sir." He gave me a hug like only my Dad could give me, we both wiped our eyes a bit and went quietly out of the room. Those words may seem dramatic, but they touched me as deeply as any words have in my life. Those are words that reach far beyond football.
It turned out that I was one of the "lucky ones." I played my last down against our cross town rivals on Thanksgiving Day, 1975. (I graduated from high school in the spring of 1976.) I even have a picture from that day with my Mom and Dad on the field for Senior Day. I knew deep inside that I was going to follow my Dad's advice and pursue business. If you were to look at the picture you will see some light sleet and snow. If you look real close, you might see a little moisture in my eyes because I knew inside this was my last day playing the game I loved so deeply. I still do love the game. But, this message is about far more than playing football, it is about playing the game of life.
How does this real life story tie to the "backup plan" message I am sharing? The answer is simple. My wonderful Father's message to play each down as if it were our last applies to our lives. We are called to live each day as if it were our last. We need to make every second count. We should start by making our peace with those we need to make peace with. Imagine if we all lived life with that kind of passion and intensity? I believe we honor God when we push ourselves to use all of the gifts he gave us. The most important message I have today is do NOT put off developing a relationship with your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. You just might not have another chance to play the game of life tomorrow.
We do not not have many guarantees in this life, but God gave us a guarantee in the next one. By accepting Jesus into our lives, we are promised we can share eternity with Him. We bring heaven to earth when we do that. It is far more meaningful than even that special Thanksgiving day. The Lord loves when we turn to Him. I don't want to spend an eternity separated from my maker. God does not want to spend an eternity separated from you or me. Eternity is so much more important than football. And, yes as strange as it may seem coming from the son of a football coach who grew up thinking football was all-important, life is so much more important than football. If you don't already have this peace, I hope for you that this lesson will somehow help you develop a backup plan for when tomorrow never comes. You just might know when you're living your last day, but then again, you might not. I hope you are truly blessed. ~ Jim
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