My many HATS...

2011.   It is 2011, right?  I am a girl, woman, lady, chick, whatever you prefer.  And (gasp...loudly) I stand on the sideline at my husbands football games (can you imagine?).  I haven't written anything for a long time because I have been so busy.  Besides my three precious kiddos, and my Masters classes I am taking, I am invested in 110 football players lives.  I am not writing this to defend my actions (really) just to vent.  Behind the scenes what many do not know is that I volunteer my time (which is precious by the way) M-F from 8am-2pm in the football office.  Sometimes I am going through 1100+ recruiting emails, sometimes I am doing various office activities, and sometimes I am voicing my opinion (which I have).  There are other times where I am talking with a player who has no family and needs encouragement, or helping someone proof read a paper, sometimes I am doing laundry, or cleaning the EQ room, or folding jerseys and organizing numbers, sometimes I am talking to parents on the phone reassuring them their "babies" are doing good.  Probably the job I do they enjoy the most, is providing candy in all the meeting rooms (i even take requests).  After  hours I am a big heart for those boys-I listen, I cheer, I encourage, I hug, I cry, I LOVE them unconditionally.
I think for most people on the outside I am just a woman on the sideline.  And what place is a football field for a woman (I mean really).  But unlike most girls I know, I was raised on the football field.  Growing up I spent more hours at football practice than anyplace else (maybe I should of gone to the library? hmmmm).  My dad started picking me up from school in 2nd grade and taking me straight to practice everyday.  My first hat, Coaches Daughter.  He did not tell me to bring my barbies and play in the corner.  He gave me my very own clip board (it wasn't even pink, it was blue), he taught me the plays, he explained the drills, he gave me a whistle and (gasp again) he let me stand on the sideline.  When I wasn't part of practice, Trainer Bob took me under his wing and taught me all about athletic training.  I learned and even taped the players ankles, filled ice jugs, and eventually became the bona-fide water girl (hey I even landed an interview on the news because I was the only water girl in central Ohio-autographs available by request).
In college I worked at the Ohio State University Men's (drum roll) Football Office.  I answered phones and did office work but also helped with recruiting and getting play books ready.  One coach even allowed me to grade film with him.  Fast forward to today.
I am a Coaches wife.  My prince charming went from football player (frog) to coach (prince).  All my years of being on the football field have allowed me to be able to know amazing things that most women do not know; Trips Right (three receivers line up on the same side of the ball), 4-3 defense (four lineman and three linebackers), and lots of other useful knowledge.  I watch a football game unlike most, I am really breaking down each play.  The bonus to being on the inside you also see what goes into each and every play.  These boys do not just show up and play.  They practice, they train, they have breakfast club, they have study tables, and tutors, film, team meetings, and did I mention they also go to class.
The sideline is my home.  I love it.  The noise, the action, the smell (yes, even that), it all is what makes football so awesome to me.  I do not know how to sit in the stands (it can not be comfortable all that sitting and standing) and I do not have the strength in my jaw to bite my tongue when someone finds the need to downgrade a player or coach.  So the sideline is safe for me (or so i thought).   What I am learning, Christian campus or not, Satan will attack.  And he will bring his big guns.  Some people do not want me on the sideline, call it what you want (my sister has lots of great names for it so see her if you want some ideas), but I call it silly.  I love the coaches (I am related to 3 of them) and I love the players.
My journey as a coaches wife has just begun.  I hope my next hat is Coaches Mom.

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."  2 Cor 11:14