The Manager Years

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” – Colossians 3:23.

I didn’t know it at the time, but being a football manager in high school was one of the most formative experiences of my life. I had a lot of fun working behind the scenes but that’s exactly where I learned another layer of what it means to “hold the football.”

My afternoons blurred into a rhythm: pumping air into the footballs, lining them up for drills, and gathering them back again. I learned how to replace chin straps, repair equipment, and wipe mud from a facemask without getting it all over myself—though I rarely succeeded.

After a rainy game, the smell of wet earth, sweat-soaked pads, and teenage determination could only make you try to fan it away and laugh. There we were reminding the boys, “Hurry, throw it in. You’re dripping down the hall” as they dragged heavy jerseys to the laundry, trying not to get hit by the mud soaked fabric as they threw it into the basket. We were having the time of our lives joking, laughing, just being teenagers.

I learned something sacred in those years: love takes work, but it sure can be a lot of fun.

I didn’t realize it then, but I was learning about the quiet fidelity that keeps a team together. The athlete who always stacked his pads neatly and the one who didn’t. The coach who remembered everyone's name and the one who threw his clipboard across the room. The teammate who helped carry the Gatorade cooler and the one who tripped over the wagon while jumping around trying to put on his cleats and get onto the practice field on time. The grace and forgiveness that sometimes came simultaneously. 

I didn’t see it then, but God was training our hearts to be attentive to the small opportunities for connection. The gentle tone instead of the sharp reply. The extra chore done. Leaning into and helping one another. The patience to listen when you feel tired. The willingness to set aside your agenda to help out someone else.

We may not have known it then, but God was teaching us about His sacred heart and how to notice one another in the middle of stinky locker rooms and noisy practice fields. He was shaping us to live life as part of a team in a world that can sometimes look chaotic. We were learning more about the endurance, gentleness, and quiet resilience that relationships require. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the blurry, rainy days and stinky locker rooms. Though noisy and tiring at times, there’s often a lot of love and fun there. Thank You for the extra chore done and moments that are sacred to the heart. Thank You Lord for always coaching us along. You sure do understand the plays for the long game. Have a beautiful day, God. Amen.

All My Love,

Jen

For more information about Get Strong with Jen! click here.

Hold the Football - Setting Up the Play: Waiting on God - click here.