Season Prep

It’s the last week of February. Spring Break is next month. Then Spring Football. Then Summer Football. Then Football Season. (All proper nouns. Major life events.)

Right now I see Coach at the dinner table MOST nights. (Some booster meetings and bus driving nights have been on the calendar lately.) If I am being honest, football season is not on my mind. I am also a teacher so ensuring I have hit every standard and I am testing season ready is really the center of most thoughts. Also, I have been a tad selfish in the major life changes this year. I feel like every time I turn around I am faced with a new change. It’s fine. I’m fine.

I was asked the other day what advice I could give to a coach’s wife NOW. I thought about it and it has been on my mind since: Start season prepping now.

How?

Book the sitter.

In the summer, I have a sitter booked every Thursday that we are home. (Not on vacation.) Start tucking away and saving money each pay check to pay for this sitter. The plan: enjoy a child free 2 hours every Thursday evening before we hit football season full speed.

We are walking distance from our favorite dinner spots, so we like to get the children ready for bed, let the sitter show up, and then walk to dinner. Or go walk around Academy and Target. Or go see a movie. Or go to a friend’s front porch. Or drive the golf cart around town and talk about… football.

Friends, plan the time together NOW. Prepare for time together NOW.

It makes my heart break every football season that I see wives reaching out for advice on “How do I not resent my coaching husband during the season?” and the “How do you spend time together in the season?”

You plan ahead. You book the plans now. You make the time together before the season starts. Summer is my favorite because our schedules are more flexible. I don’t have to go to work on Fridays. We plan our summer date nights on Thursdays so that our weekends are saved for family time.

Let’s recap the game plan: Today you are going to find that babysitter. You will sit down with your coach and see what day works best for a standing date on the calendar. You will start saving the cash to fund the dates now. You will communicate with the babysitter to go ahead and schedule the dates. (Yes, we are months away. I know) Then when the summer arrives, along with relaxed schedules and pool floating: You have time booked with your coach before the chaos.

You know football season will be here in a flash: prepare for time together NOW.

I am cheering for you!