Coach Jones

To me, he is: Jeremy, husband, partner, best friend, or Jerms as I so affectionately refer to him at times.

To his children, he is: Daddy, the head of the family, the example of how a Christian man should treat others and his wife and family.

To his parents and sisters, he is: a son of whom they are so very proud, and a brother they can always count on *(even his sister-in-law counts him as a brother :) )

To his friends, he is: the guy they can always call on if they need help around the house or need help moving....or just need help with anything. He's always there....whenever you need him.

To hundreds of students, he is: that high school math teacher who did his best to make math fun and teach you life lessons at the same time.

To countless young men, he is: Coach Jones. He will spend countless hours away from his family, working with these young men...molding them, shaping them, and preparing them not only for the big game on Friday night, but the game of life, which is full of obstacles. He will teach them to be wise in their choices and to love each other. He will be patient with them, and he will let them know when they've disappointed him. He will correct them, encourage them, and push them to their limits. And in the end, they will see that this coach is just a little different than the rest...because he truly cares and when he tells them he loves them, he means it.

Over the, almost, ten years that I've known Jeremy, I've seen him in many capacities - boyfriend, friend, son, husband, teacher, coach, and father. Being a Christian man comes with a lot of pressure and expectations, and I often take a step back to realize how tough it is to be in his shoes. He has to be so many things to so many people, and if the roles were reversed, I know I would be a ball of nerves. He handles it all, though, and I have to say, he handles it well. Seeing him as a husband, and watching him grow in that role over the years, made me so very proud of him. Then, when we had Ayden, I fell in love with him all over again because seeing him as a father was seeing another side of him that I hadn't seen before. He's so tender and sweet, and he loves his children with all that he has. And seeing him as a coach is seeing him a whole other light....especially now that he is a head coach. He has so many things he wants to teach his players...and the other coaches he works with. He wants to be a positive role model for young men and show them that they don't have to be society's view of what a real man is. Because there's more to being a man than holding onto pride, reacting in anger, choosing to fight instead of just walking away, being forgiving, and being a team player instead of showboating. He wants young men to see that there is such a thing as self control, self discipline, and purity.

He isn't your typical coach, and that's what makes him stand out from the rest.

Congratulations Jeremy! This year will hold a lot of new learning experiences, but remember that it's not about being the coach with the most wins on the field. As long as you win your players over and they know that you believe in them, you'll always have an outstanding record!