Joy in the Journey

I think my husband's first season coaching public school football, they went 1-9.  We were not married yet, so this one did not affect me as much as the others.  Over the past 11 years of assistant coaching, he has been a part of state championship teams and teams that almost made it and teams that, well, weren't quite there yet :).  Now that he is a head coach, and at a school that is really wanting to build a football program, which means from "scratch", wins and losses are viewed very differently in the Cook home (we actually have not won yet, but when we do - and we will - it will be different as well).  But I can assure you, whether it's a W or L, there is joy in the journey!  So, in the next few posts, I will be sharing with you "our journey" thus far. 

Jason started his coaching career at Jackson Preparatory School.  He was an assistant football coach under Ricky Black.  I don't think there is a better place for a young aspiring coach to start out - so much of what he learned from Coach Black and his staff he uses today.  And if Coach Black ever reads this :), thank you for  your leadership!  In his 3 years there, they won 2 state championships!  He also was an assistant baseball coach under Trey Bayliss - a Florence native :).  The last year Jason was at Prep, this baseball team was not even supposed to make it to the playoffs.  Can I tell you that team swept the playoffs and beat Hillcrest for the state title!!  It was amazing!!  For those of y'all that don't know us, this is where I met Jason.  We got to know each other through the baseball season being that I was the statistician :), aka - kept the books.  (this is a story for another day)

Anyway, when he left Jackson Prep. he went to Mendenhall High School.  His best friend, Ken Byars, was assistant coaching there and it was time for him to make his public school debut - as an assistant football and head baseball coach.  Let's just say in the two years there, we met some wonderful people and made some lifelong friends.  The head coach, Chris Peterson, was instrumental in Jason getting this new job, highly recommending him and really going to bat for him.  That meant more to us than he (Chris) will ever know!  But, I must humbly say, that was about as exciting as it got :).  Might I add, that now Mendenhall is an awesome football team and has had a lot of success the past several years.  A healthy reminder that these things take time!

This concludes the first 5 years of Jason's career.  I am for certain I have left a TON of details out :)  But rest assured I will get to them in this blog - at some point!! 

To be continued..............

James 1:2-5 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.