Utilize the Gifts of Your Coaches Wives

The beauty of a coaching staff is that everyone brings something unique and special talent to the table. The same holds true with the wives of the coaches.  Each wife brings with her the special talents and gifts and yes, spiritual gifts as well.  It’s important that those gifts are recognized by the other wives and then utilized for the greater good of the staff.  I Corinthians 12 4-6 says: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. “

I was once part of staff where the wife of the head coach had a gift for recognizing those talents and then empowering each wife to use her talent in a way that benefited not only the wives but their coaches as well. Jan had the gift of watching and recognizing the gifts of the other wives and then she gave us the gift of empowering us to use those gifts.  With each wife being empowered to let their talent shine we grew closer as a unit and worked as one and by working as one were a greater asset to our husbands and to the team.

Jan immediately saw that Lisa was clearly the prayer warrior of the group.  She always made it a point to ask her to lead us in prayer, and pray for specific things for our families, our coaches and our players.  We all knew that when we needed prayer, that we could turn to Lisa and engage her to pray with us and for us.

Courtney had the clear gift of encouragement.  I remember when Jan introduced her to the staff as the cheerleader and chief encourager and we found her to be just that. You could count on Courtney to arrive in the stands with her signs and noise makers and she was always ready to get the group pumped up. You could also count on a quiet word of encouragement when she saw that you needed it and then to have special notes in the mail at just the right moment.

Jan recognized that I had the gift of organizing and she enabled me to use that gift. My first encounter with Jan was at a function where she saw me in my element of organizing and problem solving about four things all at the same time. She quietly sat back and watched me do my thing. The next week when I was introduced to the staff, I was declared the organizer and the doer. If she needed something planned or details to be worked out she simply would turn and ask and then send me into action. 

There were ten wives on that staff and each had a role and responsibility. Some were subtle and never outright mentioned as a whole to the group but we all learned to recognize those gifts and we were all empowered to use those gifts.  Seeing those gifts in each of us and encouraging us to use them was one of the greatest gifts Jan could have ever given us. It was also a gift to her as she knew that by empowering each of us to do what we did best she in turn could focus on her talents and gifts and not have to try be all things to all people. She had a staff of wives that she could lean on and support her in what she needed as well.

Whether you are the head coach’s wife or the wife of an assistant, I encourage you to stop and observe the wives around you.  Look for their special gift and then encourage them to use that gift.  It will strengthen them and it will strengthen you and the entire staff.

Cheering you on!
Laurel