BACK TO INTERVIEWSHEAD COACHBrady PenningtonMarch 8, 2025New Caney · Van · BrenhamCoaching across New Caney, Van, and Brenham.BEST MOMENTS“A lot of times as a coach you're thinking, are they listening? Are they getting this? Don't think for a second that they're not — they're listening.” PLAY AT 6:01“I used to tell people, I wish we could just let them go be kids for the summer — let's just all go swimming at the pond and fishing and eat ice cream.” PLAY AT 7:35“Before those kids got off that bus after a loss, he always ended with: sun's going to come up tomorrow, we're going to go back to work, and it's going to be okay. I stole that and said it the rest of my career.” PLAY AT 33:18“I went and wept, cried: God, why? Why am I here? What am I doing wrong? It wasn't about touchdowns — we were trying to figure out how to pick up a first down. It was rough.” PLAY AT 39:30CHAPTERS0:00Intro: 36 years coaching Van, Brenham and New Caney1:09The Young Life weekend that revealed his calling3:03What he loved: camaraderie and the power to influence6:21The hard parts: pressure, summer grind, irate parents9:51Struggles with officials — and his love of offseason11:32Five things to teach, starting with a servant's heart15:57Submitting to authority: no excuses, yes sir19:30Making encouragement part of the culture21:54Unselfishness: the fullback who's needed at guard26:35What's changed: phones, Twitter and character ed30:12Winning vs. success: 'the sun's coming up tomorrow'36:28Faith: tears at the park, then a renewed purposeTRANSCRIPTHide −0:00all right this is my good friend Brady Pennington I'm so excited to sit down with him and basically just hear from his perspective and answer to some questions and uh really looking forward to this opportunity all right coach how long did you coach well I was blessed to coach for 36 years I spent time in Van Texas and uh was at Brenham for a couple years went back to van and I got to be the head coach there for uh eight years and then uh uh moved to New cany where I0:37kind of finished up my career and that been the last place in the world that I would have ever thought I'd end up but uh it really turned out to be a blessing and so uh uh 36 years of uh being in the profession why did you choose coaching well that's a great question when I was uh I was of those kids that you know kind of found out what my calling was going to be early and the reason that happened was I was a part of1:09a youth group called young life we had a big young life group I grew up in Athens Texas and uh was a big part of uh young life and I think it's really important for for any youth you know any parents that that get a hold of this or whatever super important to get your kids plugged into a youth group um FCA and young life was that for us I I was also involved in FCA there in Athens but young life was a really spiritually growing time for me and we went and1:42spent a weekend um my junior year uh it was late spring it was actually over in Palestine Texas that's where I live right now um and spent a weekend there and the whole um purpose of the weekend was where is God leading us what what what do we feel like um is our purpose and and what lies ahead for us and and that weekend I came away without a doubt knowing I wanted to coach and so uh and and it just is it crazy I ended up2:17moving to that I'm actually probably three miles from from that location uh where we went spent that weekend there's a little Lake you know down not very far from where I live and so uh uh but I I uh a lot of prayer that weekend and I kind of you know always loved Athletics you know and played football and track and a little bit of basketball my younger years in school and and so uh uh I just I just felt a very strong calling that weekend this is this is2:51what I'm supposed to do in my life and um so I kind of knew Prett pretty pretty early on and that's what I pursued and and uh and God really blessed me through these years uh what were some of the things you enjoyed about Coach oh man uh a lot of things you know about the profession first of all just being involved in sports uh was was an awesome thing for me um also um I love being in the coach's office and being around those you know coaches and just that uh3:27uh camaraderie you you work extremely hard as a coaching staff um and you really get close to those guys spend more time you know with your coaching family than you do with your own family it's just a lot of hours um and it's really important that you get plugged into the right staff and I was very blessed uh in that regard and really worked with and for some great men and uh really made an impact on me coaching you know obviously with the with the men that I coached with and4:00teachers and and then uh uh obviously the kids you know J just been so much fun uh to be around kids and get to Mentor kids and and influence and impact and and I really wish coaches would really understand how powerful that is it's it's a really powerful platform and I Lov every minute of it you know that part of it for sure and um so it's a it's a very rewarding profession in that um you know you're able to really influence and impact you know a lot of4:34people and and but it's also quite a responsibility too and because you do have that power and um you know we used to always tell our kids that when I became a head coach I told our assistant coaches that somebody's always watching there's always uh you're always influence and impact and it doesn't make any difference what role you're in you're influencing and impacting and uh I really think that as as a profession for coaching is times 10 you know cuz those kids are watching you like a hawk5:06and everything that you do and everything you say and so uh I I think that's probably what I love the most uh you know one thing I recall about you personally uh that when when a kid when when you could see a kid kind of get bought into kind of what our program was all about and and you know that's how we do it like just doing the right thing because that's how we do it and uh I to me I I saw you just swell up5:37with pride so many times through the years when you would see a kid saying oh coach that's how we do it you know well you're you're exactly right you know you you pour so much into it and you're trying to influence and impact and when you hear those kids repeat those things back to you when a lot of times as a coach you're thinking are they listening you know are they getting this you know uh do not take for a second that they're not they're listening and and um when you're saying6:13the good things and when you're saying the bad they're listening and it's a it's a very powerful position and it comes with a lot of responsibility yeah well what were some things you didn't enjoy about coaching uh I I think you know know probably um the we may talk about this a little bit later but you know one of the things that comes to mind R the bat is just a pressure of coaching um and you know in in my career not only did it happen as a head coach but it also Happ6:50happened as an assistant coach I I I had mentioned that I really worked under some really great men and with some great men and um so I always felt apart I always felt like you know we it wasn't you know uh that head coach that's that's taking responsibility for this this is we this is we are taking responsibility so you know it's a lot of pressure in coaching and and and needing to to be successful and um so I I I wish it wasn't that way you know um I think a7:26great example of that is um you know everybody putting in all the hours in the summer and you do it because everybody else is doing it you know I used to tell people I wish we could just let them go be kids for the summer you know and uh let's just all go swimming at the pond and fishing and and eat ice cream and you know big kids but uh you know we were always pushing those kids to get them up there during the summer uh because everybody else was was doing7:53the same we would fall behind if we didn't and never like that you know about it I always thought it was important for kids to be kids and and you know our you know kids that are involved in in our programs today athletic programs this it's it's year round you know it has become that for sure now and uh so I'm not sure I really you know like that uh always dealing with I rap parents you know didn't like that too much you know it was uh I uh8:22later in my career I kind of enjoyed doing that because my perspective changed you know I I would go into those meetings as a as a head coach not early in my head coaching year but my my latter years um I went into those meetings with parents that were it was not going to be a pleasant meeting but I went into it thinking of it as an opportunity and not dreading you know I'm fixing to you know have to go in here and listen to this8:50iate parent I I began to take it as an opportunity to help them better understand exactly what we were doing uh so that kind of changed for me a little bit it was really uncomfortable I hated that part of the job but later in my career I I kind of changed a little bit in in just perspective and what I wanted to be about when I went into that parent and you know younger in my career it was like you know this is the way we're going to do it if you don't like9:21it you can take your kid and go somewhere else and you know obviously that's not a good good way to be um but I found when I just listened and really uh gave them an ear and then he explained maybe some things that they didn't realize uh from our side that most of the time it washed out pretty good there were lessons to be learned on both sides and uh so that that that you know was good uh really struggled with officials I'm just being honest I really struggled9:58with officials and I know that that's a terrible thing to say but I'm just being honest you know I was that guy on Friday nights that wasn't the most Pleasant guy to probably work for you know for those officials I always felt like and I know they do a great job you know but you know you're only seeing it from one side and I regret you know a lot of that but you know my my deal was I always kind of felt like as hard as we as coaches as hard as10:26I knew our kids worked all week long and you go out there and you play on a Friday night and you know sometimes it felt like you know they weren't working very hard it just seems like you know seemed like that so didn't like that part of of the job that East a little bit you know later but I was pretty crazy early on you know definitely I don't know maybe some my assistant I maybe maybe some of the referees would would would say the same and U but I you10:55know not not a lot of U uh things I didn't like about it you know for the most part I enjoyed teaching you know when I was teaching the classroom I loved that yeah I really did and uh u i just you know my favorite part of of uh of football was off season I loved offseason and I know that sounds crazy because the payoff is on game nights you know and stuff but I really enjoyed offseason and I just think you can get a lot of things done a lot of11:26things taught during that time of year and I really uh look forward to that and enjoyed it yeah right uh what are some guiding principles that you would recommend as a coach things kind of help guide that coach along his path you know if I could go out and and uh talk to head coaches and just say for whatever it's worth this is this is what I think is important um these are the things there five things and I've even got them wrote down right here so I don't I don't11:59want to leave out anything I'm getting old um but there's things that I think that need to be taught and it needs to be part of your culture and if you don't if you're not doing these things I feel like uh you're you're missing the opportunity to really impact and influence kids to move in the right direction I also think that these these five things are instrumental on building uh young men to be successful and not just successful on the scoreboard but uh just Su being successful in life and12:33doing what I feel like is just the right thing doing the right thing you know and so the first one is you got to teach them to Ser be servant to have a servant's heart you know we talked about that you know and all these things can really be hammered in during offseason you know of course we we did it year round but uh uh I think having a servant's heart is uncommon uh because we're selfish you know we're selfish people and I think teaching kids13:05to have a servant's heart is uh is really uncommon but I think it uh you look up and it and it really can serve your your kids in your in your community uh you know I always wanted to as a head coach I wanted our program as a as a football program or even you know across the board is our head basketball coaches our head track coaches these are all things that I tried to instill that they teach to their kids as well I wanted to go in and impact our13:42whole school I wanted what we were doing in our Athletic program to permeate into the building and I saw it happen you know it just did and and and and it was verified to me by our principles you know that that we were fortunate enough to work with that we were making a difference not only out there in Fieldhouse but we were also go you know that was being transformed into the school building and now you're working so when you teach a kid to have a14:10servant's heart you know uh it's it's when those kids go out and pick up trash on their own you know but you you've got to uh You' got to show them that first so one of the very first things that I was taught as a young coach was we were going to leave the the The Dugout the dressing room we were going to leave them better than when we got there and so you know it always starts out so how do you teach kids that that's just14:39having a servant's heart you know you didn't have to do that they got people that will come in there and do that but I just wanted to be different I wanted to to teach that have that lesson being taught and so it starts out with you know me and a couple of coaches in there cleaning up after the games and then you look up and all of a sudden you got kids in there with you and then you look up and the whole team is in there picking15:01up after themselves and and so that's how you do it you know you just kind of do it by by example first you know and then you talk about it and then you brag on it to those kids you know hey I saw you I saw you or a teacher sends an email you know I can remember this vividly uh there at new cany when we were at new cany had a teacher send me an email just off the cup hey I watched you know 500 kids walk by you know this15:28track that was on the floor two of your football players picked it up boy you don't think that we didn't do a HOA and you know the next time we met as a group you know I brought that up and bragged and loved on them kids and and then those other kids see that and they they want that recognition too so uh I think it's really important I think we all need to have a servant's heart be willing to help wherever we're needed and look for things that need to be done15:53too I think that's having a servant's heart so we need to do that I think a big one and I I think it's huge for our society it was definitely big for us in our Athletic program and that is to submit to authority figures in their life and you know just teach them to be submissive and you know sometimes you look at that word submissive and and you think about well that's weakness or whatever no that's respect you know just being respectful and so I demanded that16:21you know of our kids so how do you do that well you know one of the things I didn't allow our kids to make up any excuses you know we when a coach spoke to them and told them to do something I didn't want to hear any excuse of why they couldn't do it I just wanted them to do it and I wanted them to do it right then and I used to our kids would come in sometimes and maybe they had a problem in a classroom and remember I16:44wanted to I wanted our athletic programs to go into the buildings I wanted to to transend not only out there what we were doing but I only to go into the main building and I wanted them to be an example for the for the whole school so end up you know happening for us is a kid would come down and maybe I got a note from a teacher and I always encourage our teachers to let me know if someone thought you know being disrespectful I want to know I want to17:12know what they said and if they were you know being uh submissive to your Authority or they not they weren't because we talked about it you know we talked about the need to do that and so it always came back when a kid has an argument uh they might have they may have a legitimate argument cuz you know there's knucklehead teachers there's knucklehead coaches there's knucklehead principles you know sometimes we get it wrong as an authority figure um but I don't care that's your authority figure17:42and so I always would tell them they would want to argue a little bit about that teacher said this and they were wrong they got on to me and this people have and I'm like no I don't I don't want to hear that the bottom line is they ask you to do something and the answer is yes sir yes ma'am that's it and then if if you feel like you were falsely accused whatever then you have those conversations after class you you go hey can I talk to you about that and18:12so we tried to go that way you know with them uh so we offer no excuses I don't want to hear your excuse and and then you got to be consistent with that and uh being consistent was every time a teacher I got a note I I don't care who was right or wrong um I wanted those kids to understand it's not about you being right it's about you being submissive to that authority figure and um they they always had a punishment to do for me if they got in trouble I don't18:41care what it was about you were going to do it wasn't it wasn't a massive amount of running or whatever but it was something and they were going to do it and they were going to have joy in the heart about it you know we were going to do that and then you know you look up after you do that and do that and you're and you're uh consistent and everybody in that group knows you're going to be consistent about it then you look up and they start buying19:05into uh hey we got to submit to authority figures that you coach says that we got to do that and so u u that's a big that's huge you know I think that'll help them way down you know they get pulled over by a policemen whatever happens to their life they better understand authority figures in their life and how to deal with those authority figures um uh I think we got to be great encouragers you better teach your kids how to encourage one another um so how19:37does that Trans in well you know how many times is somebody's going to Fone with a ball somebody's going to drop a ball somebody's going to miss a tackle somebody's going to miss a basket somebody's going to you're going to have people messing up and so I think it's huge for others in the group to make sure they're going over to that and raising them up lifting them up and encouraging them and tell them it's going to be okay hey we'll get the next one don't worry about it and uh I I20:07think that's got to become part of your culture and so uh you know for us it was awesome to do it you know in the way brother and I told him I you know that was that was a must for us you know you're you're going you're not going to sit there with your mouth shut in the waight room we're going to be great encouragers uh we're going to have our hip and a hop and bit and Bop and we going to move around that weight room20:30and we're going to be talking to each other hey you can do it let's go come on we got this come on get one more one more and U you know and when they start doing that it becomes a habit to them and then you look up and it's just happening all over your program and now you got it you know and I think that's again it's just doing it over and over and over and making sure you're talking about it and and then those kids they20:52start buying into that and and then you know we always uh one of the things exercises that that we tried to implement to make sure we were making them encourage one another is after a workout I may pick one kid out and make everybody in the room or or not everybody but I would I would ask for hey give me something positive about this kid what did you see this kid do today that really impacted you I want you to share it you know and that you know they would just be raising21:19their hand they couldn't wait to uh talk about that you know talk about that what that kid did or how maybe he encouraged you hey that kid encouraged me today I was I was sinking I was going down that guy came and lifted me up and so how do you think that makes that kid feel that's getting encouraged that's sitting there so you got one kid that's sitting in the middle of the room and you got all these other kids that raising their hand up wanting to say something21:45positive about that kid that's being a great encouragement true and it's powerful and it's impactful and so we did you know we always did that got to be unselfish and that's got to be taught got to be unselfish selfish and it's something that you got to talk about um you got to praise it when kids are being unselfish and you know that's a that's a deal where you got to have stories to tell them and uh you know about you know you need this kid to play guard but he22:16thinks he's a fullback but man you need to have him at a guard well if you're not doing this you know the the whole time in your program if it's not part of your culture then you're probably not going to get much Buy in from that kid that wants to be a fullback and you're needing to be a guard whereas uh if a if a kid is bought into to the the the unselfish trait then all you have to do if you're saying that all the22:45time in you're programming it's something you're preaching then all you got to do is remind you maybe one time you know I really need you to be unselfish I you know our team needs you to do that I I've got a plethora of stories yeah about that that very thing where kids had to they had to do it for the team it's not what they wanted to do uh but all those situations for the most part I wouldn't say 100% but a big percent those kids23:13always enjoyed whatever that role was that you needed to do but they didn't want to do it but if you're not talking about this on a daily basis if you're not watching for it and your kids and then bringing it up and and giving them you know praise for being un selfish uh you're going to have a real hard Road I think that's probably one of the hardest things to to teach because we born into this world you know we're all nasty centers and you know being selfish23:41nobody has to teach us to be selfish you know we we're all there I me you know me included but I think it's something you can definitely work on and I think you have to work on it if you're going to be successful as a as a unit and as a team awesome and then uh I think those things if you if you do so that's four things to serve to submit to encourage and to be unselfish and then you know everybody's got their other stuff that you do and you got your24:10pillars or whatever your you know things that you like to talk about in your program if if but to me that's that's those are things that are that have to be implemented into your program for you to establish the right kind of culture um you know one of the things for us that really important for us that we weren't going to cuss my coaches weren't going to cuss you know we we expected our kids not to cuss and so if a kid did cuss to me they're being selfish because24:40they very well could get a penalty for that you know and U so you know all those things you know as you go through your your journey uh with that particular team that particular group of kids uh when you're implementing this stuff and you're bringing attention to it and you're doing it on a day of basis uh I think they they like it when it's all said and done it's wased out they're proud that they're different and they're doing those things and you know Tony dun book being uncommon you know25:10that's we always talked about that be uncommon I don't want you to be like every all these other yahoos that we're playing against you know sometimes uh and I think it really makes a a difference and then you go back to what I enjoy about coaching you brought it up when you do this and you're implementing it and you have to have buying from your coaches your your coaching staff has to be bought into these principles they and they got to walk it and live it and25:39breathe it and uh because your kids are seeing them more than they do their parents you know stuff we've already talked about that but when that starts happening and then you hear those kids repeating that to each other they start monitoring one another now you you instead of the coaches doing it they're doing it U now you got something special probably probably going to probably going to have some uh really good things happen to your team when you when these things are being implemented and the26:13kids start taking over and holding each other accountable for them so um I call that being a transformational coach you know you're really you're really transforming that kid and building him into being a productive young man or young lady that was long sorry was that was a good question uh coach you know you coached for a long time so did I are the things that that that stand out to you I know a lot of things have changed but in all those there things that stand out to you that have changed26:51from the beginning of your career to the end of your career is there anything that just jumps out out you about man that's really changed well you know you're you're hearing these things that I just talked about you're hearing more and more coaches it's so good to see uh they're starting to be more aware and they're implementing these things into their programs these uh you know there's there's a lot of character education going on you know at Mackie speaks and you know coaching to change lives so uh27:22those are those are really good things to see and and I think a a lot of coaches talk about it but I'm not sure they spent the time that you have to spend to implement those those character programs and and really mean you know I said you you can't just talk it you got to you got to walk it and you as a head coach uh have to surround yourself with men that want to do the same you know and that all comes back from the head27:51coach you know I I think if if that's what the head coach wants to be about you you hold your coaches to to that stand U those kid coaches are going to do nothing but benefit from you know going through something that they're holding kids accountable for these things because then you know they're also holding themselves accountable for we all we all need to do that um uh Pro probably the the biggest change you know for me you know some people uh and I I have felt both ways I have felt like man28:23kids are different today but then I've also felt like they're not any different than when I was you know growing up you know the things that are different as technology you know the silic phones you know that's different they are glued to those phones and uh so you got to have you whatever your policies are about that but uh you know as a as a as a coach I do think whether you want to or not I do think you better jump on the technology board you better be Twitter28:54you better be putting out things to let everybody know the positive things that are going on in your program because everybody else is doing it you know and I think it's important to do that I don't like doing that I don't like messing with that but I think it's necessary and I think that you have to uh I think it's important that you do that it's such a a Lifeline for parents and for kids alike it's what they do that's what they want to look at and so29:21uh uh I'm I'm that that's really different as far as holding kids to a standard and working kids hard and everything uh we didn't change we didn't change much you know and uh uh you know I bring up some words from my coaching staff will understand this you know we did the 321s and we did the double rounds and you know and uh just worked them hard and uh you you do that and then they don't know any different you know they just think that's way it's29:54supposed to be done that hadn't changed you know we we never had any problems what our expectations were work ethic wise around kids I don't think that's changed once you've established what that is uh all right coach how important is winning and how would you define success oh man well I got a story you know I could I could tell you about that I'm TR to make it quick and simple as I can uh I felt like I wasted in my my younger days of coaching it was all about winning you30:31know and I still loved kids and I was still pouring into kids doing FCA uh I felt like I was you know about you know character but I'm talking about just absolutely sacrificing um my family my family time and whatnot and what I mean by that is you know if we lost on a Friday night then I was in such a bad mood for a week until we got back on on the field the next Friday night so ridiculous you know and just felt the pressure we got to win got to win and uh31:10you know you're not going to win them all and for you to sit around and Suk for a week I was that guy and you know maybe didn't interact with my kids and stuff though I I wasted a lot of time so if if I was a guy sitting talking to new guys that are getting in it I i' I'd say walk very care about um thinking that Winning is Everything because you're not going to win all the time and so you have to um I think you have to reestablish31:40what success is and that's kind of what you asked me what is success I I think SE success is is working as hard as you can uh implementing these things in your program that we've talked about already uh doing your due diligence in uh teaching these young men to be young men and and and to be productive uh and sometimes that doesn't always equal on the Schoolboard um but I think that we have to be happy with the effort that we're putting into things and what we're teaching kids32:19it's not just winning it's what are you how are you impacting and influencing kids and uh you know we've all been in that boat where we're not going to win this Friday night we're not going to we don't have a chance uh but that's not what matters what matters is is is for you to prepare to win and for you to pour into those kids and get them ready to go win and then you let the Schoolboard take care of itself you've done your due diligence of you know32:49pouring into the kids and getting them ready and the kids respond to that you know um when when you've worked as hard as you can work and you've put everything you can into it uh and you're developing them as young men then after a loss uh you know you know the very first man I worked for was Mal Fowler in Van and uh you know we didn't lose a whole lot while he was there but when we lost the game and I did this for the33:18rest of my career was before those kids got off that bus that night after that loss he'd always talked to them he always ended with son going to come up tomorrow son's going to be be here tomorrow we're going to go back to work and it's going to be okay and uh and I stole that and I've said it and I think a lot of my coaches say it to this day you know to when they're talking to their kids and it's so true yeah you33:43know so it's going to come up it's going to be all right just do what do everything you can pour yourself into it uh and then you had to be happy with the effort that you put into that and I think that's the most important thing I really do uh you know when it's fun you know obviously it's it's a lot more fun U but it's not everything and I think it's important that people that maybe are in situations where maybe they're just not going to win right now and34:11maybe that's down the road and that happened to us at new K that's a good point we weren't going to win early but our kids didn't know that we worked them just as hard and I always told him you it's going to happen and when it does all of you guys that have paved the way for the guys that they're going to stand on your shoulders you're going to be a part of that just know that you know and and and that's what happened you know we ended up uh being pretty34:40successful there after not being successful for you know three or four years and so uh uh it is built on that attitude and that work ethic that even though the scoreboard wasn't showing it those kids knew what they were doing was the right thing and they were working like winners and sure enough that culture developed into when we finally were able to compete athletically yes we overachieved sorry I know this is your interview but I get excited when you talk about it this exactly right you35:11know you you were so much a part of that and and what did you know because of that attitude because of what we tried to instill in our kids that winning wasn't everything and and I really didn't talk about winning and losing we really didn't talk about we're going to win District Championship you you know now I I would say that from time to time during offseason you know I might say hey let's get ready to win a district Championship um because I wanted that kind you know I wanted thinking that35:39that's possible um but always once the season got started we really didn't worry about that we just worried about getting ready to play that week yeah and the work that was going to be put in for that week and then what ended up happening is it sure enabled our kids to bounce back on Monday after that loss on Friday that's right because our culture and our attitude was such that that loss yeah it hurt but we were able to recuperate from it quickly because now it's time to go back to work right we36:09had a new week it was a new beginning the sun came up and so uh I think all those things are are things that you can instill in your kids and in your program and they are tremendously powerful awesome uh okay last question how important is faith in this profession yeah well uh I got into this profession because of my faith true you remember and you know it's so hard Co coaching uh really has its struggles um because of the ups and downs and um you36:50know uh I've lost kids before you know I've had kids pass away day and uh you know carre and and uh you know just just the just life happening you know with with your programs and what the kids are going through and it might be uh you know we lost a really close game and knocked us out of the playoffs you know been right there and fullway tight and we didn't get in you know and and you know uh I think my faith has number number one allowed me37:28to prioritize what was really important especially as I matured as a coach and I got past got a win got a win got a win and I so regret all that because of of how it affected my family you know and I wasn't right I wasn't thinking right there you know live and um having having my faith allowed me to prioritize what was really important you know God really instilled that in my heart um and I through my 36 years of coaching um I was pretty vocal and open in my faith38:06around the kids and I always prece everything you know I I share scripture and things with them um but I always you know tried to tell them you know I'm not trying to baptize you but let me tell you some truth let me let me give you some some uh great advice you know then I might read a scripture that just kind of scratching where it is where we were at that time you know where I could share that with them and maybe something was going on maybe um just what whatever38:35God put on my heart I was pretty vocal you know sharing that with the kids and I guess the biggest thing about uh you know being a Christian coaching profession is it really does give you a sense of purpose um you know going through the motions and doing things that um uh just because the world says you got to win you know and we buy into that sometimes and that's just really hard to get through when you when you're a Christian and you and you and you have39:09that Faith number one it gives you hope uh I in our last job at newcy we had some really rough years there at first and uh I spent a lot of lunchtimes uh there was a park about 3 miles from the school it's bull shows Park you'll remember that part and uh I went wept cried God why why why am I here what am I doing you know what am I doing wrong because it wasn't about picking up it wasn't about touchdowns we were figuring out trying to figure out39:42how to pick up a first down and it was rough you know it was really tough but uh through that time God really uh made it very clear to me what was important what was really important at that time was pouring in the kids and pouring these things to serve to submit to encourage to be unselfish um really making that the priority and when we really implemented that and started pouring that into our kids you know we we we spent a lot of time you know doing it uh I was happier40:21my coaches were happier and our our kids really gained a sense of purpose so for for me that faith-based uh priority really gave me a sense of purpose and Direction and it wasn't always about getting that W and that gave me hope and it and it gave me a sense of rest and peace yeah it's really a big deal awesome well coach thank you for this interview I I I I feel uh blessed that you spent this time with me and and I think it's going to I hope that it'll impact some41:09coaches especially younger coaches that are in this getting in this profession and and uh you guys have heard it this is a coach's perspective coach Brady pton
INTERVIEWCoach Doug Wendel shares valuable insight from a successful journey coaching high school sports.MidlothianMEET DOUG
