Coaching in his footsteps

The year is 1994. The Ontario Christian Knights along with #77 are in the second round of the CIF playoffs. Although, #77 is not in the game, but rather on the sidelines nursing a season-ending knee injury suffered earlier in the year. One thought that ran through his head was, "Will I ever be able to participate in this game again?" Little did he know that 8 years later, that thought would come to fruition.

Instead of participating in the game as a player, I was on the sidelines as an offensive line coach. But there is more to this story. Not only was I given the opportunity to coach the game of football, I was right along side of my father, coaching in his footsteps. Little did I know that the following season, my older brother would join up and coach along side of me. What a dream come true...Father and sons all coaching together on the same field under the Friday night lights! Following 3 league championships, 3 trips to the playoffs (including the semi-finals and 2 trips to the finals), and a CIF Championship, Coach Cam and his family, under the Lord's direction, moved out of the state. However, the desire to coach was not gone.

After spending a year in Oregon, the Lord brought me and my family back to California. In God's humor, He brought me right back to the place where my coaching career first began, Calvary Murrieta. After a year's hiatus, I got right back into the swing of things as the new offensive line coach for the Warriors. As it turned out, the Warriors would meet the Ontario Christian Knights in a league match-up, pitting myself against my father and brother...and what an amazing game it was (you'll have to borrow the dvd if you want to see the game). After finishing the 2006 season 5-5, with no playoff birth, Coach Cam and the Warriors looked to the following year with high hopes and aspirations. Now, this is where is gets good...

The Lord decides to direct the Head Coach of all Head Coaches down to Murrieta and, once again, coach with his son. My dad decides to direct the Calvary Murrieta Warriors in the 2007 season with his son right by his side as co-head coach and offensive line coach. What an absolutely tremendous ride this year has been! In game 6 of this season, the Warriors met up with the Knights for a rematch. This time, it would be Coach Laing and Coach Cam versus Coach Chris. In the bitter-sweet rematch that it was , the Calvary Warriors once again found defeat in the last seconds of the contest, losing 10-7. The newly dubbed, "Full Armor Game" between the Ontario Christian Knights and the Calvary Murrieta Warriors, Stevens versus Stevens, will continue to be fought year after year on the gridiron battlefield.

You're probably asking yourself, "WHAT are you getting at?!" Well, here is my answer...I can not explain in words how grateful I am for what the Lord has done for me in my life. In this aspect of my journey, he has allowed me to follow in my father's footsteps in learning the game of football. He has given to me a brother who loves the game and is an amazing coach and role model. I can only hope that I turn out to be as good of a coach as my father and my brother are. They are truly inspirational to me. If I can grab on to "one yard" of the passion they have for the game, then I will be blessed in my career as a football coach.

Thanks for reading and remember football fans, in the game of life, you're the football. You're gonna get kicked, dropped, fumbled, and passed around, but trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will carry you to the endzone!