Football season is here. I’ve got my eye on three teams this year. My grandson Creede Wylie’s team is from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. Second, Deion Sanders, Coach Prime of the Colorado Buffaloes football team, and also the Kansas City Chiefs, with the professional skills of Patrick Mahomes. The leaders and role models of the game keep me interested.
Role models set the stage for their peers and the next generation with their focus, direction, tenacity and being true to what they believe. Some of them have had to fight their own demons, addictions and challenges to win at life. They know how to reach down into the hearts of these young men, pull out their potential and give them a better way of believing in themselves.
Throughout my grandson’s athletic career, there were coaches and caring men who supported, taught and gave him faith to continue on his path in the athletic field.
Football head coach Olin Garrison taught the boys respect for their parents and the game. He came from the old-school ethics and principles. Coach Mike Kelly mentored Creede throughout his whole football career. After each game, Creede would watch videos with Mike for hours to learn about teams’ plays and how players act on the field. This gave Creede an unusual gift of calling plays and challenging officials’ calls.
The week before Creede left, Mike Kelly would be the one to give him sound advice. Dan Sanders would pray for him and confirm his call. Small acts, yet big shoes to fill.
Wrestling coach Dan Janowsky stood by him through dark times and good times. Coach Michael Martinez taught him to think like a champion, and men who came from their Pagosa glory days to help these young wrestlers succeed. All of these role models poured their best into my grandson.
Many took a personal interest in him and made the trip to state in 2014 to watch Creede take the title of Colorado state wrestling champion. These men of Pagosa helped him get to that podium.
During his football years here in Pagosa, Creede followed Tim Tebow from the Gators through the highs and lows of his football career. Tebow never caved under the pressure of being rejected, traded and led into another career. His life was important to our grandson.
The passion to help young boys to grow into godly men stirred in Creede. He reached out to Pagosa’s young athletes to help them. Then, within one week, Creede was called to accept a graduate assistant role at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. He quit his job and followed his calling. The football field would be his mission field for the Lord.
The first day, when he met the parents and the 12 young men he would coach, he said, “I’m a Christian. My door is always open to talk.” One of the mothers cried, “I’ve been praying for my son. Thank you for coming.”
So, when I recently received an email from my grandson, I remembered all the role models who brought him to this place and I want to say to you, “Thank you for being there for my grandson. Your work continues into the next generation. I encourage you to keep working with our young men in Pagosa. Your time, skills, and desire will continue to grow into good works.”
Creede wrote, “I have accepted a Graduate assistant role at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM. While individually this position allows me to grow my career and receive the education that I desire, I plan on doing so much more.
“I see this as an opportunity to be a man of faith as God has provided a chance to disciple young men. My first question when taking the interview was, ‘What is the faith like of the coaches that I will be sharing this facility with?’
“The team here is built on faith. Every Sunday I start my position meetings with scripture, to make sure the young athletes are receiving the word. Every practice we finish with a prayer. Every day the coaches’ offices have worship music playing out loud with no apology.
“With my experiences in football I have never felt something as strong as what we are trying to grow here.”
Final brushstroke: Your labor of love does not go unnoticed. Sometimes there is that moment that we make a difference in someone else’s life. We do not recognize the moment, but it shows up down the way. Don’t lose faith of what you are doing.
Reader comments
From one of the readers of this column:
“Dearest Betty: The Holy Spirit has just used your Preview column to give me a firm grip on a peace that I have been trying SO hard to get a grip on. It was such inspiring insight, laid out so clearly and I will reflect on your words many times for the remainder of this election cycle.
“Thank you Dear Sweet Sister in Christ, for allowing Him to use you to give us all a lot of comfort! In Him, Nancy Bard.”
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