Meet
Ann
Ann and her “coach” have been married for 33 years, raising three children before adding a son-in-law, daughter-in-law and two grandsons to the mix. She loves coffee, books, football and Jesus…just not in that order!
For the first 16 years of marriage, Ann’s husband had a “normal” job. God used the events of 9-11 to transition their family into something completely new. In 2003, they became a “coaching” family…hosting regular player dinners, experiencing wins and losses, three seasons of unemployment, and lots of moves--- seven since 2012! The journey has been characterized by “shifting sand” --- just as Ann begins to feel settled, the earth seems to move under her feet.
When she is not packing and unpacking, Ann has enjoyed serving as a mentor mom for MOPS International and other moms’ groups. She loves to encourage moms as they experience the many changes motherhood brings. She also loves studying the Bible with other women and learning from them. Ann is passionate about using the lessons from her journey to help other women navigate change in their own lives. She also writes at The Glorious Table.
Meet Chris
Chris first met her husband Todd at the national Athletic Trainer’s convention in 1988 and were re-introduced when he arrived at her school as the newest ATC staff member. After 4 MAJOR moves in the first 6 years of their marriage, God allowed them to hang out in Tampa for 17 years, raising and homeschooling their 2 children.
Now in the 29th year of their marriage, Chris and her husband reside in Nashville, empty nesters, but both still working, a lot! In the middle of the pandemic God called Chris out of homeschool educator retirement and recreational tennis player, to a second career, working for a startup non-profit fighting local human trafficking.
Chris has never been paid for her writing, nor has she been published in any notable journals; however she has written volumes of devotions for use by her churches, and recently lots of policies and procedures for her organization; the latter is certain to help with insomnia!
Meet Maddie
Maddie and her football-coaching husband have three kids and regularly refer to themselves in third
person as “Team Waites.” She’s a Corona-induced-homeschool mom, which is a term she made up to
describe how God finally got her to surrender to homeschooling. Her family has only moved once so far
but she truly enjoys the adventures, unpredictability and curveballs that coach wife life can throw.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:9, Paul said, “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you
not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well.” Maddie’s story has been dramatically impacted by
God’s grace in having her cross paths with believers who truly modeled how to share their lives with her
family. Now her aim is to do the same both literally and through her writing.
Being a “football family” is all Maddie has known because her husband has played or coached football since they met. She loves how this journey allows her to meet so many people and see God at
work in their lives. As an enneagram 7, non-perfectionist, spontaneous, Christ-seeking, extroverted, jack-of-all-trades and master of none…Maddie still has no clue what she wants to be when she grows
up…besides fully surrendered to Jesus.