A Timeout For Coaches

Shelley Pearson • February 16, 2021

Calling all coaches and their spouses!

Do you wish you and your spouse could take a 'timeout' from your over-booked and high-stress life? Or do you just need to get out and do something together after spending a lot of time at home over the past year?

FCA has a wonderful opportunity for you to go on a coaches retreat where you will hear from great speakers, build relationships, and dig deeper into your relationship with Christ.

But don’t just take it from us! Hear from three couples who attended Coaches Time Out in 2019.

Tim and Susan Nelson, “Stu” and Sheri Stewart, and Ben and Aminta Geisler attended the Coaches Time Out in 2019 and encourage all coaches and their spouses to attend.

Tim & Susan Nelson
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Stu & Sheri Stewart
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Ben & Aminta Geisler
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Tim Nelson is a physical education teacher and JV baseball coach at Rogers High School. He and Susan serve as huddle coaches for the FCA huddle at Rogers.

John “Stu” Stewart is also a physical education teacher and the head football coach at Spring Lake Park High School. John attended the retreat with his wife, Sheri.

Ben Geisler is a science teacher at Regional High School in the Anoka-Hennepin school district and the varsity assistant football coach at Spring Lake Park High School. He and Aminta serve as FCA huddle coaches at Spring Lake Park.

Time Away with their Spouses

Like many coaches and their spouses, the demands of both coaching and being married to a coach are great, and it is sometime difficult to make time for quality time together. Aminta says, “I love the Coach’s Time Out weekend because it always helps us to reconnect with each other and to learn practical information that helps us in our marriage.”

For Tim and Susan, it refreshed them as a couple to continue the hard work. Susan says, “This supported our calling in ministry through coaching. It reinforced the disciplines and support that we need to keep our marriage and faith focused on Jesus.”

When the Stewarts heard about the Coaches Time Out weekend, they were excited to attend. Sheri said, “It sounded wonderful to get away with my husband and some good friends for a couple of days. I thought it would be really nice to take a break from the normal life of parenting and taking care of the house and dogs, etc. for a weekend.”

Deeper Relationships

All the couples remarked that the relationships formed at the retreat were invaluable. Aminta said, “The greatest highlight was all of the incredible people we had the opportunity to meet. It was so life-giving to interact with other couples who walk similar paths to us and face similar obstacles. We are still in contact with many of them today!”

Sheri said, “We ended up with an assigned table that included Aminta and her husband and two other coaching couples who we instantly connected with. We forged a friendship that weekend that has continued on for nearly two years now!”

Tim said, “It is a great way to connect with other coaches in the area.” Coaching can feel like a lonely calling where people don’t understand the true sacrifices coaches make daily. Talking with those who at different places on the journey is encouraging.

The same is true for a coach’s wife. Susan said, “Within coaching, I don't get to attend many events ‘with’ my coach, I'm usually in the bleachers on my own, navigating other [coaches’] wives and players’ families. It's refreshing to do something in ministry together. I was eager to meet other Christian couples that are in the same ministry and ‘get’ what it means to be a coaching family.”

Time to Recenter their Lives on Jesus

These coaches and their wives had the opportunity to hear from great speakers who reminded them to keep their relationships with Jesus at the center and to remember that He has a plan. Tim said, “A takeaway from the weekend is that God is in control. Coaching can be a challenging career.”

Sheri agreed. She said, “It is so important in our lives to connect with other believers so that we can come together to celebrate or bolster each other up in good times and in bad.” She recognized that when others walk the journey with you, you can stay closer to God throughout everything.

Ben and Aminta spoke at the retreat, and it was a healing time for them as they saw their story touch the hearts of other couples. Aminta’s greatest takeaway was “that God can use everything- the good, the bad, and the ugly for His glory. We spoke and we watched Him use our pain for His purposes and it was amazing.”

Why Should you Go?

“It is a great way to connect with other coaches in the area.”

“Ministry to coaches and their spouses flows over to their huddle, families, and teams. It's a worthwhile investment in your marriage and career.”

“It's fun, a great way to connect with other fellow Christian coaches. It's a good time for a tune-up on your marriage before or after a season.”

“I would recommend Coaches Time Out to any coaching couple because it will positively impact their marriage! Each time we have attended, our relationship has been strengthened and our hearts encouraged. It’s well worth the investment of time!”

“You will learn from the speakers and, better yet, you may forge some connections with other believers who know what the coaching life entails.”

Not Yet Convinced?

Due to the generosity of donors, the price of this weekend has been reduced, and you have a number options:

Host Site* (Best Value) - $50 for one night, $100 for two nights in Ramsey, MN
Includes hotel stay, conference, dinner Friday night and breakfast and lunch on Saturday
Hub Site* – Attend a hub site in Alexandria (Luther Crest Camp) or the East Metro.
Hub sites are currently working on potential hotel accommodations and meal options. If you sign up for this option, you will be contacted with more details.
Virtual Only - $25 per couple. You can stay home or get a hotel room closer to home where you can still get away but will be closer to home.

*Covid guidelines will be followed for in-person activities.

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