I want to watch you coach.

That’s what I told Rita. Of course I want to watch the kids play ball, but I also want to watch her do what she loves. To see her use her gifts. To cheer her on.

Watching her coach the eighth grade boys basketball team at Bark River was special. Rita is about as competitive as they come, and she certainly wants to win. But the longer I watched, the more I noticed what she was fighting for in those boys.

She loves them enough to push them. When they get discouraged, she encourages them. When they struggle, she keeps working with them. She brings a passion that says, “I believe you can grow, and I’m willing to give my time, my energy, and my heart to help you get there.”

It made me think about how much a coach can see that a player cannot yet see in himself. A boy may be thinking about the shot he missed or the mistake he just made. His coach is watching that same moment and seeing something he can learn. He feels defeated, and she sees an opportunity to help him become stronger.

That takes love. Because it would be easier to expect less. It would take less energy to let discouragement have the final word. But Rita cares about who those boys are becoming, and you can see it in the way she coaches.

Watching her made me think about God’s fierce love for us.

How often do we get so focused on where we’ve fallen short that we stop moving forward? We start lowering our expectations for our lives. We settle into what feels familiar because trying again means risking another disappointment.

Yet God knows what He has placed within us. He sees the growth that is possible, even when we cannot see past the struggle in front of us. His love meets us there with both compassion and a call to keep going.

Sometimes that love comforts us. Sometimes it corrects us. Sometimes it asks us to step into something difficult when we would much rather stay where we are. Through it all, we can trust His heart. Jesus has already shown us, at the cross, how completely He is willing to give Himself for us.

There is something powerful about being loved by someone who knows your weaknesses and remains committed to your growth. You can receive the correction because you trust the love behind it. You can take another step because you know you haven’t been abandoned in the struggle.

I saw a glimpse of that watching Rita. Her encouragement and her intensity came from the same heart. She wants those boys to discover what they’re capable of, and she is willing to work alongside them as they do.

Years from now, they may forget the score of a particular game. But I hope they remember what it felt like to have a coach who cared that much. I hope her voice stays with them when life gets difficult and they need the courage to try again.

Rita, I wanted to watch you coach, and I’m so glad I did. Watching you pour your heart into those boys reminded me how deeply a life can be shaped by someone who loves us enough to call us forward.

Love ya Rita, keep being you.