“Have you made a difference today? Have you done enough to help others?”
I remember asking myself those very questions, on December 6, as the news that New Albany High School head football coach Ron Price’s wife had been shot and killed at her home filled all media outlets.
Her name was Amanda Price.
Although I didn’t know, Amanda, I imagined, in a lot of ways our lives were similar. Our husbands are high school football coaches.
Weeknights during season, she placed her husband’s supper in the microwave and waited well into the evening for him to arrive home.
She accepted the fact that her husband spent more time with his staff and team than with their family. And, because of that, they became like family.
Sundays were for church and watching game film to prepare for the upcoming foe the following week.
I’m sure she prayed for those football players and cared about them just as she did her own daughter, Molly Addison.
While my musings of what Amanda’s life was like may not be exact, I think it’s close.
Over the past few months more of Amanda’s life has been shown to me in the media coverage of her death and uniting of a community to honor her life.
In March, The first Amanda Price Memorial 5K Run was held in New Albany with the proceeds going to Survival Inc., an organization in Saltillo that helps victims of violent crime and money from the fun run to establish a memorial scholarship fund for a New Albany High School student. Approximately 1,400 ran in the event.
Another event will take place to honor Amanda this summer.
During the Mississippi Association of Coaches annual clinic in July, the first Sterling Rose Brunch for the Mississippi Coaches Wives Association will be held.
With the help of some of Amanda’s friends and fellow coaches’ wives, the organization was formed to support and encourage other coaches’ wives.
The MCWA’s logo shows Amanda’s favorite flower – the Sterling Rose.
And my fellow coach’s wife, Carrie Cook of Richland, describes how coaches wives are – “So often we have to be strong as sterling yet delicate as a rose.”
At the brunch, the Sterling Rose Award will be given to Amanda’s husband, Ron, and every year following it will be given to an outstanding coach’s wife.
Amanda would be proud of how people are celebrating her life here.
The organizations is open to all wives of those who are members of the MAC. For more information, go to Facebook and search Mississippi Coach Wives Association or email missiongridiron@hotmail.com
Leslie N. Dees is managing editor of The Star-Herald. Email her at editor@starherald.net and follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lndees
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Coach's wife
No comments:
Post a Comment