Simply Sara: My Game Day/Weekend Schedule

I cannot believe the season is already more than half way over. I'm happy that I'll get to see Brett more, but sad at the same time because I enjoy going to his games so much. The Crusaders stand at 5-2 right now, with a victory over Carson-Newman this past weekend. I thought this would be a good time to give you all a taste of what my weekends look like when I travel to Brett's for his games.

Friday: I tend to leave around 7 p.m. so that I can miss most of the traffic in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte (although this weekend I had stop-and-go traffic until I hit I-85). It takes 4 hours to get there so I get there by 11 p.m.

Saturday: Brett goes into the office around 8 a.m. so I typically get out of bed after he leaves. I sleep on an air mattress downstairs so it's hard for him to not wake me up when he leaves. He had a 2 p.m. game this weekend so I was planning on getting to the office around 11:30. Unfortunately, I locked my phone in his apartment so I drove the 15 minutes to NGU, 15 minutes back to his apartment, and finally 15 minutes back to NGU. I'm glad I was able to go back because I could change into a t-shirt. It was extremely sunny on Saturday (yes I got a sunburn in October).

I'll go out on the field after the special teams players go out, so about an hour before kickoff. Since Brett is in the press box this year, that's the only time I get to see him coach, which I love to do. It was a tough game but NGU pulled out a W 34-27 over Carson-Newman. Big plays on all sides of the ball to get the win, including a 24-7 run in the second half by the Crusader offense, great play on special teams, and an interception by the defense to seal the win.

One thing that I absolutely love about going to Brett's games is getting to see all the wives and kids of the other coaches. Jameson, the head coach's 2 year old son, waved at me from two sections over when he saw me. Made my heart smile. Kelli wasn't there this weekend with Gracie and Jack, but I was able to sit with Keonna and Lanier's family who were in town for the weekend. We took up almost a whole row. Keonna is a fantastic fan. She knows the game and isn't afraid to cheer loud and show her support. Her husband is the outside linebackers coach (Brett coaches the inside linebackers) so we both stress out when the game gets close and the defense is on the field. I think it's because we have so much invested in the outcome of the game: the happiness of our significant other. It directly affects what the rest of the day/weekend is going to look like.

The staff and their families really are like a fraternity. There is a common understanding of the importance of a win. They also show so much support for each other and their husbands. It's something I look forward to being a part of in the future :)

After the game, we went to get dinner then went back home and watched more football. Now, that's my type of Saturday.

Sunday: We always get up early and go to Marietta Baptist Church, which is a big supporter of the football program. Afterwards, we get a quick lunch. The NFL Network is on the TV as soon as we walk in the door and both of us check our fantasy football line-ups (mine was not good this week). Then, we just hang out until I leave, which is around 1:30 or 2.

The weekends seem to go by WAY to fast, but I'm thankful to be a part of them. Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend. Did anyone have any fun plans this past weekend?