#120 Classic Dads: Coach Eric Taylor

Coach Taylor lives the dream of all un-athletic Dads: he coaches for a living. Coach Taylor oozes his Dadness on the football field, whether in practice by being a father figure to all kids on his team—from giving Matt Saracen confidence to putting a roof over Tim Riggins—or in games on Friday Nights with demanding respect through yelling til his face turns red. Even Tami Taylor has to admire that Dadness.

Coach Taylor rocks the ultimate Dad outfits, with shorts above the knees (often with cargo pockets), smushed hat, sunglasses with croakies, and usually rocking white sneakers when running errands through town. When he’s not sweating while standing up, Coach Taylor is sure to be talking to all strangers in town in a polite manner. He even gives the annoying Buddy Garrity the time of day. 

Lastly, let’s not forget the ultimate Dad feature of Coach Taylor: his ability to embarrass Julie. He does this in the ultimate Dad way, by not being able to understand his teenage daughter. That doesn’t stop him from intimidating boyfriends, and even living a Dad’s worst nightmare: walking in on his daughter with a boy in bed. And with being outnumbered in his own home, with his wife and daughter Julie, he copes on the football field. 

So to you Coach Taylor, we place you in the So Dad Hall of Fame. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.

   

         

#51: Coaching Little League

“TIME FOR PRACTICE!” Dad yells to you from down the hall. As you lace up your cleats, because the best part of being on a team is the new shoes, you can’t help but think what drills is coach gonna have us run today? Little do you know that Dad has planned for all you kids to run “til the cows come home!” Whatever that means. And why does Dad have a say in your drills? Because like all Dads, He is your little league coach.

There are precisely 5 coaches on your little league team. 4 of them are Dads and the last one was assigned by the community service center…something about giving back or something. But since Dad is a coach, you now have expectations. You simply wanted to get your clothes dirty, play ball, and maybe sneak in eating some sourgrass when no one was looking. Is it true that dog pee is what makes it taste so sour?

Dad has different plans. Since you are his child, Dad will get to live all his athletic dreams through you. Practice doesn’t end at 6 o’clock for you like it does for the other kids. Strategy discussions are held nightly at dinner, your backyard is now a training ground. Dad even goes so far to break mom’s ‘no-ball-in-the-house’ rule by surprise attacks of thrown balls when you’re walking down the hall. This isn’t limited to just baseball. Dad knows how the sports seasons go. His training regime actually is a cross-training system that gets you ready for soccer, basketball, and pee-wee football. This way Dad can see which sport really makes you shine.

Dad’s mission: make you a star. Because then He will be the Dad of a star. All for the simple pleasure of when he’s much older (grandpa status), He can say “I taught you everything you know.” And it may not hit you at first…but then you realize it is true.