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Coaches do so much more than making sure their team wins or their athletes perform well. They often do things we can’t always see.

While working on a story about the amount of stolen bases Natchez baseball has had this year I stumbled across an interesting piece of information. Head Coach Dan Smith shared with me about a player he coached at Port Gibson named Silento Sayles.

Sayles holds the record for the most stolen bases in a single season with 103. He not only holds the record in Mississippi but also in the nation. I wondered where he had ended up, so I asked coach Smith what happened.

He said that after he finished his playing career, Sayles was able to go to college thanks to an option in his contract that Smith made sure paid for his college when Sayles finished his playing career

I can guarantee you that Smith is not the only coach who cares about his kids. I often get to see the post game talks, what they ask of their players in practice and how coaches treat their players. They show a lot of love and patience.

This Sunday we are reminded of the greatest love of all. God sent his son Jesus Christ to die for us. Without His resurection, death would be final and we would have no hope.

I came to realize my own depravity in upward basketball because I fouled out a lot. In my second grade mind a foul was a sin, and I sure did sin a lot.

Those fouls added up quick, as I’m sure my sins add up everyday. Thankfully God saved me, a sinner, through his amazing grace.

I believe coaches, and our parents can exemplify the love God has for us. They often love unconditionally,. They also expect the best from their players or kids.

To borrow George Strait’s words. “Father’s don’t love their children every now and then. It is a love without end, amen.”  I’m so thankful for my Father’s love, and I pray you know His love too.

Hunter Cloud is a sports reporter for The Natchez Democrat.