Kearns–People around the world adore the world of sports and athletes. Well, sure, some of them love sports and athletes, perhaps they look up to these athletes and admire them so much that they just start to fall deep and deeper into their world. Not surprising.

However, it just doesn’t seem to clear one question: “don’t they get too boring?” The point is, don’t they get tired of hearing about these player’s stories all the time? since 75% of the time that players and sports from all over the world are featured on newspapers, television as well as on radios. Perhaps it is time to turn some things around and make people see more than the players. it is time for them to see the men who made time, put effort, and made more sacrifices than anyone could ever imagine in order for their young pupils to get to the point they are at right now. Men like Coach Matt Rickards of Kearns High School.

Coach Rickards is head coach of the Kearns High School football team. As was interviewed on October 11th, 2018; Coach Rickards shares with us his journey to how he got to the point where he is at right now. He is a man who truly cares for not only himself, but for his young pupils as well, naturally.

Coach Rickards has been coaching football for 14 years straight. That is no small number, be it no small feat that can be pulled off easily, since everyone knows that sometimes dealing with teenagers who sometimes can get you a little on the edge while some don’t. Coach Rickards is a man who is BRUTALLY honest and straightforward. How you act and how your head works, will determine whether he’ll be straightforward or not. Coaching for 14 years while there is a family to raise is not an easy job, since one has to teach, provide, work, and try to figure out the best course for their family.

As such, Coach Rickards shares with us that he started coaching right out of high school; once again, not easy. Coach Rickards first started coaching the football team of none other than Cyprus. “I coached Cyprus for 1 year, and that was in 2005.” he replies. Questioned by Cougar Claw on how that went he shares with us that it was a good experience however, as a man, he felt like he needed to forge his own path since it was his brother that got him into it in the first place.

Coach Rickards was not always a man of football. In fact, he revealed to us that he coached baseball for six years straight. It is amazing how strong a will that such a man could possess that he could endure his coaching careers for a long-extended amount of time. Upon asking what part of his job he loves the most “Seeing the developments of young kids being successful,” he replied. Over the years, humans still possess the sin of greed, as for Coach, it almost seems like he doesn’t. He cares only for the development of young kids being successful.

“Always sacrifices, missed family reunions during summer time, and missed family time with the kids.” like mentioned, Coach has made more sacrifices than anyone could have imagined. The question is, why? Well, if it means seeing his young pupils become successful, then, by all means. He is still human, one with a fine, big heart. As was asked if he ever felt like giving up “well, sometimes I just felt like I wasn’t good enough, but sometimes I just felt I was good enough,” he replied. As humans, our very pride, which for some of us, is our very pillar that keeps us going each day; that very pillar can be shattered with just one mistake. But in Coach Rickards case, it’s different. If he gets knocked on the floor, he gets right back up and keeps charging forward.

Nearing the ending of the interview, Coach shares with us upon asking him if he’d love doing anything else besides coaching and he shares with us “Well, first, I can’t imagine doing anything else than coaching; I love stress,” he replied. This man not only has a big heart, unbreakable will, but also has a brain made of steel. Taking it upon Cougar claw to see if coach plans to settle down early, he says that he is NOT planning on retiring, and to add to it, he tells us “life would be too boring.” The kind of person that would be a great example of never giving up, in fact, he is the true definition of what it means to “work hard and play hard.”