Welcome to “Making a Difference!” Step into the inspiring world of business owners who are making a tangible difference in their communities. Join us as we spotlight passionate entrepreneurs who go beyond profit, dedicating their time, resources, and innovative ideas to create positive social impact. Today our host, Greg Chapman, spoke with Jessica Spencer-Gardner and Trey Glod.
Jessica Spencer-Gardner
Varsity Head Coach at Ponte Vedra High School Girls Basketball
Website Address: https://www-pvhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/basketball-girls/
Short company description:
The Ponte Vedra High School Girls Basketball team has a rich history of success, having won five District Championships, three regional championships, and state runner-up within the past decade.
Trey Glod
Director of North St. John’s County for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Website Address: https://www.fca.org/
Short company description:
FCA is a para-church ministry aimed at leading every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.
Transcript:
Greg:
Hi. Welcome to Making a Difference. I’m your host, Greg Chapman. This time around, we have two guests. We have, I’ll tell you what they do, because I want them to tell you what they do. But we have Jessica Spencer-Gardner and Trey Glod. So, Jessica, starting with you, tell us, tell us about yourself. What do you do? Where do you do it?
Jessica:
Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me today. I’m the head varsity girls basketball coach at Ponte Vedra High School.
Trey:
Cool. Cool trick. I have the pleasure of working with this guy right here, actually, so I work for Fellowship Christian Athletes, and I am the north area director for Saint John’s County.
Greg:
That’s cool. And so glad to have you on the team in that role. So, Jessica, the most important person at the table. We’re so glad you’re here.
Jessica:
Yep. Thank you.
Greg:
Just give us a snapshot into your athletic background. Kind of lead into your coaching background and how you ended up at that point of your high school.
Jessica:
Sure. Well, I grew up playing a lot of sports in Kansas City, and I’m the oldest of five kids, and we’re all super, athletic family. Loved basketball. Ended up playing in college at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I met my husband there. And, you know, we have four children. So we got married real quick, after college and then had kids. And once my oldest daughters needed a travel ball coach several years ago, and there was no one else who would step up. And so I, you know, actually reluctantly said yes. I never thought I’d want to get into coaching, but there was a need.
And I also felt like there were not many female coaches and good female role models in basketball coaching at that point in time. And I had one female coach my entire years of playing basketball that was at Oral Roberts, one female coach, and she made such a difference in my life. And I thought I could step into that role and become, you know, a role model and influencer in these young women’s lives.
And it’s such a multiple time for them. I knew that I wanted to step into that and, and speak life into their lives. And so I’ve been the head coach now for four seasons. And, we had a great time. I absolutely love coaching.
Greg:
That’s great. Trey. Same, same question. A little different angle, though. Tell us a little bit about your athletic background and how it paved the way for you to join the Ministry full time with FCA.
Trey:
Well, I was never the most athletic in my family, I believe. Amen. I grew up playing golf, football, lacrosse, track, did all the sports, but more did, just to be around buddies. It was always so much fun. And my dad’s brother always plays golf every weekend. So if I wanted to spend time with him, that was kind of the choice I had to make.
But it was awesome. And it’s just really, really helped from a ministry standpoint, though, because I get to serve at schools that I actually went and played the same sports teams for. So a lot of the coaches that I get to serve are literally the coaches that I played under forever ago. So it’s cool. Yeah. It’s awesome.
Greg:
So, Jessica, you’ve been around FCA for some years now. Yes. Here and then other places. Yep. And as a coach, we really harp really kind of. So with FCA as to the importance of coaches knowing their why like other than I want to be around the game other than you know I’m competitive. You alluded to it a little bit. But specifically speaking, what is your why as to why you continue to do this?
Jessica:
Sure. My why is to empower, build up and lead young female athletes, to become the next generation of leaders and world changers. And that is really influence and, powered by my own faith in Jesus. I mean, he is my ultimate why of why I coach is because every single athlete who comes into our part of our girls basketball program, God has made her with a purpose and a plan on her life.
And what an honor and a privilege for me to be in a role, to speak life into her, to guide her and, really see what what she can do with her life and the ripple effects that a coach can have on these young lives is really, really. That’s why I coach. And so that would be my.
Greg:
Why? Yeah. Trey. We’ve talked before. We know you don’t have the coaching background. That’s fine. My wife does. She does. You’re married to. Yeah. And I just love him so much. He’ll be a great coach’s wife. Yeah. Oh, look at it. But why coaches, from what you’ve seen. You’ve been around SGA for several years now.
Obviously you do a lot more with kids. You do with coaches, but you see the importance of a thriving coaches ministry. So why coaches or coaches are going to have a bigger influence on probably anybody else than anybody else in, anybody’s life?
Trey:
I just know for me personally, I was affected so much by my coach growing up that it wasn’t even just about sports sometimes, that he was teaching me life lessons that I didn’t realize he was teaching me until long past after playing sports.
But yeah, Billy Graham says it that a coach will influence more person, more people than anybody else. And so, yeah, that’s that’s cool.
Greg:
Two words that, throughout coaches ministry and SGA, we say all the time is coach said. And I always give the example of I’ve seen numerous times my kids come home and start doing stuff around the house, and I’m thinking they’re sick or something’s wrong with them.
But it comes comes down to the fact that coach said something. Coach encouraged him to be more helpful around the house or encourage him to do this and that. And so it goes without saying that the influence of a coach goes well past the court or the field or the locker room, whatever it is. And so understanding your role as a as a Christian first and then a coach, how do you leverage your role to impact those coach said moments?
Jessica:
Sure. Well, first of all, it starts with me being in the word every single day. And and praying for wisdom on how to lead. Well and lead how God wants me to lead. And so that’s number one.
And, you know, I think that even though we’re in a public school and I’m a, you know, we can still instill values of that come from the Bible without overtly saying.
And so, you know, our top three values, in our program, respect, it’s about how we treat others and we pour into our team culture with these girls. So that we treat each other with respect, with kindness. We got each other’s back. And it goes beyond. Listen to your parents. How do we go and have dinner somewhere?
And so you’re right about the life lessons. We talk about hard work, positive attitudes, control the controllables, and then ultimately, because it’s a team sport, we over me. And so. And that aligns a lot with what’s in the Bible about, you know, sacrificing for other people and serving others. And so we’re at work every day pouring into the girls in those three areas and in particular.
But the life lessons try hit it on the head, the nail on the head, that life lessons that come out of playing your sport when you have a coach who’s intentionally coaching that way. It may not they may not realize it right now, but maybe in two years. Maybe in five years. Oh yeah. Coach said this and and and connecting the dots.
Greg:
Yeah. Trey, you’ve played some for some pretty good coaches at Panovich High School yourself. The one way to get on the show, Coach Tobin. You you need to come join the show. What what would you say from a from an athlete’s perspective of the other side of that question is you received a lot of coach said type things.
Is there anything you can point to your life today where Coach Tobin has directly impacted you, or just have to be him? A coach?
Trey:
Coach, you always told us growing up was leave it better than you found it. And it’s something that everything I’ve been doing, I’ve always had that quote stuck in the back of my head of whatever you do.
Just leave it in a little bit. Better spot for the next person. And it’s one of those that, again, just like sports, this is awesome. Thing about it is it can teach you not only sports lessons, but life lessons. And that’s something to me that was not just a sport lesson, but a life lesson.
Greg:
Yeah, a lot of times in coaches ministry, I’ll tell coaches that, what you do is not who you are because a lot of coaches, you know, and you may fight to sometimes yourself as the title sometimes becomes the identity.
How what are some ways I know you said being in the word but other than that how are you intentional to make sure that coach stays in the right place in your life and in a daughter of a of the Most High King?
Jessica:
Yes it is. Yeah. But so I, I that’s a really important point that you brought this up because athletes struggle with this.
And that I was one of those athletes in college. And it’s when adversity hits is when an athlete says, that my performance is tied to my self-esteem and who I am, and that’s not true. And so when adversity hit, I had to really say I am not how I perform on the basketball court. I am a child of God, and that is how I coach our girls too.
And I make sure that they understand that, that playing time does not impact their their worth as a person. And I’ve literally had those conversations one on one to say, God made you with a plan and a purpose, and it is not to be a basketball player like basketball is what we do, and we can use it to glorify him at some point in time.
The game.
Greg:
Exactly. Yeah. So I sure appreciate you guys coming on the show. Thank you so much for sharing and your wisdom and experiences. To our Making a Difference family out there, we thank you for tuning in on a regular basis, hopefully. And, tune in next time. I’m your host, Greg Chapman,
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