SPRING 2008

Joneses address FCA coaches on ‘faith, family & football’

While thousands of college football coaches from across the nation gathered at the American Football Coaches Association meeting, the focus was on function, formations and fundamentals. Yet, during a breakout session sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Shorter’s head football coach Phil Jones and his wife, Janie, took part in a panel discussion encouraging coaches to also focus on blending faith, family and football.

The lesson was one the Joneses have learned from experience. During Phil’s 30-plus-year coaching career, he and Janie have functioned as a team and worked hard to maintain balance in their home life. “She’s been an unbelievable support and tremendous partner for so many years,” said Phil. “She’s such an unselfish woman, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her support and the giving of herself to my career and our family. It was a blessing for me to tell other coaches how she has extended herself beyond what anyone could anticipate.”

Janie is the area director for FCA in Bartow and Polk counties and works with middle school and high school coaches to carry on the ministry. She also directs a high school basketball and volleyball girls team camp at Sewanee: The University of the South each summer.

Janie Jones congratulates her husband, Shorter's head football coach
Phil Jones, after his team's first win in 2005.

“We used to not live our lives like we do now, and we realize, by looking at both sides, how much our faith has helped us through this journey,” said Janie. “One of the things we’ve always stressed is to get the coaches’ families to go to FCA family camp or one of the athletic camps every summer together and understand how faith, family and football can be intertwined. We’ve really used football as a ministry to reach kids by teaching a personal relationship with Jesus and keeping him first in our lives and in our family; that’s something we hope all coaches can and will do.”

FCA Ministry President Dal Shealy added that the Joneses’ contributions to the discussion were important to the annual FCA event, which he described as “such a blessing each year for everyone in attendance.” He added, “Phil is a perfect example of an incredible football coach, who knows the importance of balancing all aspects of life with his Christianity. He lives out the life daily and is a strong role model for all other coaches.”