What a Childhood Letter to the Green Bay Packers Taught Me About Life, Love, and Vince Lombardi
When I was six years old, I was a devoted Green Bay Packers fan. To express my undying loyalty, I decided I needed official merchandise. With the help of my "other mother," Rosemary, who lived across the street, I carefully wrote a letter. It went something like this: "Dear Green Bay Packers, I love you so much. I am your biggest fan. Therefore, please send me at your earliest convenience photos of Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Willie Davis, and my childhood idol, Coach Vince Lombardi… and also send me anything else you think I should have because, in all caps, I LOVE THE GREEN BAY PACKERS."
A few weeks later, an envelope with the official logo arrived. I tore it open with excitement, only to find not a box of free gear, but a merchandise form. "Please check the items you desire," it read, "and return promptly with your payment in full." Payment? I was faced with the first real moral quandary of my young life. This moment of childhood disappointment, however, was the beginning of a profound lesson: true devotion always has a cost.
Takeaway 1: True Love and Loyalty Will Always Cost You Something
My childhood assumption that my fandom should be rewarded with free items quickly crashed into reality. Rosemary helped me discern what my loyalty was really worth. We raided my piggy bank, and I remember counting out dimes to see how many photos I could afford. I ended up with several pictures and a whole box of Packers pencils. Because I had paid for them, I valued them immensely. The experience taught me a fundamental truth that extends far beyond football memorabilia.
True love is going to cost you something. Love, loyalty, and devotion never come cheap.
Things we pay for—whether with money, time, or effort—hold more weight and significance in our lives. This principle applies to our most important relationships and commitments. Investing in them is what gives them their true and lasting value.
Takeaway 2: The Gospel According to Vince Lombardi
As a child, I have to tell you, I think the voices I listened to most that kept replaying in my mind were the voices of my mother, Evelyn, my other mother, Rosemary, Jesus, and Vince Lombardi. Looking back, I realized that Lombardi’s philosophy on life, success, and teamwork surprisingly mirrored the core teachings of the gospel. His words about values and priorities were more than just motivational quotes on a poster.
Consider these parallels:
Winning vs. Loving: For Lombardi, the only thing was winning; for Jesus, the only thing was loving.
The Team vs. The Body of Christ: For Lombardi, individual efforts build up the team to win a championship; for Jesus, individual efforts build up the Body of Christ to save the world.
The Coach vs. The Lord: Lombardi said, "Always listen to your coach"; Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow where I lead."
This comparison shows how universal truths about sacrifice, unity, and following a higher purpose can echo in different arenas. Lombardi’s own journey shows the difficulty and importance of tuning out well-meaning noise to hear a true calling—a challenge that even he had to face.
Takeaway 3: Your Greatest Calling Might Be Found in a Low-Paying Job
Vince Lombardi’s journey to becoming a legendary coach was far from direct. His mother wanted him to be a priest, and his father pushed him toward law school. After realizing those paths weren't his, he finally accepted an assistant coaching job in 1939 at St. Cecilia's Catholic High School in New Jersey. He taught Latin, chemistry, and physics, all for an annual salary of just $900.
It was here, in this humble, low-paying position, that Lombardi discovered his true calling. It was there at St. Cecilia's that Vince Lombardi learned how to truly depend on God, how to understand the priorities of life, how to work together as a team, how to be a coach, how to be a leader, how to inspire other people to be their best—lessons that would prepare him to one day lead the Green Bay Packers to greatness.
The pay was terrible. Lombardi once quipped, "Yeah, Father Tim Moore, the school's athletic director, had taken a vow of poverty and lived up to it through me and myself." But the life lessons were invaluable.
His story is a powerful reminder that our most formative experiences, the ones that truly shape us for our life's work, might come with a small paycheck but an invaluable return.
Takeaway 4: The Most Important Game is Knowing Who to Follow
Discerning which voice to listen to is life’s ultimate challenge. Vince Lombardi had to learn to listen to his own calling rather than the well-meaning voices of his parents. He had to discern his own path to find his purpose. This act of discernment is a universal one.
Recently, I went through my own period of reflection, asking myself what God’s priorities were for my life and whose voice I should be listening to. I realized I hadn't prioritized the important relationships in my life, including the one with my godson, Joseph, who lives in Wisconsin. I decided to fly out to reconnect. That trip included taking him to a Packers game at Lambeau Field—an experience that was incredibly expensive but worth every penny.
Watching the game with Joseph, as we watched the Packers play poorly and lose, I saw a young man who had his priorities aligned. He was discerning his own calling, deciding between becoming a youth minister or a firefighter. It was clear that no matter what he chose, he understood that Jesus was his ultimate coach and king. He knew whose voice to follow.
Conclusion: Who Is Your Coach?
From a childhood letter asking for free pencils to a legendary coach’s unlikely journey, life’s most important lessons often appear in unexpected packages. They teach us that true love requires sacrifice, that purpose can be found in humble beginnings, and that the most critical decision we ever make is choosing who to follow. These stories remind us to look for wisdom not just in sacred texts, but in the stadiums, classrooms, and relationships that shape our lives.
So, the final question is one for all of us to consider: Who is your coach, and who is your king? Whose voice do you hear calling in your life?
