Samford soccer head coach Todd Yelton spoke at Convocation/campus worship last week giving insight into his turbulent personal life and approach to coaching. He discussed how the passing of his wife affected his mindset on and off the field, guiding him to where he is now as a coach and a man.
Yelton opened the conversation, telling the student body how he met his late wife, Shauna Yelton, and how they ended up happily married with two children.
However, in 2012, when Yelton got home from a recruiting trip, his wife pulled him aside and told him she was sick. After three years in the hospital, she passed away, leaving Yelton struggling to navigate his family life and work as a coach.
“I couldn’t understand why it happened… I was just so angry that this was my reality,” Yelton said.
He confessed that his consistent arrogance in life was recentered to humility after her passing. His role shifted from being supported by others to being the support for his late wife, and his responsibility grew. He learned time was short, and his approach to coaching became more selfless.
“God changed my heart into a servant’s heart which was new,” Yelton said.
During his talk one of his main focuses was his spiritual life. His relationship with God is one thing that has kept him grounded the last 10 years.
“Honesty is at the core of faith,” Yelton said.
If his experience taught him anything, it is that you do not get to choose the cards you’re dealing with. Facing obstacles to head on and being honest about the situation is your best option. This appears in his coaching: assess the case, then move forward.
Sophomore Ethan Miller attended Yelton’s convo. He was moved by the story he heard.
Miller noted that respect is a main quality that a coach should have. This respect should go both ways between the athlete and the coach.
“You can only build trust when a coach is respectable, and lowers himself to a peer level,” Miller said.
Despite his trials, Yelton proves that you get to choose the next steps. He continues to be the women’s soccer coach and is excited for this season.
Staff Reporter
Want the Crimson delivered to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
