Charleston Southern University basketball coach’s wife Hope Radebaugh has released her first book. “Gym Rats” is a 65-day devotional guide with discipleship material.
Hope Radebaugh“The book is formatted to start and end with the athletic season,” said Radebaugh.
The reader’s spiritual growth journey is paralleled with a season’s components. Themes include preseason conditioning, preseason focus, conference play and post-season play.
According to Radebaugh, four daily sections are “meeting with the coach,” which is prayer; “from the playbook,” which is scripture; “executing the play,” which is commentary on the scripture; and “off-court assignment,” which is application to that scripture.
The book is geared toward wives of coaches, administrators, support staff and athletes.
“My main goal in writing this book is that the wives who read it would find encouragement in the fact that they are not alone,” said Radebaugh. “It’s my hope that they would find strength in knowing that God can meet all their needs.”
According to Radebaugh, she wrote “Gym Rats” out of need in her own life. She has been a coach’s wife for 19 years. The temptation is to become lonely and discouraged, or bitter toward a profession that allows her husband only one half of a day off each week during the season.
“Taking on the role of a coach’s wife is almost like having 15 children,” added Radebaugh. “Even though they have parents, they’re away from their families, and they don’t stop needing guidance or stop needing people to help them.”
Radebaugh searched for existing resources for personal devotion and did not find what she was looking for.
“I felt like the Lord began to speak to my heart and to lead me,” said Radebaugh. “I believe the thoughts and ideas in this book are from the Lord.”
According to Radebaugh, the Lord told her, “Not only have I called you to serve your husband as a coach’s wife, I’ve called you to serve him with joy.”
The Radebaugh family attends Old Fort Baptist Church in Summerville.
Gym Rats is available at crosstrainingpublishing.com and amazon.com.