This story appears in FCA Magazine’s March/April 2016 issue. Subscribe today!
Hometown:
Monrovia, Md.
Family:
Husband- Joe
Children- son Caleb,
daughter Korie
Coaching Career:
• Pfeiffer University - Assistant (2007)
• Pfeiffer University (2008-14)
• Campbell University (2014-present)
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” – Matthew 25:21 (ESV)
Dawn Easley played lacrosse at tiny Pfeiffer University in North Carolina and launched her coaching career there, but now she’s in her second year at Division I Campbell University. She constantly walks through open doors of opportunity, and the step of faith to Campbell—away from family—challenged her and propelled her to life’s next level. Easley takes great care with both the great and small matters entrusted to her by the Lord.
FCA: Have you always wanted to coach?
DE: I figured out I wanted to coach when I was a junior in college. I wanted to be an example to females of what it looks like to be a godly woman, mother, wife, coach and professional.
I absolutely love coaching, but that doesn’t mean I like it every day. It gets stressful, but there’s peace in knowing God is in control. When days are hard, I remember this is my calling. When it works, it’s the best feeling in the world, and it’s because this is where God wants me to be.
FCA: How have you found balance between your work and your personal life?
DE: Trying to balance the life as a coach, mom and wife gets really hard. But it’s amazing how God can make it work. My husband is 100 percent supportive, and if it weren’t for him there’s no way I’d be able to do this. And the fact that Campbell lets me balance the two is so nice. From the time we started our family, I’ve always told myself I will only do this as long as God can come first, family second, and none of that is being sacrificed. It’s amazing how God makes it all mesh together.
FCA: What was your journey to Campbell like?
DE: My husband came with me to my interview, and I prayed, “God, if this is what You want me to do, then You’re going to have to do it through [my husband] Joe.” He had never lived more than 30 miles away from home. When we got in the car, he turned to me and said, “We’re coming here, aren’t we?” It wasn’t even a hesitation, and he usually thinks through a lot of things. I thought, “This is God.”
There was a lot of transition, and it was stressful, but neither of us doubted it was the right move, and God made it work.
FCA: How have your expectations changed over the course of your coaching career?
DE: It’s hard for coaches to see their contributions to a player on a daily basis. But when you look at a player in her senior year, and you’ve seen her grow over the course of four years and who she has become, that’s fulfilling.
I have learned sometimes my expectations are not the same as God’s. The foundation of what we try to do as coaches has to be strong and stable, and it takes a little longer to establish than we’d like. But God works in His own timeline, and there’s no changing that. I can get on board with [His timeline].
FCA: What is God showing you in this season of life?
DE: He’s showing me how I can keep getting better and never become complacent. I want to be helpful and productive and make sure I’m doing something that still makes a change in the world. If I’m on earth, I’m living for a purpose. That’s what my call to God would be: “Use me so I’m furthering Your Kingdom, whatever that looks like.”
FCA Staff Quote:
“Coach Easley is a great role model in the coaching world. She is leading her players in a godly way, encouraging them to grow as individuals as well as support each other as a team. She is determined to encourage fellow female lacrosse coaches to make their faith a part of their role as a leader.”
-Merissa Bogdanor
Area Director, FCA Lacrosse
-FCA-
–This article appears in the March/April 2016 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: March/April 2016 FCA Magazine Digital
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Photos courtesy of Scarborough Photography