Fatherhood and football were discussed Wednesday morning at Overstreet Elementary, when Mississippi State University head football coach Joe Moorhead spoke at the school's Fathers Matter Breakfast.
The breakfast was attended by more than 90, primarily fathers of Overstreet students and their children. Moorhead’s youngest son, Donovan, is a student at Overstreet.
Moorhead, a father of three, discussed the need for fathers to step up and be involved in their children’s education. He also tied in the three areas he expects his football players to excel in: academics, athletics, and social skills.
He described his working-class upbringing in Pittsburgh.
“My dad was the guy that swept the floors,” Moorhead said. “He worked at a steel mill for 35 years. He was a bartender. He was a janitor. He worked three jobs to put three kids through college.”
He further discussed his own experience as a father, saying he didn’t have all the answers. He also said he dealt with the same struggles many fathers do.
“As fathers what are we?,” Moorhead said. “We’re torn in a million different directions. It’s hard. It’s hard work. I have a very supportive wife. I put in a lot of hours at the office. It’s not the moments. It’s making the moments count.”
He also discussed the importance of making sure to schedule family time, and said even with his father working three jobs to support his family, he would always make time to attend his children’s sporting events, even if he had to leave early to return to work.
“He’d always be around to show a little support,” Moorhead said. “I think that’s something that’s critically important. We can be very impactful in our kids’ lives. Not every kid is going to be Tom Brady. Not every kid is going to be Michael Jordan. Not every kid is going to be Derek Jeter, or play in the symphony. It’s about challenging your kids to the best of their ability.”
Overstreet Principal Timothy Bourne also spoke to the importance of fatherhood. He emphasized the importance of fathers involvement in their children's education.
"To be honest with ourselves, usually it's the moms or wives that are actively involved in the education of our children," Bourne said. "Not saying that you are not involved, however it's usually the ladies that we see here. I'll press upon you that one of the things I'm encouraging you to do is to be more proactively involved in your child's education if you have not done so."