
The Players Who Barely Played
Some of Andy's closest relationships are with players who almost never saw the field. They weren't physically gifted enough to start — there was always someone better ahead of them. But they showed up every day, sacrificed, worked hard, and refused to quit. 'Playing time and stats and college recruiting don't mean the season was a success. The effort you put in — that’s the story.' Andy describes putting his arm around these players and saying: 'This is just going to teach you to be a better person. You didn’t quit, and that matters.'
Key Lessons
- • Character is built more powerfully through perseverance without recognition.
- • The kids who persist without reward are often the ones who go furthest in life.
- • A coach’s most important relationships may not be with the stars.
Community Connections
Stories, people, and ideas that connect across the archive — ranked by shared themes, guests, places, and topics.
Related Episodes
(4)Behind the Coach's Whistle: Andy Hadfield's Story as Lehi HS Football Head Coach
Andy Hadfield
From Nursing to Missions: Joan Collett’s Story
Joan Collett
How BYU–Pathway Is Changing Lives Worldwide: Accessible Online Learning
Melissa Everett
Faith, Family History, and Service with Reid & Katie Madsen
Reid and Katie Madsen
Related People
(4)Andy Hadfield
Head Football Coach, Lehi High School · Business Owner · Lifelong Lehi Resident
Nikki Lemon
Realtor & Director of People and Culture, Presidio Real Estate
Wylene Benson
Realtor, RE/MAX Lighthouse · Real Estate Investor · Breakthrough Mentor
Charlene Freestone
Child Passenger Safety Technician, Former Boutique Owner, Parent Educator, Community Builder
Related Stories
(4)Everything But a Backpack Day
Doug Webb
My Daughter's Cancer Changed Everything
Andy Hadfield
Moving Her Own Furniture to Stage a Listing
Naomi McClure
The Coach Who Never Planned to Coach
Andy Hadfield
Related Quotes
(4)"The process is what makes you who you are."
— Andy Hadfield
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
— Andy Hadfield
"I always know that there’s a little more that I need to learn."
— Ammon Childs
"Failure is a good thing. Failure is so fun."
— Savannah Romney
More from Andy Hadfield

Andy Hadfield
My Daughter's Cancer Changed Everything
When Andy’s daughter was four years old, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent two years of treatment. Plans could disappear overnight — a vacation cancelled instantly because a fever sent them back to the hospital. The family learned to live day-by-day. That experience reshaped how Andy values presence, ordinary mornings, and the gift of being able to do something you love. 'When that gets taken away from you, you realize how important it is. I wish there was another way.' He doesn't romanticize what his family went through — he acknowledges plainly that suffering is not the lesson he would choose. But it became a profound teacher anyway.

Andy Hadfield
The Coach Who Never Planned to Coach
Andy Hadfield's coaching journey began almost by accident. A friend — the head basketball coach at Lehi — asked if Andy would casually help out. What he thought would be 'popping in once or twice a week' turned into leading the sophomore basketball team. When that coach retired after one year, Andy thought his brief coaching chapter was over. Football players on his team introduced him to Coach Larson, who invited Andy onto the football staff after learning he'd played college ball. Andy said yes. He ended up coaching both basketball and football simultaneously for six years before committing fully to football — and eventually inheriting the head coaching role when Coach Larson retired.
Related Stories

Charlene Freestone
Six Children, One Minivan, and a Wooden Box
At a child safety checkpoint in 2021, Charlene helped a family with six children in a seven-seat minivan. One child was on a secured wooden box. The family had daisy-chained lap extender belts through the outer car seats. Charlene and another technician spent over an hour arranging new seats, only to learn the mother was pregnant and needed room for a newborn. They had to start over completely. The experience became a career turning point.

Charlene Freestone
I'm Back, But This Time I'm Helping
Charlene's son was born with needs requiring surgeries. A nurse with child passenger safety training helped her family during the car seat oxygen test. Exactly 12 years later, Charlene began working with Intermountain at Utah Valley Hospital — on the exact anniversary of her son's discharge. Looking at her badge, she thought: 'I'm back, but this time I'm helping people here.'

Charlene Freestone
Grief Turned Into Safety Work
Charlene mentions a man in his 50s who became involved in child passenger safety after losing his daughter in a car accident. He used his grief constructively, becoming a volunteer for Zero Fatalities and eventually a certified CPST. He's also trilingual, making him an invaluable resource for families facing language barriers.