Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenny Cain.
Hi Kenny, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Kenny Cain. I’m from Metairie, Louisiana. I am the Head Coach of Middle School Track, JV Football, and Freshman Basketball at Trinity Valley School located in Fort Worth, Texas. I also coach Linebacker/Running back for Varsity football while coaching sprinters for varsity Track. In 2013, during my last year of college football at TCU, my now wife was pregnant with my daughter. I decided to leave school to try for the NFL due to me being only 3 hours short from graduating. After the draft and no getting a call, my then-agent gave me option of going to Canada and making 25 grand. I had no job, no income coming in, and the little money I had wasn’t enough to help cover bills. As time new went on, I had come to a realization that my balling days were over. I got my 1st job ever at Target, working overnight. I hated this job more than anything in the world; I then switched to day shift which I didn’t like because I would see people who knew me from playing, and the look on their faces didn’t match the nice words they were saying. Yes, I was embarrassed; I felt that I was a college football player, so I should get special treatment. I was 23 at the time; I just didn’t understand… I then started working at a landscaping company which I loved because I could move at my own pace and not have to deal people who I, at the time, thought I was a failure. In 2014 a friend of mine by the name Keopn Furtch from Paris, Texas, had started his own youth sports organization names Next Step Athletes and asked if I wanted to help coach camps. I could remember him saying, “It won’t be a lot of money,” and me replying, “It’s cool I just want to support you,” which was bs; I was broke, and honestly, having my own money was enough for me. I drove down to Paris for the weekend with the “money on my mind” attitude. As we get on the field and start coaching, things quickly began to change. I found a different way to love the game. I had been playing this game of football consistently since the age of 7, and I was 24 at the time. This was my 1st time getting to see the game from a different pov, and boy, was it beautiful. I came home with like $150. I help with this camp for the next 2 years. In 2016 I went back to school to get my degree. During this time, I was working at a Law Firm; no, I wasn’t any kind of legal assistant I was a janitor. A damn good one, too, not because I knew how to fix many things but because of the way I interacted with people. I didn’t start this way; no, I wasn’t an a hole; I’m talking about my attitude towards life. I use to complain about my situation but wasn’t doing anything to get out of it. Like most people I would listen to youtube on my headphones while on break; however, on this one day, I wasn’t paying attention and just letting the next video play, and I hear this guy say, ” You have to be Hungry”. I listened to the entire video and every other video with him in it. This where I discovered motivational speaker Les Brown, best thing that could have happened to me. I would listen to him every morning on my way to work, and as days, weeks, months went on my attitude started to change. My whole outlook on life start to change, well, not change but open up. I started to see the whole picture and not just the part I was affected by. I would go to class in the a.m. then go to work. Had a night class on Wednesdays that was much harder now that I had a 3-year-old daughter that was full of energy. I could remember vividly being outside the law firm sweeping the leaves out the driveway, and my phone started to ring. It was my Academic advisors from TCU, Shawn Worthen & Ray Walls. I answered, and Ray replied, ” I got some news for you, man” I’m like “What,” Ray says “You graduating, man” I dropped the broom and did a full sprint around the building lol no lie. This was everything I could ask for; I remember my freshman year at TCU, we freshman did something stupid, and Shawn had to have a talk with us. I never forget him telling me, “Look around you, a lot of y’all not gone make it, but Kenny, I believe you will because your not a knucklehead like some of y’all” those weren’t the exact words, but that was the message. After getting off the phone with him the 1st person I called was my big cousin Antoine because he and I use to always talk about breaking the cycle in our family, and he would always tell me, “You the one.” After him, I called my sister Toya (older) telling her that her little brother was graduating from College was in a way of me telling her all those sacrifices you made paid off, then I called my wife’s mom Ms. Hayley because she actually help pay for class when I decided to go back. The last call was to my wife Abbi; I just thanked her for not giving up on me and staying by my side on this bumpy road. Reality struck once I realized that the one call that meant the most to me couldn’t be made. It was the call to my mother; she passed in 2014. Thank god my relationship with god was stronger due to me going back to church, getting god back involved in my life between the time I left school to then.
After graduating, I left the law firm and started working for Fort Worth Billards; it was a pretty cool job. A guy I played football with in college had got me on. I was making a lot more money than I was at the Law Firm, but again it wasn’t about the money at this time in my life it was about my purpose. I got online & started looking at football coaching jobs; I ran across a job opening for Southwest Christian in Fort Worth. I applied for the job and got an interview. At the time they were hiring a new Head Coach, I was then contacted by Coach Flowers. He and I set up times to talk, but for some oddly reason every time I come on campus to meet him it would rain, or something would happen to where we just couldn’t get in contact with each other, and I would just be looking lost in the campus lol, true story.
One time on my way home, I seen a school by the name of Trinity Valley, I went online, and they had an opening for an assistant coach. Again, I applied and got an interview; I was hired by then A.D. Tim Jones as a part-time football coach. Practice started at 4 pm, right at the end of my shift at Billards. This doesn’t mean ill be back at the shop by 4 pm; it’s just the end of our shift, we may be behind on delivery, and it causes us to go after 4 pm. I had only been working there for about 2 weeks, and things were going smooth. After getting the job, I informed the owners at Billards that I would need to be off by 4 pm in order to be at practice. They were cool about me getting another one, especially this one because we had already talked about my plans for future. However, they had a business to run and just couldn’t let me leave the crew at 4 pm every day. I felt bad due to my friend getting me on and me having to leave already; however, he understood. I decided to leave the Billards job because I knew what I wanted for my future, and the only way to get started was to take this opportunity and do my best with. One year turned into 3 years part-time working at Trinity Valley School (TVS). My then 3-year-old is now 6, which we had to move into 2 bedroom and now she can have her own room and bed instead of having her own bed in own room. More space, more money, right? Yup, again my part-time job wasn’t cutting it. I talked to my head coach about my situation, and he helped me out. There was a security position open at the school, and I was eventually hired on as part-time security. Now I am part-time security and part-time football coach; as the school year went on was asked to coach middle school track as well, I did. So now I’m part-time security, part-time football coach & part-time track coach. I turned full-time security about 6 months later. I did this for the next 4 years, my 3rd year at security the school awarded me with the Best Coach Award, voted on by the Senior class; all I could do was thank god for using me to inspire people. My last year in security, a good friend of mine by the name John Bowman and I were recognized by the High School Yearbook Club by having the school yearbook dedicated to us. John is a mentor of mine, and has been working with him for the last couple of years in security. Every young trying to figure out life needs a John Bowman. Heading into the summer of 2022, one of our full-time coaches had retired, and I felt this was the perfect time to talk to them about the full-time athletic position. By my surprise, TVS had already had a contract written up for me. This was one of those “stay down til you come up” moments for me. My wife was so happy for me; she knew how much I wanted this. This past 2022-2023 was my 1st year as a full-time coach, and I loved every bit of it, and to top it off, last year’s 2023 Senior voted me as Best Coach for the 2nd time in 3 years. God is good.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road wasn’t smooth at all. You doubt yourself when you don’t see the progress you’ve planned. I learned to be in love with the process and not be so goal oriented. Had to learn that hard work doesn’t guarantee anything; however, it raises you chances for opportunity.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I teach p.e. at TVS, all elementary kids. Yeah, pray for me, na. I love being around kids; they’re so pure.
We teach kids the importance of staying active. We play all kinds of games; some are competitive, some requires teamwork, some requires listening, etc.
I’m the youngest coach here at TVS, I would say that’s my specialty. Let’s just say I can talk their talk and have the knowledge and experience for the older kids at least to walk that walk. In other words, I can relate to them; I know the lingo, the lyrics and can break them down and explain it to them. I grew up with the dudes the rap songs telling them to be, so when I speak to them, they listen because they know Coach Cain won’t bs ya. Being a girl, Dad has help me tremendously with coaching young ladies, I know all the Barbie, my little pony, & Spirit sings. As far as my babies, the young ones, they know me as Coach Cain, who played for TCU and the guy who would high-five us every morning at the security gate. I have a different bond with the little ones; they kinda helped me become known around campus.
I’m most proud of the young man the late Shirley Cain raised me to be has surfaced.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have a saying I live by. It’s “BEGREAT”
It’s not a goal; it’s a process of giving your very best every chance you get at whatever it is that you do
– Coach Cain
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Trey McAlister
