Friday night lights ...
eff Olson wasn’t sure he wanted to talk. The high school football coach from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was heartbroken. His 19-year-old son, Daniel, had taken his own life after years of battling depression. Part of him wanted to share his son’s story. Part of him wanted to grieve privately, which is understandable as suicide remains a delicate subject. Olson was unsure how to discuss it—or whether he even should.
J
Windsor is a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press.
For answers he turned to his faith, molded at his home church, Messiah Lutheran in Marquette, Mich., a community on Lake Superior. “I realized through faith that everything happens for a reason,” Olson said. He also realized that he needed to talk—and that the discussion had to begin at the place where he was happiest, but where he dreaded going. It was the first day of football practice. On the drive over to Ishpeming, an iron mining town 15 miles west of Marquette, Olson wasn’t sure how his players would react. That scared
16 The Lutheran •
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Daniel Olson receives instructions from his dad and coach, Jeff Olson, while playing quarterback for the Ishpeming Hematites. Young Olson (photo at right) struggled with depres- sion and took his own life in July 2012. Since that tragedy, his family has spoken out about depression and sui- cide, and the Hematite players rallied around their coach in his grief and cap- tured the state football championship.
turn to darkness, then healing as coach speaks about son’s suicide By Shawn Windsor
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OLSON FAMILY
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