The holiday season is the time of year for families, near and far, to join, eat, and celebrate together. This is no different for Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie.
Rennie took us back to 2007 in Scotland, where he was able to gather together with his two brothers and the rest of his family for the first time in over a year. In the words of the ‘Caps coach, “It doesn’t matter where I travel or how I spend my time, it is impossible to beat time with all of my family at home in Scotland and that Christmas was no different.”
He recalls going to church on Christmas Eve and then spending Christmas day together.
A little bit of friendly competition with his brothers was also in order – after all, you don’t become a professional soccer coach without being competitive.
“I spent much of the day beating my brothers at whatever games we played,” tells Rennie. “They would tell the story differently of course!!”
Like many of us over the holidays, Rennie and his family “ate way too much food” and “received more presents than we could ever fully appreciate”. However, the material things are not what made this Christmas special for the Scotsman.
“What makes the Christmas of 2007 stand out in my memory more than any other is that it was the last one I was blessed to spend with my dad. He died suddenly on December 13 the following year and Christmas hasn’t been quite the same since then. I am very fortunate that I had an incredible father and a great relationship with him, so there are no regrets.
“Now, every Christmas I am more thankful for the health and well-being of my family than I ever was before. If I am tempted to forget what Christmas is really about I quickly find myself being reminded of just how much I have been blessed with.
“I hope that all ‘Caps fans have a very happy and healthy holiday season. The players, coaches, and staff can’t wait to get back together with you, our Whitecaps family, in the New Year.”
