Legendary Coach Mike Grant Strives To Help Single Parents
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Eden Prairie High School football coach Mike Grant has achieved about all you can achieve in his field.
He has earned more state titles than other in the state, and he was also honored as National Coach of the Year.
Maybe that is why he was at a point where he was looking for something more. That is when Krystal Queen entered the Grant family's life, when she was hired to work at Eden Prairie High School.
"Years ago when I was working for Mike and was his admin assistant, I was going through a domestic situation, and he brought over eight football players, linemen, to help me move my things into a house," Krystal said.
A single mother with three boys, Mike and his wife, Colleen, decided to get involved.
"I've learned as much about life and about challenges that people have," Mike said. "So part of this discussion as we were helping Krystal and her kids was, 'Maybe we can do this for more people.'"
And so began a journey for Mike, Colleen and their entire family; providing support to another family, and encouraging a single mother in many ways.
"Krystal has completed her masters and gotten a degree in social work, and so on Tuesday nights we would take the kids and feed them dinner, and she would go to class," Colleen said.
The support from the Grant family was a game changer for Krystal and her boys.
"Being able to ... talk to somebody else besides myself as an adult, to have communication with regarding things that are going on with my kids," Krystal said. "Just having someone else to be supportive that believes in you and knows that you're not by yourself."
Mike decided to take it a step further, and started Project Friendship with Krystal. He partnered with his church to create partnerships between families and families in need.
"It's about hope. When you're a single parent, you just feel overwhelmed by just the burden of everyday life, really," Grant said. "About paying bills and working and having your kids be great kids. This gives them hope."
It is not about adopting a family -- it is about being there for a family.
"I would consider Krystal a friend, and she's a very good mom," Colleen said. "So she doesn't necessarily need motherly help. She's really good at that. But what she does needs is a little help with taking care of kids."
Krystal says having a strong family presence in the life of her boys was crucial.
"My kids learn what it's like to have a male role model, and not just listening to their mom," Krystal said. "And it also is nice to see what a healthy relationship means."
Seems the coach, who understands the game of football so well, has been called to a bigger game. And that calling is powerful for Mike, and maybe for more.
"If we each take responsibility for one or two, three kids, like Colleen and I have done with these guys, and said, 'When they graduate, they're going to be great people,'" Mike said. "And so that's how that's changed my life."
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