Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphne Grice.
Hi Daphne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After living in Jacksonville for 17 years, my family and I decided to move back to my husband’s home town of Keystone Heights. It was such an adventure going from living in the Ft Caroline area of Jacksonville to the dirt roads of Keystone Heights. For nearly 20 years we had called Jacksonville our home. I worked with the Jaguars in the ticketing office on game days, our kids all played ball at Ft Caroline Athletic Association where my husband also coached. We had a great church family and support system, which made it hard to leave. Along with the relationships, leaving behind a small but successful online resellers closet made it bittersweet. Over the past three years we have flourished in our new home. The new friendships and opportunities have been such blessings from God. Soon after our move, I was hired on to work at Patriot Rail as an accounting specialist. But, one of the best blessings has been the two years coaching basketball for the junior high program at Keystone Heights. Joining the ranks of coach again has been so fulfilling and helped me form deep roots into our community. This coming basketball season I will be stepping into the role of varsity girls basketball coach at Keystone Heights High School. To say this is a dream come true is an understatement. While raising our three kids, I stepped away from the game. I always knew I wanted to come back but I could never have imagined that it would play out this way. The love and support of our small town means so much to me and to my family. One of the best parts is that my husband was hired on as the varsity boys basketball coach. We are getting to work, shoulder to shoulder, daily living out our dreams. Words fail to describe the gratitude I have for what God has done in my life, for the people that cheer me on daily and the community that we get to call home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing good usually comes easy, but the good things are worth the bumpy roads. There have been challenges stepping away from the life we knew for well over a decade. We have battled some major health concerns along with every day struggles. Coming into a small town where most friends have known each other since their kiddos were in kindergarten together did leave us feeling like the new kids in town, but now we have such a wonderful community that those moments seem few and far between. Coaching has been such a blessing. It has taught me how to teach, to communicate, to encourage and to support the student-athletes.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Although my main job is working with Patriot Rail as an accounts payable specialist, my role in our home town is varsity girls basketball coach. I love working for Patriot Rail- their culture and commitment to the safety and to the communities we live and work in create a wonderful working environment. I have been blessed to be there for three years.
For two years I was the head coach for the junior high girls program and I helped with the junior varsity and varsity basketball programs as well as the game day operations for the program. I am thrilled I was able to use my degree in sport management (Georgia Southern, 2006) to support basketball at Keystone Heights High School. I had stepped away from coaching to raise our children and I am so thankful for the people that encouraged me to come back to the game and to the people who believed in me enough to give me the chance to coach. I am so proud of the progress and growth I have seen since I started coaching. Now, getting to step up and coach the varsity girls program, I know I am walking God’s path for my life. I can’t accurately express the amount of gratitude and devotion I have for this opportunity. I am so excited to see where these teams, these student-athletes go. And I am so excited to have a front row seat!
What’s next?
Looking ahead to the near future, I am looking forward to watching the growth and progress that these student-athletes will experience, to cheer them on as they work toward their goals and their dreams. I am so excited to watch this season unfold and see the relationships, the confidence, the work that we get to do together. Looking further down the road, I see victories, both on and off the court. As a family, we are excited to start the process of building our forever home. A place where we can better serve our friends and family, be a good steward of the home that God has blessed us with. But no matter what road we walk down, I am excited to see where He leads us and what blessings He has in store for our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drpepperdaphne.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpepperdaphne/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drpepperdaphne/
