Iman Abraham is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Liberty High School for AZPreps365.com

The Gardner family has stayed close through football. In addition, they have learned life lessons through football. 

Sports have had an impact on the Gardner family through generations. However, football has become influential in the entire family’s dynamic. This family's first love has been football and overall has brought them close as a family. 

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, injuries, and more, this family has leaned on each other and used football to stay close in each other's lives. 

Ian Gardner became the assistant coach for Liberty High School varsity football team in 2020. He coaches his two sons, Braylon and Jace, on and off the field. 

The first year at Liberty was a challenge, being a difficult time to transition with all the guidelines being enforced due to the pandemic. 

“It was tough our first year here at Liberty,” Ian said. “ (We) could not do team-bonding events, so it was kind of hard, especially for Braylon as a freshman coming in and not knowing anybody. He was like the new kid on the block. So it was a big challenge at first for his first year in high school.” 

Ian has 18 years of coaching experience and was his sons’ first coach when they started playing at just 5 years old. 

Ian’s wife, Lorrie Gardner, is the mother of three boys. She plays an active role in supporting her family during football season and in life. 

“Supporting them because they enjoy it and they love it, you can see the passion,” Lorrie said. “You know, coaching he has grown as a professional and it is fun to see that part of him grow. Football is either gonna tear you apart or make you stronger and it has definitely made our family a lot stronger by supporting each other.”

Lorrie also has an athletic background, being a multisport athlete in college, and is now head coach of track and field at Independence High School. 

Her sons are also multisport athletes. Braylon is a three-sport athlete playing football, basketball and track, while Jace is a two-sport athlete who competes in football and track. 

Liberty is ranked No. 1 in Arizona high school football and Ian did not make the decision to join Liberty's coaching staff lightly. Multiple factors went into the decision to join the Lions. They took into consideration where Braylon wanted to go to high school. Braylon decided that he wanted to go to Liberty and they made the decision as a family to make the move to Liberty.

If the position at Liberty was not offered, the family was considering moving back home to Iowa, or joining another high school in the valley. However, they are happy that they have joined the Lions. 

Liberty has had a successful program and Braylon has had a prosperous senior season playing wide receiver. 

Braylon is ranked No. 1  in receiving yards in the 6A Northeast Valley conference and is ranked 33rd in the state, averaging 137 receiving yards per game this season.  

His stellar season took a pause when he suffered a fractured arm.  This was Braylon’s first injury ever and it affected the whole family. 

“When Braylon got injured, Jace was upset as much as Braylon was because he saw his brother hurting,”  Lorrie said. “He just wanted to go out there and do his thing because he was so mad that he was hurt, and so it is just the passion towards each other, it's there. The brotherly love is strong.”

Jace is a junior at Liberty, playing with his brother on the varsity level. Jace grew up playing football since the first grade alongside his older brother. His family was his influence on his decision to play football. 

“ Mostly I play football because my dad and my uncle had played for a long time, and I just wanted to continue that,” Jace said. 

Jace and Braylon are continuing the Gardner tradition to support each other on and off the field. A lesson the brothers have learned through playing football.  

Football has not only brought the Gardners together but also has taught them beneficial life lessons. They have learned to adapt together as a family through all the challenges they have faced. 

Jace struggled when he lost his starting position but he learned to work hard and dedicate his time to becoming better and eventually earned his spot back. He had his family there to support him through this challenging time and they got through it. 

Lorrie also expresses her appreciation of how football teaches her sons lessons that will continue into their adult life. 

“Football is just a way of teaching the kids responsibility,” she said.  “It is the first step in life. They are not going to be football players forever, but the things that they learn in a program, and especially at Liberty, are things that they will carry on throughout their life.”

The Gardners value family and football, it connects them all together creating memories on the field that they will always cherish. 

“It’s a great family they have, a little brother as well, but mom keeps everything moving there for him(Ian). She keeps them in check and organized,” head coach Colin Thomas said.

The youngest son, Trindon, also looks up to his older brothers and supports them as well. He is the ball boy for the Liberty football team and he also plays for the Liberty Junior Lions football league. The love for football continues to inspire each generation of the Gardner family.