Q/A with Valentine’s Day couple: The Crouches

Love is in the air and the Rider Raiders have many lovely couples in the building. What better way to celebrate the holiday of love than hearing from one of Rider’s favorite teacher couples: The Crouches!

Q: How did you two meet?

A: We met working at Petrolia. I was already the softball coach and then coach Robby Wood was the new AD and he hired my husband to replace Coach Johnson, who now coaches here at Rider with him. We met for the first time in the Petrolia fieldhouse, it was meant to be. He fell in love instantly.

J: We met in Petrolia. She was already there for one year and I came in the second year and we met prior to school starting as we were cleaning the locker room in Petrolia, she walked in and that’s when we got introduced.

Q: Describe your spouse.

A: He is extremely sarcastic. He puts up a tough front but he’s actually a big softy on the inside. He is amazing with little kids because while he was growing up, his mom fostered over 49 kids and he has four younger adopted siblings and I think that’s something that takes people by surprise, they don’t realize how soft he can be.

J: Awesome. She’s unselfish, very loving, fantastic wife, fantastic mother, all that type of stuff.

Q: How long have you been together?

A: We’ve been married for 12 years, engaged for a year and together off and on for two years, so about 15 years.

J: That’s an interesting question. We got married in 2010, I asked her to marry me in 2009, we were officially dating in I think 2008, so that’s… a long time.

Q: What’s it like working with your spouse?

A: I love it. I like being able to see him. We know what each other is talking about, we can tell stories. He’s also out in the portable so we aren’t right next to each other but he’s also my best friend so I like getting to work with him.
J: It’s pretty good. In Petrolia, we were like right down the hall from each other but here we’re spread out, so we’re working together but it’s kind of like we’re not, but it’s fun.

Q: Do you have any Valentine’s Day plans?

A: No. We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because my husband believes it’s a commercialized holiday made up for women. But, he proposed on Feb. 15 so we celebrate our proposal day whenever we can squeeze it in.
J: No. Why not? We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Why not? Because when I asked her to marry me I built it up on Valentine’s Day like I was going to ask her, and she knew I was going to ask her eventually. So I built it up, she was in the shower like she was getting ready to go out, I had the candles lit in the house, I made dinner, she knew the question was coming and I did not ask her on Valentine’s Day, I waited until Feb. 15 to ask her, so we celebrate February 15th as our Valentine’s Day.

Q: What is something that annoys you about your spouse?

A: That he is sarcastic all the time. Sometimes I have to remind him “you don’t have to be sarcastic all the time.”
J: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing annoys me, she’s fantastic.

Q: What is the key to a successful marriage?

A: Communication. Talking things out before you get married and having the same core values. You may not have the exact same beliefs on everything but the same core values are important.
J: Laughter. Find joy in the little things and try not to get on each other’s nerves too much, because it’s going to happen