Football & Fatherhood: Carson McGinness Leading Centerville on the Field While Raising a Daughter

Carson McGinness is a household name in the Centerville community. “He’s gonna be playing quarterback for us again this year,” said Miners head coach Brian Davison about his senior QB. “He’s been doing it since freshman year, so he’s got that knowledge and experience in it.” Over the last three years, McGinness has helped lead the miners to a 17-10 overall record on the football field, but back in 2017, his life was change forever: He had a daughter. “I looked up to my mom at a really young age because I needed her help right away,” said McGinness “But thinking back, you know I had to figure out how I’m going to be the best dad I can be with finishing high school because I need to get somewhere in life if I’m gonna be a good dad and have a good life for her, have the money that we need to actually raise a family together. And you know, that’s stress that going into a sophomore in high school you’re not ready for that at all.” Finding out you’re going to be a parent at any age is stressful, but it didn’t stop McGinness from chasing his dreams on the gridiron; even on the day Adelyne Marie came into the world. “I was at the hospital in the morning, said McGinness. “The day before, I spent all night awake – you know it’s a pretty pressured situation – But then the next day when she was born, I came back, played Simms and had a great game and finished the day, and everyone figured out and it was probably one of the best days. I’ll never forget it.” From the beginning, Adelyne was a blessing for the family. “I think the first thing that describes her for people that know her is she’s pretty crazy. She looks exactly like me, got the curly hair like me. She’s smart, smarter than the average one-year-old. She runs around, she loves watching football. She’ll sit on the couch with me at home and watch football, she cheers for all sports.” While the excitement of a new baby was exhilarating, it was also exhausting, challenging, and at times overwhelming. But coming together as a family has been the most precious gift. “Growing up as a high school kid, you get to go out, have fun times, go out hang out with your pals – all that fun stuff, but I mean as a parent, it’s the ultimate sacrifice,” said McGinness. “You have to stay there, raise the child teach her all these things, but it’s honestly a blessing though. I mean yeah, I miss hanging out with the guys every weekend and everything, but there’s no place I’d rather be than helping the little one out and the family we’re raising. It’s amazing.” Now in his senior year, McGinness is planning for the future. He said he’s in talks with teams to play college football, while his girlfriend, and Adelyne’s mother Kennedy, will be leaving for college in Bozeman, which makes things a little trickier when it comes to raising a young family. But he says these new challenges will only pay off in the end. “Football’s obviously the dream, and if you can’t make football out, you have to actually have a second option in life, which is where you want to go, and we’re just making the most of the time we have until we can get where we want to be and always together, cause we have to go through the tough times now to actually get to where the good times roll around.” “He’s had to grow up quick. In that situation, it’s kinda forced him to mature and grow up and you can see it this year,” said Davison. “He’s taken that leadership role and handling it a lot better as a senior now with that experience of fatherhood, so he’s doing a great job.” Carson and his family are preparing to celebrate Adelyne’s 2nd birthday.