The Coach Who Called Her by Name Before Tryouts

Maria Vasquez showed up to the University of Portland soccer tryouts in 2019 convinced she was invisible — a walk-on from a tiny high school in Yakima, Washington, with no recruiting letters and no scholarship. She had driven four hours with her mother, borrowed cleats from a cousin, and nearly turned around twice on I-84.

When she stepped onto the field, head coach Michelle French walked straight toward her and said, "Maria, I've been hoping you'd come." Maria froze. She had never spoken to the coach, never emailed, never attended a camp. But Coach French had been in the stands at a regional tournament eight months earlier. She had watched Maria play in an unremarkable Wednesday afternoon match that Maria herself barely remembered. The coach had written her name in a notebook, tracked her season stats, and waited.

"I saw something in you before you ever saw it in yourself," Coach French told her later.

This is the staggering claim Jesus makes to Nathanael. Before Philip ever said a word, before Nathanael's skepticism about Nazareth, before he took a single step toward the Messiah — Jesus had already seen him under the fig tree. The Almighty does not discover us when we finally show up. He has been watching, knowing, preparing a place for our arrival. Nathanael came expecting to evaluate Jesus. Instead, he found himself already known by the Son of God.

The invitation still stands: "Come and see." But know this — He saw you first.