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Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    New Government Teacher Hopes to Rebuild Football Program

    New Government Teacher Hopes to Rebuild Football Program

    In February of 2018, Thomas Thome was announced to be Lakewood High School’s new head football coach and government teacher.

    Thome hails from Twinsburg, and before that, Lucas High School in Richland County. And before that, numerous schools where he has over ten years of teaching and coaching experience under his belt.

    He has served as a defensive coordinator for football, a social studies teacher, and as well as the head coach for the girls’ track and field team in Twinsburg, Ohio.

    He replaced Coach Tom Hannan, who was only the head coach at Lakewood for the span of a year. During the season Hannan coached, Lakewood ended the season with 1-9.

    Throughout the interview process, his passion and enthusiasm was evident when asked about his career as a teacher and as a coach. He said in recent interviews with the Lakewood City School District that he a ‘teacher first, and a coach second.’

    It’s no secret that Government (and social studies in general) and football aren’t that closely related, and Thome agrees. He stated,  “And I agree with you. They really aren’t alike. My role as a government teacher is to teach students about the civic duties that we all have. As a football coach, it’s about creating- not just good players- but good teammates.”

    Thome explained, that to be a coach, you have to be a teacher. You must be willing to teach players how to improve and grow and find value in the game.

    Thome has had the honor to coach numerous teams, such as the Stow-Munroe Falls team, in which the season came to a close at  13-1. Despite his obvious successes, he doesn’t just strive to win. He strives to improve and rebuild.

    “Rebuilding a team is not a quick fix. Rebuilding anything isn’t a quick fix. There’s a lot of effort and discipline and dedication,” Thome says. “Growth is one of the most important parts for any teacher or coach.It’s not just about winning and losing. It doesn’t matter where you start. It’s about the way you finish.”

     

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