Life lessons top championships for ‘coach of the year’

Faith, family are focus for Tom Aldrich

BURLINGTON — A distinctive cold settles over a football field at sunset in late November. The mud, spongy no more than an hour ago, crunches beneath your feet. You could see your breath in these conditions —  if you weren’t so busy making sure each play was right.

This is where you would have found the Burlington Catholic Central High School football team each frigid afternoon late last fall.

Because only the very best high school football teams still play as November turns into December. The extra hard work paid off for the determined team, however. Carrying a 14-0 overall record, they overcame powerful Hilbert High, 37-14 to take the WIAA Division 7 State Championship.

While the late November game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, was memorable for Catholic Central coach Tom Aldrich, who was voted All-Racine County Coach of the Year, more important are the life lessons taught.

“I never expected to get this award because there are a lot of good coaches out there. I just coach because I enjoy it, and never would do it for the awards,” said the 49-year-old Aldrich. “More than any awards, I want my team to learn something from the game that will stay with them later in life. The most important part about team sports is that (they) are not out there doing it alone – they are working with other people.”

Aldrich began as assistant coach in 1990 and assumed head coaching duties in 1992. Although he puts in as many hours as his full-time job at Wachovia Securities in Burlington, coaching is more of his passion than it is side work.

“It isn’t always easy and consumes a fair amount of time; I have the full time job, a wife and five children, too,” he said.

“But I have a super group of kids. They are outstanding young men and we have had some ladies who are managers and part of the team as well. They are all first class people and kids that you can trust and that really says it all.”

Most of his students credit Aldrich with being a father figure to them, someone they can go to with problems, joys or concerns without hesitation. The sentiments only seem to echo what Aldrich strives to achieve in his team – a sense of family and commitment.

“I try to run a fun program and am a big believer in families,” he said. “I believe that families who eat, play and pray together stay together. My faith is responsible for all that I do and it is part of my life. I get a lot of enjoyment out of these kids and hope to continue coaching for a long time.”
 

Article by Karen Mahoney, originally run in Catholic Herald Parenting Edition, February 2009
Cover photo submitted by Gerry Hying, courtesy of Catholic Central High School