2009 Hometown Spirit Award Nominee:
Tom Ryan

Nominated by: Susan and Mark Swallow, who both state on the nomination form:

“My family would like to nominate Tom Ryan for the town of Cary’s Hometown Spirit Award. We have known Coach Ryan and his family for three years now when he began coaching our son’s Copperhead Football team, the Gators. This is a flag football team for boys ages 8 to 10. Coach Ryan is a former middle school teacher and has coached every sport at every level at a prep school in New Jersey, including Head Varsity Coach and seven years as a Defensive Coordinator. Before that, he played football at Princeton University. However, it’s not his experience that we feel makes him a deserving candidate for this award. It’s what he does with this experience.

Coach Ryan coaches our boys because he loves the game, loves his son who plays on the team and wants to make a difference in the lives of all of these young men. On the field and off Coach Ryan models what it means to be a leader. At practice, our boys know exactly what Coach Ryan expects them to do and how they should do it, and he makes it fun! He models respect for his now seven (yes, really) assistant coaches, the other players, parents and other coaches. We have even observed him announcing at other’s games the week our kids had a bye.

During our first year with Coach Ryan’s team, my husband, Mark, traveled to China for two weeks every month. His absence made it difficult for me to get Kyle to practice. After communicating our transportation issue with Coach Ryan, he didn’t even think about it. He immediately offered to bring Kyle to church where I had choir practice every Tuesday. This was after conducting an hour and a half practice and then driving past his house to drop my player off to me. I cannot begin to verbalize what this meant to our family.

This year when coach didn’t play our son, Kyle, in the position he wanted, Kyle was not happy and sat himself out of practice. His coach told him very plainly that this wasn’t okay. When Kyle talked to me about it, I told coach what he was upset about. Coach sent Kyle a page and a half note about why he put Kyle where he did, why he did it and how Kyle should use this experience as a defining moment in dealing with the needs of the team above the wants of the individual. This man is not just a coach, he is a life coach.

Recently we met up with several previous players and their families. One dad said, ‘We like our new coach, but we miss Coach Tom.’ His face said it all. At the end of the season, we parents miss being part of the Gators and Coach Tom’s hometown spirit.

It is for these reasons and dozens of others that we feel Coach Ryan demonstrates the leadership, integrity, and earned respect that make him an excellent candidate for Cary’s Hometown Spirit Award!”