Let’s face it, waking up at 4:30 in the morning five days a week to work out before school is a nightmare for most teenagers. I used to drag my feet out of bed and sluggishly prepare myself for the hour and half of near torture for the sport of swimming. The thing that kept me going was my coach. You see, for me, those morning practices were just another way I could see my best friend and club swim coach: Tom Coons.
Originally from Kentucky, Tom was a cat-loving man in his mid forties with a nice round belly.  Although young, his head was draped in silver-grey hair. He woke up earlier than the other coaches every morning in order to be on time and open the pool before the team heard their alarms. Dedicated, his days were filled with making checks, sending emails, and signing people up for meets. Tom never gave anything but his best for our Lake Country Swim Team.
Moving into his group in seventh grade, I was scared, self-conscious, and nervous. I trained with him for four years. And in those four years, Tom changed me. His unwavering trust, encouragement, and strength made me blossom into a stronger person and swimmer. With him by my side, I was able to work my way into breaking a team record in the 800 meter freestyle: a dream of mine since fourth grade.
Tom was not an easy coach. His sets were exhausting, and he expected us to work every muscle we have. When we did sit ups with medicine balls, he would insist to be my partner to make me work harder than anyone. He challenged us every day. And he didn’t just challenge our physical fitness, but he also challenged our minds and hearts. Tom made sure that the team worked to be supportive and friendly. He was worried about our happiness. He didn’t just like learning about cool facts - he wanted to learn more about his students.
To him, it was important to have a solid relationship with every swimmer he coached. Many people thought Tom had favorites, but if you looked at the way he talked, you would see that he loved every swimmer. It didn’t matter how fast or slow you were, Tom was going to give you everything he could. That’s why he amazed me. His passion, energy, and enthusiasm for improvement was unmatched. In his eyes, we all had potential to be great. He didn’t treat us as a group of all the same people, he treated us as a group of individuals working together. The time and effort he put into making personal connections with everyone is the reason that so many people loved him..
Every time I came into the pool during the dark hours of morning, Tom greeted me with his booming voice, “GOOD morning, Miss Maggie!” It was nothing special, but to me, it made the day start right. If I would ask to see our workout and I heard his evil laugh, I knew it was going to be tough. But tough was good, I wanted to work my hardest to make him proud. He had that effect on people.
Last year, Tom left our team to move back home to Kentucky to coach at Lakside Swim Team. He still loves us, but we knew it was his time to go. Tom had been with us for a long time, but his passion never failed. He helped shape our team into what we are today, and no one can deny how influential he was to our success.
By appearance, Tom is just an average man. But if you could look in his heart, you would see how much love, passion, and excitement he holds inside. Tom’s heart was like a golden ticket to happiness. He made me more confident in myself, and I couldn’t be where I am today without him. Even though he is not my coach anymore, the things he taught me will stay with me for life. And that is why I am nominating Tom Coons for educator of the year.