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Coaches corner Tom KellerSponsored by Charmont in Cass City.
Tom will be receiving a $25.00 Gift Cer-
tificate for dinner at Charmont.
Name: Tom Keller

Sport/Activity: Varsity Girls

Basketball Coach / JV Softball Have you met anyone famous in

Coach this sport/activity? Over the years

School / Community: Franken- I’ve had the opportunity to meet

muth High School a number of well-known college

Family: Wife – Sara, Daughters – coaches at various conferences

Tara (15), Tiffany (13) and events.

How long have you partici- Where does your team normally One tip for someone looking to get
pated in this sport/activity? I’ve practice? We love practicing in our into this sport/activity: Love what
coached basketball and soft- completely remodeled FHS gym you’re doing. If your athletes see
ball for 20 years. I’ve been the – it’s a beautiful venue for high your passion for the game, it will
varsity girls coach at FHS for the school basketball! help ignite theirs as well. When
last 12 seasons. that love is gone, it’s time to get
Have you traveled anywhere spe- out.
What do you love best about cial related to this sport/activity?
it? It’s an opportunity to fuel N/A Are there any other activities you
that sense of competition that love? I love to golf. Wish I had
most people miss out on after What awards or honors have you more time to do so!
their playing days are over. It’s won? I was the Class B Coach
great to be able to pass on to of the Year in the 2016-17 school
young people those things that year
I’ve grown to love about play-
ing sports and being a part of a What have you learned from Where can we find you in the off
team. participating in this sport/activity? season? What off-season!?! In
The value of relationships – how the winter, I’ll be in the gym. In
Thinking back over the years, important it is for your players to the spring, on the diamond. In the
who is a mentor or coach that know that you care about them summer, both – summer basket-
helped you grow as a coach and are invested in their lives. ball and travel softball! When you
or athlete? What made them love coaching, it’s easy to spend
special? I had a teacher in high What do you like the most about time (even above and beyond the
school who was also my JV bas- the sport/activity? During the in-season time) doing it.
ketball coach. The passion that games, I love the intensity and
he taught and coached with is competitiveness that comes out Anything else you think we should
something that I’ve always tried in my athletes. Throughout the know about you? I’ve been ex-
to emulate in my classroom and course of the season, I love to see ceedingly abundantly blessed – as
on the playing field as well. my players improve and learn how a husband and father, as a teach-
to play the game better. er in a fantastic community, and
Who do you idolize in this sport/ as a coach of tremendous young
activity? There are many coach- What is your favorite moment? people. God is good!
es that I’ve tried to learn from We’ve had some great games
over the years. I love the inten- over the years, but one of my all
sity and competitive fire that Tom time favorites was our regional
Izzo coaches with at MSU, but I semifinal game against John
also love how John Beilein never Glenn a few seasons ago. Even
gets away from teaching funda- though we lost, it was a fantastic
mentals and skill improvement atmosphere to watch two really
with his players at UM. good girls basketball teams com-
pete.

KEKLELLYL@YS@PSOPROTRSTFSINFIENSETSMTMAGAAGZAINZIEN.CEO.CMOM 98998954554507037535 SPSOPROTRSTFSINFIENSETSMTMAGAAGZAINZIEN.CEO.CMOM JUJNuEne22001818 SSPPOORRTTSSFFIINNEESSTTMMAAGGAAZZIINNEE • 1133