Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?
Scott Thom: Athletics helped to guide me in a positive direction during my younger years. We moved around a lot when we were younger and athletics always were a safe haven to make new friends and have a positive outlet. It also gave me an opportunity to create lasting friendships, learn from great coaches, and taught me the valuable lesson of "falling in love with the process" (i.e. enjoy the grind and embracing hard work). We will all experience success and adversity in our lives, I feel playing athletics can help you handle these highs and lows when they enter your life.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?
Thom: There were a lot of great teachers at Vintage High when I was there but, my favorite class at Vintage was Ms. Ellington’s English class, she was demanding and had high expectations for us. Her class allowed us to explore social injustices of the world and she encouraged us to be socially active when we felt others were being mistreated.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?
Thom: I have many "favorite" moments when I played for Vintage. I was fortunate to be part of a special team with amazing teammates lead by a very special coach in Russ Critchfield. Fast forward to 2009-2010, I had been coaching at Vintage for seven years (the last four as the varsity coach) and was part of an awesome staff. With Brett Wedding, Tony Rubio, and Casey Wedding, we coached an amazing group of young men that believed in us as coaches as we believed in them as players. We played Napa High in our last game regular season game and if we won, we would make the playoffs, if we lost, we wouldn't. The game came down to the wire, the kids kept their confidence and focus down the stretch, we won, and as I entered the locker room the kids dumped a water cooler on me. We had finally made the playoffs after 10 years. That is my favorite athletic moment at Vintage.
D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?
Thom: I have grown a great deal since "back in the day" of Vintage High. Athletics are a main reason for this growth, taught me the importance of being industrious, always having a positive mental attitude, and the ability to communicate with others. Having said all that, my growth in the past 10 years can be traced back to mentors in my life as well as experiences I’ve had. From successes to failures it’s all part of enjoying the “journey”. I have some amazing coaches in my circle; Russ Critchfield, Erik Zaidel, Mike Montgomery, and now Ernie Kent that I can turn to for advice. “Great coaches teach and great teachers coach" is a quote that resonates with me and my coaching philosophy, I feel a responsibility as a coach to make a positive impact on every person I come in contact with. This alone is motivation to constantly grow as a coach, attend clinics, network with other coaches, and constantly work to become a better coach with each season that passes.
D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?
Thom: My mom and younger brother Kevin inspire me daily. As my brother and I grew up we saw in my mom not just how important working hard is but, staying positive no matter what life throws at you. She would often tell us, “you can control one thing in life, your attitude and if you have a good attitude, everything will work out.” My brother inspires me because of his relentless work ethic and attitude towards challenges. He left the comforts of Napa to attend Syracuse University and if that wasn’t enough was accepted into Newhouse School of Journalism, graduated in four years, took a job at Cal Hi Sports and won an Emmy. He’s now finishing up his fourth year as a sports anchor in San Antonio, he’s on TV every night reporting and interviewing professional athletes, and it’s because of this focus and willingness to follow his dreams that he
inspires me.
D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most
like to meet.
Thom: I would love to meet John Wooden and talk about coaching, life, and basketball. I think every basketball coach feels strongly that his approach to coaching and ability to not only recruit the best of the best but, to get them to play selfless rather than selfishly would be amazing to listen to.
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