Teaching life lessons on and off the field—a winning combination for David Thompson ’00
With both parents as teachers in the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District and a father who coached many sports, pursuing a career as an educator and coach himself seemed like a natural fit for David Thompson, a 2000 B-P graduate. David says he owes much of his success to his experiences on and off the field at Broadalbin-Perth.
“At Broadalbin-Perth, I was always challenged in class and expected to do my very best,” says David, who said his favorite class at B-P was Mr. King’s 10th-grade Biology class. “I really started to enjoy science when I entered high school. Mr. King taught me to love science. He was able to make topics interesting and he always had a good sense of humor.”
David’s BPHS senior portrait
David’s interest in science led him to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., where he majored in elementary education with a concentration in science. After graduating, David moved to New Jersey and started his career teaching science in the Hammonton Public Schools. It’s also where he worked his way up in the high school boys’ soccer program to head varsity coach after just three years.
“At every level I have coached, I always expect the players to give their best and to never give up,” he says. “This is something that my father has always expected from me.”
During his first year as head coach, 2010, David didn’t let the team get down on itself after starting the season with three straight losses. He coached the team to a 14-7 record over the final 21 games of the season and the school’s first South Jersey title. For these accomplishments, The Press of Atlantic City honored David as its 2010 boys soccer Coach of the Year.
David coaching his Hammonton High School boys soccer team
Just as his experience in high school led him to teach science, David says the life skills he gained while playing sports at B-P had a major influence on his coaching career.
“Throughout my playing career at B-P, I had the opportunity to play for some great coaches who have helped me in athletics and life,” he says. “Every coach and sport has different expectations and challenges. Learning to adapt to the situations at hand is very important to any kind of success. With very little experience in the coaching world on my own, this adaptation has helped me to be a better coach than I would have been otherwise.”
Today, David and his wife, Lindsay, live in Atco, N.J. They have a four-year-old daughter, Alyssa, and a two-year-old son, Jude.