Learn from Ed Thomas' life
Here is a short version of my column that will appear in Sunday's paper:
I didn’t know Ed Thomas, but I knew about him.
I had never met the man who put Aplington-Parkersburg on the national map, but I know people like him.
I’ll bet many of you felt the same way Wednesday morning when the shocking news hit — a legendary coach from small-town Iowa was shot and killed while putting a group of student-athletes through weight training.
It’s more than sad.
But out of tragedy often comes lessons. The Ed Thomas I’ve read about and heard others talk about would have turned this evil into something good. It would take time, but he would have found a lesson to teach the young students and athletes he adored.
According to those who knew him well, Thomas was more than a football coach. He was a man of faith, a father, a grandfather and a teacher.
UNI football coach Mark Farley knew Thomas well — football coaches, separated by just a few miles, with similar ideals.
“The hard part is this is a great man, not just a great coach, a great man,” Farley said Wednesday.
That’s been a common theme.
Thankfully, there are many high school coaches in Eastern Iowa who share Thomas’ passion for not only coaching, but teaching and molding beyond the fields and games. It’s a fraternity Thomas Coaches play such an important part in the lives of our children, from the youth baseball coach to the college football coach.
Let's all learn from Ed Thomas' life.