SHSAA names coach Tom Lovett as 2015 Honored Guest

Each year, the Springfield, Vermont High School Alumni Association (SHSAA) selects an individual as “Honored Guest” for its Annual weekend festivities.

By: Marie Gelineau

Each year, the Springfield, Vermont High School Alumni Association (SHSAA) selects an individual as “Honored Guest” for our Annual weekend festivities. This individual is honored to recognize the contributions and difference they have made for our citizens, schools, students and community. This year, the Association has named Thomas Lovett, otherwise known as "Coach Lovett" to Springfield High School (SHS) grads from 1986 through the mid 90's. Several of Lovett's former players came up with the idea of bringing "Coach" back to town for this year's annual alumni weekend; one of them said, "wouldn't it be cool, to bring the Coach back to town to honor him since it has been 25 years since we played in the State Championship game"! When they contacted the SHSAA, it was a unanimous decision to name him "Honored Guest" for the weekend celebrations.

In talking with several of his former players, quotes such as "his team was Springfield's team; when the team took the field, the stands were full of spirit". Another said "He was a positive influence to many students, not just athletes; he taught us leadership, integrity, good sportsmanship and was fair". Another said "he was a mentor to so many even if you didn't play sports for him. He always had an ear to listen and give advice if you wanted it. He is a man based on strong core and family values that I know for me, I still use and carry to this day. It is my pleasure that we can honor him. He did so much for the Cosmos and Springfield as a whole."

I spoke with Coach Lovett this week and he told me that he came to SHS in 1986, at a time when the morale of the football team was at an all time low; in fact, when he arrived he was told that none of the seniors were going to join the team because their record the previous year was 0 - 9. "Coach" went to the families and teens and asked them to "give it a try and if they didn't like it, they could quit"; that year the team record was 7-2. In 1989 the team played in the State Championship game and in 1993 the team broke an 11 year drought and won the Bellows Falls game which has a long history of rivalry". Coach says "I always tried to make it a community game". He is a humble man and also said "the ones that put on the pads of the green and white should be honored, not me".

In talking with him, I was impressed with a few statements that he made such as "the key to any coaching is respect your athletes and they will respect you"; another that really stuck is "in order to get a team playing as a team, is that they play for the name on the front of the shirt, not the one on the back"!

Please join us to honor Coach Thomas Lovett at the Annual SHSAA banquet on Friday evening, June 19th to be held at the VFW in Springfield. To join us in this celebration, please contact Stephanie Thompson at 802-591-1294 as soon as possible for reservations. Coach will ride in the parade on Saturday, June 20th. beginning at 10:30 a.m. which begins on Clinton Street and ends at Riverside Middle School. Many former athletes will be walking with this float, please come and join the celebration.