For many, lunch symbolizes freedom. It symbolizes the chance to socialize during a long hard school day. But for a group of student athletes, it symbolizes much more.
If you asked St. Thomas students what their favorite part of the day is, many would tell you that it is lunch. Maybe it is because they are allowed to go wherever they want in the school. Maybe it is because they love food. Regardless of their reason, lunch is beloved by all high school students. Prior to 2022, seeing students in the coaches office was almost like seeing a unicorn. It was unheard of and if someone was in the coaches office, it was typically not a good thing. This changed last year when a small group of two or three football players were tired of sitting in the loud cafeteria. They asked Coach McGuire if they could sit in the office during lunch.
“We asked Coach if we could watch film during lunch to prepare for our upcoming opponent,” Donte Lewis ’24 said.
Quickly, the tradition began. Lewis, being the natural leader he is, was not hesitant to invite other players to join them in the office. The group that was once two players turned into a full house.
At first, the coaches were hesitant to let a group of hungry athletes fill up their office that has been held as a sacred space since its inception. However, after they realized the comradery that was being built, they were all for it.
“Having a space where our players can come together during the school day to relax and talk about the upcoming game is nice,” Coach McGuire said.
Recently, St. Thomas Athletic Director Mike Netzel purchased brand new rolling chairs, couches, and other STH branded items to make the office more comfortable. While people may question whether it is worth it to spend extra money on chairs when the ones we have are serviceable, Coach Netzel sees the bigger picture. He knows that this time at lunch is a time where players are able to prepare for the upcoming game.
Whether they know it or not, the casual small talk about football is able to keep key players on the team focused and ready for the game to come. It is also a time where the coaches can check up on players academically and make sure that they are doing everything they need to do to be successful on and off the field. On any given day in the office during lunch, you may see a group of five kids who play the same position watching the opponents film trying to prepare for what they might see in the game; while two kids are going over their grades with Coach Davis and Coach McGuire. At the same time, there may be another five kids hanging out talking about their days, building the brotherhood that we all talk about here at St. Thomas.
At the end of the day, the question that still lingers is whether having the office open to players during lunch is actually helping the team on the field. It is a tough question to answer, however if you look at the Eagles 5-0 record on the season so far, you might get a hint on how well the team is bonding this year. The special year for the Eagles could be pure talent, or it could be aided by something as small as lunch conversations.
