Getting to Know Athletic Director Devon Tomson
To say he had big shoes to fill would be an understatement, following the likes of Carlo Cherubino and Teagan Waddingham. Fortunately, for Devon Tomson, athletics is in his blood, so he’s done his part to make his transition a seamless one.
“I had been a director of several organizations in my career, so being an Athletic Director like my father (longtime Bard College Men’s Soccer Coach and AD Joel Tomson) was something that I had always kept as an option for my own career.” He credits Coach Waddingham for helping him acclimate to his new position, including helping navigate the passing of Coach Cherubino in 2024.
Tomson, a former soccer player who earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physical education and coaching from both Springfield College in Massachusetts and Canisius College, says coaching and education are “the family business.” Tomson’s uncle coached high school runners, and his grandfather was a professional runner, but it’s not the men in his life who he says taught him the most. “My mother was, to this day, one of the best teachers I’ve ever met, teaching special education at the Elementary school in my hometown of Red Hook.” Tomson would go on to teach at the middle and high school levels.
He says learning from his mother, being the father of two young daughters, and his coaching experience for various all-girls teams and programs (including a stint running kid camps on Royal Caribbean Cruises) made Holy Names an ideal landing spot.
Tomson’s vision for AHN’s storied athletics program is to continue its strong culture which he says is woven into the school’s very fabric. “(I want) to take this first year to not only get the job done but observe what ways we can potentially build our programs stronger and more competitive without losing the heart and mentality that has been living here all these years.”
He says he’s a good listener, who is quick to smile and loves meeting new people. The advice he has for his student athletes is “as you get older you may remember a game or two, or a specific shot from a big game, but the things you remember the most are the moments spent with friends and the bonds made with your team.”
As for parents, he has some pearls of wisdom for them, too. “Lead from the back. Let your child initiate the conversations and support them by being there with them when THEY are ready.”
One of the lessons Tomson recalls the most is “great moments are born from great opportunity.” He plans to make the most of his.