The School recently welcomed Girls’ Varsity Soccer Head Coach Thomas Gatanis. Gatanis discussed his playing days, coaching career, and the beginning of the soccer season. This interview was edited was edited for concision and clarity.

Where are you from?

I’m from New York City, originally the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

 Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background in coaching?

Yes. I’ve been playing soccer forever and I grew up in New York City as I mentioned. I was on a club team for as long as I can remember called Manhattan Soccer Club. We were competitive, traveling all around the country and even internationally at times to compete. I was recruited to play soccer at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where I played all four years there and captained the team my senior year.

Right after college, I jumped into a little bit of coaching on the youth level from U9 to U11 for a little bit, and that was back in New York. Then I eventually moved back up to Massachusetts to work here, but also became the assistant men’s soccer coach at Wheaton College, which is where I played, so I’ve been doing that for about four years now with some one-on-one private stuff in between as well, but Brimmer and May is the first head coaching role that I have had..

 How did you decide that you wanted to go into soccer as a career?

It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve also had my fair share of ACL surgeries in the past, and so when I decided that playing at the next level wasn’t an option for me, I decided I wanted to get into things either on the coaching side or on the front office side of things. I currently work for the New England Revolution on their sales team, so I’m combining the coaching aspect and the front office aspect of my life right now.

 How do you think the girls are playing? How do you think the season is going to go?

I think they’re playing great. I think we need to focus on being a cohesive team throughout the entire year and I think that will translate well to what we put out on the field. Being a team on and off the field is super important and so all we can ask for them to do is work hard and the results will come.

 Your first game was a 0-0 tie, can you tell me a little bit more about it?

We played Covenant Christian Academy, who I was told we lost to in the playoffs last year, so it was a really good first test. They’ve got a lot of really good athletes on that team, so it was a good first test for the girls to come see what we are going up against this season. It was a valiant effort, really hard fought.

 How did you decide that you want to come to Brimmer?

Well, it helped that I currently live right across the street, which is nice, but Brimmer is a very, very similar high school to where I went. It was a small school called Calhoun High School in New York, and it was almost to the point where the colors were the same. Green and white, and it’s very small, around 40 to 50 kids per grade. It’s a progressive private school, so it just felt like I was at home.

How has your experience been interacting and being part of the community?

It’s been good, I’m still new to it. Luckily enough, I went to college for a little bit with Mr. Sellar, the assistant athletic director. He’s been helpful [in] integrating me, but yeah, I think everybody’s super friendly and willing to welcome me at all times.

Is there anything that the community should know about you?

I want what’s best for the school at all times and I am willing to work really hard to grow students as not just good soccer players, but good people.