Monday, January 1, 2018

Ringing in the New Year...

As 2017 gives way to 2018, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their help and support throughout the year! I am honored, proud and thankful to lead this program each and every day, and could not do so without the help and support from so many! So a BIG round of thank yous to...

CoachesThank you for all the time and effort you put in year-round to make our student-athletes experience a positive and rewarding one! Your passion and dedication is infectious!

Athletes: Thank you for your commitment and the hard work it takes to make your team so successful! We all know how hard it is to balance your school work, along with practices, games and everything else you do!

CaptainsThank you for the leadership and positive example you set each and every day. Your role is truly an important one in the success of your team and our school as a whole!

ParentsThank you for being in the stands and on the sidelines... Thank you for the rides to and from practice... Thank you for coordinating your busy schedules so your children can take part in what they love!

Athletic Assistant: Thank you to Nikki Laroche for all the hard work you put in. Your numerous roles aren't always visible for all to see, but know your help and support for this program never goes unnoticed!

Athletic TrainerThank you to Kelley Michael for the long hours you put in working to keep our athletes strong, rehabilitating their injuries and working with coaches to ensure all of our student-athletes are safe and prepared! 

Athletic CustodianThank you to Jon Larsen. Since you joined our team last spring, our facilities continue to improve and remain in great shape under your direction and care! 

AdministrationThank you to Superintendent Brian Blake, Principal Dave Dalton and Assistant Principal Jeff Carovillano for your continued support of athletics. We are lucky to have such a supportive administrative team who allow us to do what we do!

School CommitteeThank you for continuing to provide the support and the resources we need to run a top-level athletic program here in Ipswich. We appreciate all that you do!

Athletic SubcommitteeThank you for your guidance and your assistance throughout the year. From policies and operations to program development and support, we are lucky to have such a dedicated and supportive group of volunteers!

Team PhysicianThank you to Dr. Hugh O'Flynn for all the time you spend on our sidelines and for making sure every single Ipswich athlete is cared for quickly and in the best way possible!

Bus DriverThank you to Ed Dolan for the early mornings, the late nights, the holidays and the weekends. We all appreciate the pride and care you take in getting our teams to and from their destinations on time and safely!

Tiger FansThank you for showing up in your black and orange and cheering loudly and proudly for our Tigers. Thank you for being there in the heat, the rain, the cold and the late nights. Our teams draw so much energy from your support, keep it coming in 2018!

Ipswich Education FoundationThank you to Ken Spellman, Shawn Cayer, Kevin Murphy and the rest of the IEF board for their tireless efforts in fundraising and the support they provide for each of our programs. The money you raise each year makes a difference every day!

Institution for SavingsThank you to Mike Jones and the entire staff at the Institution for Savings for your continued support of our programs here at Ipswich High School. Your contributions have been so generous & helpful, we truly appreciate all you make possible!

Booster GroupsThank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to fund-raise, work the snack-shack, attend meetings and for providing the extra touch that makes each and every one of our programs so great! 

NewspapersThank you to Josh Boyd from the Ipswich Chronicle, Chris Lamothe from MA Scores, Bill Newell & Rick Moore from MSO Sports and Phil Stacey and his dedicated staff from the Salem News for your continued coverage of all our Tiger Teams!

CAL Athletic Directors: I am thankful each and everyday to work along side such a dedicated and talented group of professionals. What each and everyone of you do for ALL student-athletes in the CAL, day in and day out, is truly inspiring!

Youth Programs: Thank you for your work with our coaches and athletes... you are our feeder programs. We would never experience the level of success we do at this level without your hard work, dedication and support!

Last-But-Not-LeastThank you to Mel Bowen for announcing... Thank you Bill Yanakakis for your tireless efforts, volunteering your time and for your work to improve our athletic program... Thank you to Peter Bruni, Steve Langlais and David Wood for their scoreboard work... Thank you to Heidi Kent for all the game monitoring... Thank you to Dan Follansbee for all your volunteer efforts throughout the year... Thank you to all of or our ticket sellers and ticket takers (too many to mention by name)... Thank you to the HS Office staff of Micki Nylen and Lisa Kennedy staff for your assistance with everything... Thank you to Angel Hopping, Kathy Simms, Dave Fabrizio and Kathy McMahon for your assistance in helping the middle school program run so smoothly... Thank you to the volunteers on the football chain-gang... Thank you to the staff at Central Office for your daily support... Thank you to the Synthetic Turf Committee for continuing to make a dream come true as we pursue Phase 2... Thank you to Action Ambulance for your game coverage and for training our staff in CPR/AED use... Thank you to the Ipswich Police Department for all you do. Your help and presence at our games and your work to keep everyone safe each and every day is greatly appreciated... Thank you to my wife Diana and my boys, Patrick and Brendan, for allowing me to commit the time and energy it takes do what all Athletic Directors do!

To the many I was unable to thank directly, a big thank you for all you do! 2017 was a special year for IHS Athletics, in so many different ways, lets make 2018 EVEN BETTER!!!

My Best,
-Tom Gallagher

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