Tom Johnston
April 2010
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How long have you been coaching with Elite Soccer? 4 years
What other job do you currently hold? Senior editor for a small publishing company in Chicago.
What is your favorite part of coaching with Elite Soccer? I really feel like I’m part of an organization that is teaching soccer the right way.
What is your favorite part of coaching youth players? I’ve historically coached young players between the ages of 9 and 12. It’s fun to see such a rapid pace of development that occurs with players in that age range.
Where were you born?Arlington Heights (Northwest Community Hospital)
Where did you grow up and what high school did you attend? I grew up in Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights. I attended John Hersey High School and graduated in 1995
Where did you go to college, and what was your degree in? Penn State University, class of 1999, journalism
Soccer playing experience (include any honor/accolades received)-
Youth- Started travel soccer with Buffalo Grove when I was 7 and played there for four years; then played for Aces until I was 13; then played for Chicago Pegasus until I was 20. Illinois State select player for three years U13-U15; won multiple tournaments with Pegasus, including 5 State Cup championships, and traveled to Germany to play in friendly matches and tournaments.
High School- Four year varsity letterman, All-Conference, All-Area
College- Two-year letterman at Penn State, Big 10 Scholar Athlete Award ’95-‘96
What position did you play? I played just about everything throughout the years, but ultimately was recruited to college as a sweeper. I also played some left wing in college.
What other coaching experience do you have? Some clinics during college and for Elite in the early days. I coached one spring season (‘O6) for Glenview U9 girls before joining Elite full time in the fall of 2006.
What is your best soccer memory? I was a U-17 player with Chicago Pegasus. We went to Hamm, Germany, to play in an international tournament that included teams not only from Germany but also England, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic and elsewhere. We were the first team, however, to travel from overseas to play there. We made it all the way to the finals, where we lost to a Czech team 1-0, but along the way we drew so much attention that younger kids were asking us for autographs. I felt liked I’d reached a high point as a player, but also that we made a statement for U.S. soccer.
If you couldn’t play soccer, what sport would you like to be good at? When I was younger, it would have been baseball or basketball. Now, golf.
What made you get into coaching? I had always been a player known by my coaches to have good tactical awareness and knowledge of the game, and I always had coaching in mind. When a friend of my brother-in-law mentioned an opening in Glenview, I went for it. I then saw Brendan Eitz at a PCA meeting, and he quickly recruited me to Elite.
What is your favorite:
Movie? Raising Arizona
Food? Pizza
Book? Catcher in the Rye
Restaurant? Javier’s (downtown A.H.)
Sports Team? Cubs
What is the most interesting place you have ever lived? The only other place I’ve lived outside of B.G. and A.H. is State College, Pa., during my four years of college. It was a blast.
What is the coolest place you have ever visited? Visiting Dublin, Ireland, was great because my mother was born there and I still have a lot of relatives there, but I suffered jet lag the entire week I was there. I’ll also never forget my visits to Germany as a teenager.
What is one place you want to visit? Hawaii.
Do you have any pets? Yes, a neurotic shepherd-mix mutt named Teddy.
What other jobs have you held? I was a reporter for Pioneer Press my first six years out of college.
If you could be any superhero, which superhero would you be and why? Batman. He’s rich and has a lot of fun toys.
What kind of music do you like to listen to? Mostly anything other than country.
If you could make up a team name and/or mascot, what would it be and why? I’m a fan of grizzly bears because they can do it all: snatch a salmon in mid-air, climb trees, run fast or just chill out and eat berries. I don’t know, something that signifies versatility.
What was your favorite subject in school? Creative writing.
Tell us about your family: I’m married to Julie, former Elite coach, and we have a 15-month-old daughter named Madeline. She’s starting to kick a ball around, so we’re excited.
Did anything funny and/or embarrassing ever happen to you while playing soccer? Well, not necessarily to me. But one time a teammate of mine was hit with a ball in the stomach and was on the ground rolling around in pain and trying to catch his breath. I and others arrived to the scene to find out he wasn’t wearing underwear under his shorts. That kind of stuff is hard to forget.
If you could be another Elite Soccer trainer for a day, who would you be and why? Stein Garcia. It’s good to be the boss. Also, I’d like to have his knowledge.
What is your best Elite Soccer memory? Winning the 2009 Park Ridge Memorial Tournament after a very tough season. The boys needed a confidence boost, and that gave us momentum into what was a milestone season the following fall.
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