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Tommy Boyle’s Positive Coaching Career

by Tina Syer

10.04.2016

Whether it was on our “side of the pond” or his, spending time with Tommy Boyle of the Winning Scotland Foundation (WSF) stands out as a highlight of my time at PCA.

His retirement from WSF has me reflecting back on the friendship we’ve developed over the years. I smile when I think about Tommy meeting my parents in Davis, CA during one of his visits. He and my dad could have talked track for much longer than they did! Years later, my parents still talk about meeting Tommy, the ever-present twinkle in his eye and his ceaseless energy for using sports as a vehicle to teach bigger life lessons.

Both parents of two boys, Tommy and I have enjoyed watching each other’s “lads” grow up, and we’ve swapped stories about how to coach one’s own kids. I just wish we lived a little closer together, so my boys could benefit personally from Tommy’s coaching!

PCA has given me many gifts since my start in 2000, and having the opportunity to learn from Tommy ranks near the top of the list. Whether watching him train coaches, talking in the car between events in Scotland, or enjoying marathon meetings at PCA headquarters (like the one in which he filled an entire white board with a diagram of Scotland’s sports infrastructure), I always learned something from my time with him.

Tommy, thank you for providing such a wonderful example for the rest of us. I hope to channel your energy and passion about the power of sport far into the future. Please bring your family over to our side of the pond soon, as you’ll always have a home away from home with us!

Tina Syer was with PCA from 2000-2019 and is PCA's former President, spending 20 years working as PCA staff building PCA from the ground up.