Veteran coach Tom Healy to leave the CHS diamond

The familiar windbreaker with the green CHS cap won’t be seen on a regular basis at the CHS baseball diamond next year as Tom Healy, who coached baseball at Canton High for 40 years as well as other boys’ and girls’ sports, has tendered his resignation as a CHS coach. A few years ago, Healy retired as a social studies and history teacher at CHS.

Athletic Director Danny Erickson said Healy meant an awful lot to the culture at Canton High, both as a history teacher and a veteran coach.

“Tommy is a CHS institution,” Erickson said. “It wasn’t that he was a towering figure; as a matter of fact, he was low key and humble as could be. But his impact has been unmatched. Ask anyone and they will say the same thing: I love Mr. Healy. We will miss him greatly.”

Selectman Bob Burr, a Canton High alum and former Canton Little League president who is still an observer of all things Canton baseball, shared some of his insights on what Healy has meant to the community. He said whether it was on the diamond or in the classroom, Healy stood for character, integrity, and professionalism.

“When I think of Tom Healy’s impact on Canton baseball,” said Burr, “three words come to mind: persistence, hard work, and loyalty — all these he taught the boys of Canton through baseball. First, persistence: Tom remained committed to the baseball program in Canton irrespective of yearly talent or chance at success. Second, hard work: Tom believed there were no shortcuts; good teams needed good conditioning. He was adamant about teaching the fundamentals. Finally, loyalty: Tom was so loyal to the Canton High athletes that he became involved in their lives long before they ever entered freshman year. He was down watching the Little League games, talking to coaches and parents about his perception of a game played, and speaking before the Canton Little League coaches and managers discussing fundamentals and fielding questions.”

Burr added, “His demeanor has always been that of a quiet man, but behind the eyes lies a man willing to work hard for greatness. A good number of now 50-year-old adults comment on their experience playing for Tom Healy. That is something Tom can be proud of — his connection to some kids has lasted over 40 years.”

Healy taught history and social studies for 35 years at CHS and later for two years at Fontbonne Academy. He began coaching in 1970 as the freshman baseball coach and in 1977 was named the varsity head coach — a position he held through this past season. Besides coaching baseball, he has also served as a freshman football coach, girls’ JV soccer coach, and girls’ varsity and JV basketball coach.

Amazingly, during his 40-year stint as baseball coach, he only missed two games, and both were this year due to family health reasons.

Healy said coaching made him a better teacher, and vice versa, because he got to know the students in and out of the classroom.

His baseball-playing career started out in Little League. He did not play for his high school team but played American Legion ball. Coming out of the Air Force, he received his bachelor’s degree in history from Stonehill College and later received his master’s degree. During his years at CHS, his team won three league titles and in 1995 advanced to the Eastern Mass. finals as the south sectional champs.

A student of the game, Healy went to many clinics sponsored by the Mass. Baseball Coaches Association and has an extensive video library of baseball instruction.

The one player who made it to the Major Leagues during Healy’s tenure was Bobby Witt (CHS ’81), who pitched for several professional teams over 16 seasons, amassing 142 wins and 1,955 strikeouts to go along with one World Series championship.

“[Witt] was an exceptional pitcher who worked very hard to achieve what he did,” Healy said. “He took nothing for granted and was always nice to Canton High.”

Besides Witt, Healy saw many talented young men and women who passed through his classroom and whom he coached.

“I really met some exceptional young people at CHS and I am very grateful for that,” he said. “Through the years, I have coached sons and daughters of people I originally coached in high school. Now, I was very afraid I was coming to the period when I was coaching their grandchildren.”

Times have certainly changed since he began coaching baseball in the 70s and 80s: “There is definitely more things for kids to do, more sports for them to try. I realize that players want to try different sports, and some just want to concentrate on one sport. I wish that more kids would be playing baseball outside of the season, throughout the summer and fall, and really come to spring in great condition with more experience. To improve in baseball, you really have to work at it, improve your strength and conditioning and technique, both in the field and at the plate.”

Today, Healy said it is time for him to move on and let some younger coaches have a turn at CHS. He sees a bright future for this past year’s freshman team, but he knows that playing in the Hockomock League is difficult. He hopes that the impending Hockomock split — and Canton’s entrance in the small school division of the league — will help.

Healy said it was a great privilege to teach and coach in Canton and he enjoyed coming to work every day.

“I certainly enjoyed teaching and meeting some great people at Canton High,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed my job and I appreciate that I did it in the same place for all these years.”

His son and granddaughter still live in Canton, although Healy now makes his home on the Cape. An avid golfer, he still wants to maintain some baseball visibility, perhaps by running some coaching clinics, and plans to stop in from time to time at the CHS baseball diamond to see how his former players are doing.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jul 1 2010. Filed under High School, News, Schools, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.