MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- “Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization — an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win — to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is. It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there — to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely and by the rules — but to win. And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline and the harsh reality of head-to-head combat … I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour — his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear — is that moment when he had to work his heart out in a good cause and he’s exhausted on the field of battle — victorious.”
— Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers, 1959-1967
For a competitor like Thomas Callahan, the art of coaching takes on more than just teaching some children how to play a sport. For him, it’s the disbursement of personal pride and his insurance that the job is done right.
As some Marines aboard MCB Hawaii bid farewell to their well-known teammate, others say goodbye to their child’s favorite coach and mentor, as Callahan moves on to his next duty station at MCAF Cherry Point today.
A well-recognized face on any local “field of battle,” Callahan played eight seasons in four different sports and coached six seasons of three different youth sports during his stay at MCB Hawaii. As Callahan leaves Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, he looks back on his tour here as a sparkling memory in his family’s love affair with sports.
Known today for his love of soccer, Callahan didn’t have much interest for the sport of soccer growing up in Benton Harbor, Mich., where he was born.
“I was most interested in football, because that was just what most of the kids seemed to play,” said Callahan.
In middle school Callahan played as a defensive end and an outside linebacker, and to this day, according to Callahan, a framed photograph remains displayed at his school of him laying a hit on a ball-carrier, capturing the game MVP. The caption indicated that the scene depicted “a bowling ball running over a French fry.”
Callahan also went undefeated as a wrestler at the same time, all the way through his freshman year.
“Soccer didn’t come around in my life until I met one of my best friends in my freshman year, and his dad played for the Greek National Team in the World Cup. He told me, ‘I’m gonna make you a soccer player!’ He was raising his son to be a World Cup athlete, so by association, I was just sucked into the sport, and it seemed like there weren’t very many of us.”
Callahan traveled the surrounding states with his team, and even had the opportunity to play for the local Kickers Club, before moving to Georgia his sophomore year — putting soccer on pause. Unfortunately, the Blue Ridge, Ga., area had no soccer league, even after Callahan petitioned the city council.
Luckily, Callahan was more than familiar with the sport of football, which the southern town took very seriously. He played a year revisiting football before moving on to basketball, where he found natural talent, though wasted, as his skill level was not a determining factor on whether he made the varsity team cut.
“It hurt me a lot,” said Callahan. “The town was extremely racist on both ends of the spectrum, and I remember being pretty upset about it, as I even had most of my teammates’ support — even they were shocked I didn’t make the team.”
With other focuses on his mind, Callahan took a three-month trip to Parris Island that fall, and became a Marine Dec. 15, 1994.
While attending motor transportation school at Camp Johnson, Callahan recalls coming back from chow one day and seeing a couple guys kicking a soccer ball around.
“Oh I was right back into it then!” exclaimed Callahan. “As I moved from base to base, I kept with as many sports as I could. I remember being so happy that I could do what I loved while in the Marine Corps.”
Callahan played for Camp Lejeune and Henderson Hall’s team while stationed in Quantico, and played in several tournaments, taking championships at most every one.
While at Quantico, Callahan found his love of coaching when his stepdaughter Christiana indicated that she wanted to learn how to play soccer.
“She’s the reason why I started coaching,” said Callahan. “I wanted to make sure she learned the right way.”
Starting out on the field, Christiana quickly learned that guarding the net was her forte.
“She was like a wall,” said Callahan of his daughter. “She wasn’t afraid to slide or get dirty. I remember one game in Quantico, the coach from the other team asked me if I’d trade her for his midfielder. I told him that I would have a lot of explaining to do with my wife when I got home if I did that.”
Callahan and his soccer-playing wife, Kristin, had their hands full, as their children all grew into their unavoidable sports hobbies — Callahan sported the soccer ball and whistle while Kristin followed closely behind with the bowl full of sliced oranges.
“My wife really does all the work,” said Callahan modestly. “She’s been extremely supportive, and is just the greatest ‘team mom’ there could be. We weren’t surprised at all to see the kids get into the same sports we are into, and that is what got me into coaching, because I was so insistent that the kids learn the right way.”
When the Callahans arrived in Hawaii, his oldest daughter, 14-year-old Christiana immediately got into flag football, and according to Callahan, still plays as the only girl and the starting quarterback for the team while also playing as a small forward for the Kailua Intermediate basketball team.
“Courtney is my little munchkin,” said Callahan of his 12-year-old middle daughter. “She’s such a dynamo when it comes to sports. She’ll attack, but then her feminine side shines through and she won’t want to get dirty.”
But this year, according to Callahan, Courtney was “a monster” of aggression that came out of nowhere — attacking the ball on defense. Currently playing on a separate team than her sister, Courtney is enjoying her own sports in her own way. Also a cheerleader, his middle daughter was the captain of the cheerleading squad in 2004.
And then there is Thomas Jr. According to Callahan, 8-year-old Thomas has dominated at soccer since he’s started, and he’s even been asked by some of the referees to take his son out of the game because he’s literally too good for his age.
“In 2003, my son and I had a competition to see who could score the most goals in the season,” said Callahan, “and of course, my son beat me — I’ll never live it down. The great thing about Thomas though, is that he really understands the game of soccer, at a fundamental level.”
According to Callahan, a captain aboard MCB Hawaii once offered to fund Thomas’ education at Manchester United, where he can further define his soccer skills, but Callahan declined because he didn’t want to be separated from his son.
“My son has a huge ego in all the sports he plays,” said Callahan, “including basketball. He thinks he’s Michael Jordan. He definitely gets it from me, because I’ve always told him and all of my children, that the moment they step out onto the field or onto the court, that they are the best ones out there, and the other team is going to have to stop them.”
Thomas Jr. was crushed after losing the championship basketball season last year and vowed to go all the way in the following season, and now stands successful with the championship in hand. According to Callahan, the first words out of Thomas’ mouth were, “I told you so dad!”
Callahan has played soccer at MCB Hawaii for three years, football for two years, baseball for two years, and softball for one, all while coaching youth soccer for two years, youth football for two years, and youth basketball for two years.
“I can’t say enough to thank the people who have let me be a part of the base sports programs since I’ve been stationed here, said Callahan. “[Master Gunnery Sgt. Gerardo] Panetta has been a huge help and a great mentor. Sgt. Doug McGlaughlin and Master Chief Richard Dew have all been tremendous supporters, and last but definitely not least, is Clark Abbey, who has let me do my own thing in youth sports, and I can’t express enough thanks to him for letting me be a part of his program.”
After three years as the base’s leading scorer in soccer, and several unsuccessful invitations to play for All-Marine teams due to Marine Corps mission, Callahan moves on to his next duty station determined once again to take part in whatever coaching opportunities come his way.
“My ultimate goal is to coach at the high school or maybe even the collegiate level some day, but all I can look forward to right now is getting to Cherry Point in enough time to get Thomas Jr. signed up for the fall soccer season.”
Carrying with him the spirit of victory in competition so eloquently expressed in Vince Lombardi’s words, Thomas Callahan and his family are on the field to play, and they’re on the field to win — “fair and square.”
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