By Maddy Vitale
You might say Tom Andress is a man of few words. He uses them wisely, to make sure he gets his point across.
Concentration, confidence and courage are the three C’s Andress has instilled for the last 14 years as coach of the girls basketball team at Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School in Cape May Court House.
“I’m pretty intense. I am competitive. My team had to learn that about me. They know I care,” Andress, 61, said with a smile.
Now retired, this was his final year as coach, a volunteer position, so he could dedicate more time to his family.
Before every game, Andress would give his players index cards that they could keep that had words to live by.
The cards read: “Every team has an obstacle, a wall to get over. Every person has an obstacle in their own life. It takes more than one step, it is a process. Like a mountain climber, reaching the top, we must continue to climb one step at a time. Play without fear and have a good time climbing today!”
Andress said getting ready for a game is similar to preparing for challenges in life.
“We tried to instill confidence in the girls, so that when they got older, and were faced with problems, they could reach back and remember things they overcame on the basketball court,” Andress said.
Perhaps some of his best coaching skills came from being a father with his wife, Nettsey, to their girls Becky, 21, and Sam, 13.
Andress and Nettsey, who grew up in Sea Isle, have been married for 27 years, and together have taught their girls, who both played basketball at Bishop McHugh, to persevere.
Now Becky, whose dad coached her on the court, is on a club basketball team at James Madison University in Virginia.
“He definitely taught me how to treat people with respect,” she said.
Sam, who will be attending Wildwood Catholic High School in the fall, also plans on playing basketball, and said she appreciates all that her dad taught her.
“My dad taught me to keep going and have confidence,” she said.
Andress, owner of TAC Printing & Marketing Services in Seaville since 1986, keeps family close. His girls and wife help him out at his printing business.
On Friday they were busy bagging pamphlets, menus and brochures for distribution in towns in the surrounding area. A lot of the work is done for Sea Isle restaurants and other businesses on the island.
Mike Monichetti, owner of Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant in Sea Isle, has been friends with Tom and Nettsey for 40 years. He grew up a few blocks down from Nettsey.
“Tom is not only a wonderful father figure to his own two daughters, but the work that he has done with Bishop McHugh’s girls basketball team to develop and nurture so many girls’ lives put the basketball program on the map,” Monichetti noted.
Over the years, Tom has not only been dedicated to helping promote Monichetti’s business, but has been instrumental in spreading the word about Monichetti’s autism charity, the Polar Bear Run-Walk for Autism.
Monichetti called Tom and Nettsey Andress “the perfect team.”
“They are all about giving back,” he said. “Tom Andress has helped lead the charge promoting autism awareness here at the Jersey Shore.”
Through the years, Tom Andress has coached students from third to eighth grade.
A sign on his desk says it all about his motto on the court and in life: “You miss all the shots you don’t take.”
For Andress, success on the court and in life should be measured by how hard you work as a team.
Xiomara Walker, 14, and Adriana Rivera, 14, both of Woodbine, are two Bishop McHugh students Andress coached.
This summer, they are helping the Andress family out at their family business.
The girls said he was a great coach.
“He taught me a whole lot,” Xiomara said. “Maybe the biggest thing is to always put our heart into it.”
Adriana said she had a lot of fun on the team.
“He taught us to never give up,” she said.
Andress said retiring from coaching is somewhat bittersweet.
“It is time. My youngest is leaving the school and going to Wildwood Catholic. They have good coaches coming up,” he said. “I am going to miss it.”
Andress said throughout his coaching career with basketball season going from mid-November to mid-March, combining practices and games, he was busy five nights a week, many of them on weekends.
He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family and running his successful printing and marketing business.
Nettsey, who, like her husband, spent years attending the basketball games, said this year will definitely feel different for them – especially during basketball season.
“We will have more time as a family,” she said. “Maybe we will take a vacation.”
Since winter sports vacations were out of the question during basketball season, Nettsey said she has an idea in mind for the perfect family trip.
“Maybe we could fit in skiing some time,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time we went.”
Tom Andress said he would like to do that, or any other vacation the family had in mind.
He also wouldn’t mind golfing and fishing a bit.
One thing he is sure of, he chose to leave coaching on a very high note.
“This year we did really well,” Andress said. “We won the last tournament of the season. My kids accomplished their goal.”
For Father’s Day, Seaislenews.com is celebrating a father who has the values we applaud.
In recognizing Tom Andress, Seaislenews.com is donating to his charity of choice, which is Mike Monichetti’s Polar Bear Run/Walk for Autism. The website is www.polarbearrunwalkforautism.com.
