Editorial
Letter to the Hamilton Community
By Ben Fields ’15
September 15, 2016
Tags letter to the editor
I write to commend T.J. Davis on an amazing and meaningful career as head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at Hamilton. As a four-year swimmer, I can say that I would not have become the person I am today without the leadership, guidance, and friendship of T.J. While he was an excellent coach, it was what he did outside of the pool that made him such an incredible person and mentor. T.J. was more than just the swim coach or the aquatics director, he was a father-figure for so many that swam for him over the years.
Hamilton is made up of wonderful people, but when I look back on my time there, only a few truly rise to the top. T.J. is one of those people. Between driving students to the airport for early morning flights, hosting students for thanksgiving dinners, and spending hours coaching at the pool, T.J. found a way to make sure that students felt valued, and that anyone who could contribute had a place on the team. More than anything, he threw his heart and soul into his swimmers and divers.
While I look forward to seeing what T.J. will do in the future, I think it is important for Hamilton, and the athletics department in particular, to pause for a minute and reflect on what made him such a great coach and person. For 14 years, T.J. was fixture at Hamilton. From announcing field hockey and lacrosse games to hosting a radio show on WHCL, he was a terrific presence at the school, and whomever replaces him at the helm on the swimming and diving teams has very large shoes to fill.