When you walk into Paradise ISD’s football coaching offices, not only will you recognize the endless football decor and memorabilia that covers the walls and shelves, but you’ll notice the books that are open on the desks, which would be the Bible.
Using faith as a backbone to a football team seems non-ideal for some people, but for Paradise, it is what changed the direction of their program and gave them the ticket to the state semifinals for the first time ever in the program.
During my interview with Head Football Coach Tommy Koch, he talked about how noticing the community was already heavily faith-based before he was the head coach helped him realize he could bring God into another aspect of life for the people of Paradise. The response was positive, creating more connections and relationships between coaches, athletes, families, and the community. This also creates a team dynamic that nobody can seem to find anywhere else.
“We’re going to invest in these kids from a spiritual standpoint as well.” Koch says and continues to point out, “We also want these men and women to grow up and be really good, high-character people.” This shows why Tommy Koch is so likable amongst the players, fellow coaches, teachers, and families in Paradise.
Koch is not only creating amazing athletes that make first or second all district or all state teams, he is creating hard-working, likeable, and faith-driven young adults that know that life is more than high school athletics.