About
My Story
Tom Walls has been coaching football for 28 years and in that time has started two regional programs: the Sunrise Coyotes Football Club and the Springfield Collegiate Institute Sabres High School Program. Tom knows that football is a unique sport where there is a legitimate place for each type of player and he fits each player to the position for them to have the most success, building confidence and joy in the sport every step of the way.
For more than thirty years I’ve taught in classrooms and coached on football fields.
Although those two worlds appear separate, I’ve discovered they’re asking the same question: How do we get people to buy into our vision?
Whether it’s a classroom, football team, or organization, the challenge is rarely getting people to understand what we’re trying to accomplish.
The challenge is helping them believe they belong.
After spending the last fifteen years teaching and coaching in Canada, my wife and I recently moved to Medellín, Colombia to begin the next chapter of our lives. My goal is to help schools, teams, and organizations throughout South America intentionally build stronger cultures.
Around the World
Where I've Worked
Taught or Coached
- Canada
- United States
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Northern Ireland
- England
- Wales
- South Korea
- Japan
- Uzbekistan
- Colombia
Presented / Consulted
- Canada
- United States
- Ireland
- Colombia
The Book
Coach Like a Teacher, Teach Like a Coach
The idea behind the book developed over thirty years.
I became a better teacher when I started acting more like a coach. Then I became a better coach when I started thinking more like a teacher.
That realization became the foundation for Coach Like a Teacher, Teach Like a Coach.
Tom's book coming in 2027
Coach Like a Teacher, Teach Like a Coach
Practical, ready-to-use ideas on building culture, belonging, and buy-in — delivered to your inbox.
The Philosophy
Micro-Inclusions
Micro-Inclusions are small, intentional actions that communicate one simple message: You are in the right place.
Their real power is their simplicity.
Teachers don’t need another binder. Administrators don’t need another year-long initiative. Everything I teach is designed to give educators practical ideas they can begin using tomorrow morning.
Personal
People, Not Programs
My writing is grounded in real experiences from classrooms, football fields, travel, and family. Those stories shape my work because leadership is ultimately about people, not programs.
