Staff Spotlight: Thomas Sale of the Athletics Department

Share a brief bio with us. Before coming to Poly in 2011 I was working in higher education at USC and Woodbury University in admissions and advancement. This is actually my 10-year anniversary (shout out to my original “Coffee with Friends” buddy, Rusty Buchanan). My goal was always to be in athletics though, it’s really funny how everything has happened by luck. I filled in for someone in admissions who was sick, and they asked me if I wanted to work in admissions. I started as a tour guide as an undergrad, then it became part time, and eventually full time. I pride myself on building relationships, and then I transitioned to the advancement department doing general giving then targeted giving. I was asked by a recruiter if I was interested in working at an independent school—I had no idea about Poly. I interviewed and really liked Poly. Here I am today.

 

What do you enjoy about your work? The student-athletes—no question. We pride ourselves that every decision we make is in the best interest of the athletes. The number one goal is that athletics is a positive and safe student environment for all athletes and that’s at the forefront of our program. We aim to be safe, positive, and of course inclusive. That’s our first responsibility. It’s education-based athletics. Students are learning teamwork, obstacles, observation, and how do you come together as a team during the hard parts of the season. Getting to watch students grow as people and not just athletes is the best part of my job.

 

How can others at Poly support you? I don’t know if anyone needs to support me, I defer to the student-athletes. Maybe others can take a break from their day-to-day duties and come out and watch the kids and cheer on the schools and community. Student-athletes are representatives of the community and they promote excellence. There's nothing like your teacher seeing you hit a home run or score a goal. Having someone come out who's a big influence in these students' lives means a lot.

 

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with my wife. We married a few years ago and are navigating married life. I'm super active and love my Peloton since my gym closed. Gyms are starting to open up which is exciting. I love food and am super excited that there's a HomeState opening up in Altadena. Having one now 10 minutes from work will be a lot of fun! I also like traveling as well. I spent a month in Europe two years ago and am excited to travel again. And of course the Dodgers! Whenever I can, I'm at Dodger stadium.

 

What’s something you’ve watched or listened to lately that you’ve enjoyed? I listen to quite a bit of podcasts when I’m on the road. My wife just made me watch Emily in Paris as her shows dominate the DVR. We were really big Sons of Anarchy fans and the Mayans M.C. is their new series which is really awesome because it plays into my culture. I come from a Hispanic background and seeing a show that speaks to that is really interesting.