During his playing days at Catasauqua, Tom Falzone decided on his future profession as a teacher and high school football coach. From there, Falzone took the initial steps in his venture when he played at Lafayette College.

After graduation, Falzone didn't waste any time as he joined the Catty coaching staff for a brief stint before he moved to a six-year stint at Whitehall. Over the past four years, he has transformed a mediocre Roughies' program into a perennial Colonial League favorite and one of the more recognized programs in the Lehigh Valley.

This past season, Falzone brought his program to the doorstep of the District 11 Class 2A title before they lost to eventual champion Pen Argyl. For his efforts, Falzone was recently named the Colonial League Football Coach of the Year.

Like he has done since he began his head coach stint at Catty in the fall of 2009, Falzone continued to divert any spotlights on him and instead redirect them onto the program.

"This is an awesome honor for me," said Falzone, who has never been short of enthusiasm. "It is also great for the program and the school. But it really isn't all about me. When we get any honor, it comes down to the efforts of our coaching staff.

"We have gained honors due to our amazing staff and the right group of kids to coach. There has been the right combination here for me."

This past season, the Roughies took the league by storm with an unblemished record and a string of mercy-rule contests. Catty also had a sizable difference between their points scored and points allowed, spearheaded by a small and effective senior class.

"When you look at everything, we didn't have a large group of seniors, but all of them made many significant contributions," noted Falzone. "We had a great group of juniors and they will be back.

But all of us knew during the summer that it could be a very special year for us.

"We had a great chemistry between everyone and we got off to a great start. That helped us. We got out of the gate and we never really looked back. "

Falzone also recalled his own playing days when he was a captain on Catty's 1996 team that won a Colonial League title. Those days likely will forever burn in his memory as they not only played for memorable coaches but also ignited his own coaching fuses.

As a sign of respect and remembrance, Falzone invited former coaches Bob Bydlon, Ed Csencsits, Bob Panny, Brad Bloszinsky, and Jim Schaffer along with longtime friend and teammate Rob Petrosky to join his staff. Over the past four years, the storybook ride easily was extended from his days as a Roughie on the field.

"When I played for coaches like these, I knew this was the profession for me," said Falzone, who is a social studies teacher in the Whitehall school district. "I knew I had to be a teacher to go this route, but that was also a good choice for me.

"Those guys taught me the 'Catty' way and I wouldn't do it any other way. We have always been a small school and we had to work for everything we had. This has always been a program in which the players have worked extremely hard because we felt the odds were against us in many ways.

"We have never been a school with many players and large players. But we have made many inroads in their lives on and off the field. That's what the 'Catty' way is all about."

With 14 years under his belt and four young children in his family, Falzone easily could think about a timetable on his profession. However the support of his wife, Stephanie - a former field hockey player at Catty and Lafayette - and the involvement of his children with the program has made a timeless transition possible. Since he began at Catty immediately after his graduation from Lafayette, Falzone has also been an assistant with the boys' basketball program.

"I really don't have a timetable in mind," he stated. "My wife has been unbelievable in her support. My kids have always been at practices and to games. This has been fun and it is a part of me. No one can really understand how much time we put into coaching to bring a program forward.

"Maybe once the kids get older, it will probably be time for me to think about it."

Falzone has also dismissed any thoughts of possibly pursuing a college coaching job. He had a taste of the college front when he worked under former Whitehall coach Tony Trisciani, who formerly worked as a college coach and has since returned as an assistant at Villanova.

"When I was at Whitehall, (Trisciani) told me about college coaching," recalled Falzone. "It is a real grind and there is always pressure to win. I feel at home here at Catty and don't have any ambitions now to move ahead. This is a good fit for me and my family."

As a result, he doesn't have any immediate plans to investigate any high school options either.

"I know some coaches can feed off their success and look to be involved in a coaching carousel," Falzone noted. "I don't think I have an ego about coaching. Being somewhere else doesn't have an appeal to me.

"Guys do move around for different reasons, but I don't see myself doing that. I love coaching football and coaching it here."

A sense of family has also been a standard to the Roughies' coaching principals through the years. When his mother recently passed away, assistant coach Schaffer was moved and broke down when the team attended the funeral.

"The team knew it would mean so much to him," said Falzone. "That's how it has always been here. We are one big family who truly supports each other. Win or lose, we are there for each other."

Falzone has never been short on motivation for his players. His latest tool has been wearing the district runner-up medal around his neck since the beginning of the team's offseason workouts.

"We have been ready to go for a while," stressed Falzone. "The kids have seen the medal and they know what it is about. We know we have some unfinished business here. We have another great group of kids who will work hard. We're looking forward to next season and taking it to the next level."

Fortunately for the Catty faithful, they have an ideal coach to take them there.