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Spotlight: Josh Thomas

Baseball Mario Russo

A leader in battle, and one who battles to lead: The Josh Thomas story

For the last four years, Josh Thomas has awoken to fulfill a purpose in his life. Every morning of every day, the third year is reminded of not only what he expects from himself, but rather a series of goals that he swiftly executes with every passing hour. 

Some people wake up to the sound of their deafening alarm to start the day, others scavenge through a flash-flood of notifications to get themselves equipped with what's to come. 

Very few, however, strike a similar chord to the TMU Bold veteran outfielder, who on a daily basis is greeted with a banner of words that have become permanently engraved in his mind for a prolonged period of time:

"Be the best Josh Thomas you can be and ask the question, 'how can you make somebody's life better?'"

Whether he finds himself with both feet cemented in the batter's box on the baseball diamond, or on the escalator ascending to his midweek classes, Thomas never strays away from his daily challenge and leads by example to achieve his goals. 

"You can demonstrate leadership wherever you go," said Thomas, adding that the role is: "not just a position, it's an action."

Leadership has become synonymous with the Ajax, Ont. native throughout his TMU Bold career, and has been the invariable backbone to the recent success of his ball club. Thomas' performance runs much deeper than the box score, however, as his constant energy and eternal confidence remain infectious with the players he represents. 

"I think the energy I play with is directly related to my confidence," said Thomas. The outfielder believes the framework to being an adequate front runner on the diamond begins with setting a standard for everyone to follow.  

"Guys won't listen to you if you're not performing and that's my biggest goal," he added. 

Thomas' rise to being one of the prominent figures on the Bold's baseball squad may have appeared to be a seamless transition for what was then the freshman outfielder, but as he looks back at his ascending journey nearly three years later, he revisits the nerves of what it felt like to latch onto a team and never look back.

When the path became unclear, Thomas turned to his father for advice on how to keep a confident face while being eaten up by the nerves inside of him. A six-word response was all he needed to continue to be a driving force for the blue and gold, as his ability to "fake it until you make it" became not just a practical sense of direction, but a way of life.

"You can never show anybody your true feelings, you gotta show them the other guy," said Thomas. These life-long teaching moments quickly became a recurrent theme around the Thomas household, and has allowed the third-year to navigate life outside of the diamond with a cogent disposition. "They all gave me the confidence to be who I am," he added. 

Historical sports figures such as Derek Jeter and Tom Brady also provided Thomas with the inspiration of being a leader. Yet no matter where he attributes the source of his encouragement, Thomas repeatedly sets out to evoke it upon himself and those around him to better in life outside of the playing field. 

"I am trying to leave those I cross paths with a little more happiness and hope," said Thomas. "Being there for other people, being a good guy, I think that's the impact [leadership] has had on me," he added. 

One of Thomas' biggest takeaways from his leadership journey revolves around the way in which he interacts with those he meets on a day-to-day basis. Knowing what to communicate and through which medium to do so has enabled the outfielder to better understand his teammates while on the field, and has made him exceedingly compassionate to others as a result. 

"Leadership has made me a lot more empathetic to other people," said Thomas. "For these guys I want as much success on the field as there is off it."

Heading into the tail end of his educational journey at TMU, the Business Management major wishes he paid more attention to the Human Resources section of his course due to the similar qualities they possess with being a leader of a team.

Continuously checking in on your peers, as well as making sure the job is done right are just a pair of features that fascinate the future managerial figure. Thomas believes that the skills he currently possess can very well benefit him in the career he chooses down the road and adds to the long list of what remains possible as a result of his ample leadership. 

Despite the easy fit, Thomas is looking to exercise his leadership skills on what he believes to be the biggest stage as a member of TMU. With a successful season now in the rearview mirror, Thomas longingly has his eyes set on the fall of 2023 where he looks to deploy his experience and help bring home the school's first OUA championship. 

"The passion that I have for this team is deep. It runs in my blood," said Thomas. "When I step on the field I'm not only playing to win, but for the guy next to me."

With new players coming in to help bridge the gap towards a league title, Thomas looks forward to leading the new set of guys next to him this upcoming fall. For the third-year, breaking the ice with the incoming first years is far too familiar, as he hopes to once again set the standard for his "new brothers."

"I want them to be comfortable in their own skin and create an atmosphere that is definitely welcoming to new people. This is not just the start of their next baseball journey, but their educational journey." 

Already having a taste of what championship baseball looks like, Thomas has followed the growth of his team closer than most. Enduring a lopsided loss in the OUA Central final to conclude the year is an image that still sits fresh in the mind of Thomas, and is a story he wishes to rewrite as early as next season. 

"Every team wants to be great. Most teams wish to be great, but this team is coming together and doing what it takes to be great," said the veteran outfielder. 

Whether it be in years past, or years ahead, through way of checking his signs or up on his coworkers, leadership guides Thomas just as he steadily works to guide others. It is a part of his game that defines him, a personality trait that perseveres to help those around him follow suit. 

From the moment he wakes up, Josh Thomas becomes Josh Thomas. A leader in battle, and one who battles to lead. And when he goes to bed, he gets ready to do it all again the very next day.
 
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Players Mentioned

Josh Thomas

#5 Josh Thomas

OF
5' 11"
2

Players Mentioned

Josh Thomas

#5 Josh Thomas

5' 11"
2
OF