Sharon Thompson Metro KC Coach of the Year Awards

by Ryan Krzykowski

Yet again, this spring is CFC Coach of the Year season and the class of 2025 is phenomenal.  Karli Angle, Kayla Barnes, and Nikki Hoffman are the female finalists.  Steve Essex, Stephan Gordon and Sam Soliday represent the male coaches.  Karsen Ong is our Rising Star Award winner.  Alec and I have recorded podcast episodes with each of these incredible coaches, and we came away encouraged from every one of those conversations.

The CFC Podcast page

Meet the 2025 Finalists and vote

Additionally, as previously reported, this year’s awards have been dedicated to and named for our dear friend, Sharon Thompson.  At the Coach of the Year celebration gathering on May 4 we will be honoring and remembering Sharon as well.  I’ve written this tribute that will be displayed at that event:

Sharon Thompson spent much of her life in and around sports.  Growing up as a competitive softball player, she later became a Certified Athletic Trainer, serving for many years at Johnson County CC.  She enjoyed the opportunity to play, and she loved watching her sons as they competed, along with her favorite teams, the Chiefs, Royals and K-State Wildcats.  

Sharon loved Community for Coaches from the very beginning.  With her background as an athlete, trainer and fan, she understood the impact a coach can have on a person’s life, and by extension, on a family and community.  Initially as a generous supporter of the work, Sharon later joined the CFC staff as our event coordinator.  For seven years, CFC hosted events organized by Sharon: huge fundraiser dinners, trivia nights, bowling nights for local teams, a summer golf tournament, and perhaps most significantly, our annual Coach of the Year celebration.  Coach of the Year was especially dear to Sharon.  It was her absolute favorite event to run, and she poured her heart and soul into each year’s gathering.  Early in her time with CFC, Sharon came up with the idea of having an athlete introduce each coach, a touch which has brought incredible joy to all involved.  

In the summer of 2024, our community lost Sharon Thompson suddenly and unexpectedly.  As our team mourned the loss of our friend and colleague, an obvious decision was made to rename the CFC Metro KC Coach of the Year Award as the Sharon Thompson Metro KC Coach of the Year.  We continue to grieve Sharon’s loss, but today we also celebrate her life, her impact on CFC and those we serve, and her ability to bring people together in a spirit of love and joy.  Sharon was a dear woman who loved well, and had an amazing gift to make others feel important.  We miss her every day.

Alec and I recorded a special podcast episode as a preview of this year’s COY finalists, and we also spend time reminiscing about Sharon and the tremendous impact she had on us and CFC.

Let’s Coach With Purpose…