Graduation can’t slow Hannum’s Whippets

By ERIC S. SMITH

Tom Hannum grew up with two prominent forces in his life: motorcycles and lacrosse.
Motorcycles remain a daily part of his life. He owns and operates Hannum Harley Davidson in Media and Chadds Ford.
As for lacrosse... well, that takes up the remainder of the Downingtown West boys’ lacrosse coach’s life.
“It’s a nice balance,” Hannum said. “I’ve got lacrosse on one side and bikes on the other, and my family is in the middle. I guess that’s just a Libra thing to have the two interests. When I get bored with one, I can fall back on the other.”
Hannum apparently hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for lacrosse. He just completed his fifth year with the Whippets and has been coaching at the high school level since 1992.
But 2008 was a special season for Hannum. After losing 17 seniors from a team that finished sixth in the state in 2007, expectations were low, to say the least.
“We were really skeptical before this season,” Hannum said.
But despite an 0-6 start, the Whippets rallied to win eight of their next 10, including their first five Ches-Mont League games. West would finish 9-11 in the regular season, and earned an unexpected playoff berth by finishing fourth in the league.
All of which has earned for Hannum the title of Daily Local News 2008 Lacrosse Coach of the Year.
Even though the Whippets eventually fell to the No. 10 seed, Conestoga, 6-4, just getting there was a major accomplishment in and of itself.
“By the end of the year we were a pretty darn good team, and we gave Conestoga a run for its money,” Hannum said.
Hannum, naturally, credits his players. But it should be noted that it was his guidance and positive feedback that helped the Whippets stay the course, even after the six straight losses.
“I told them that all the nonleague games were simply a learning experience,” Hannum said. “The only thing that mattered was the league games, and the kids bought into it. But that nonleague schedule was vicious.”
In 1992, Hannum got his first coaching gig at Marple Newtown, where he would eventually lead a team to the state semifinals. He then returned to his alma mater to coach at East, but has now found a comfortable home in Downingtown.
“I would drive a couple of hours to coach at Downingtown over anywhere else,” Hannum said.
As for his playing career, that’s not over either. The 44-year-old still competes in a summer lacrosse league.
“As long as I’m still healthy, and everybody is having a good time, I’ll keep playing,” Hannum said. “The lacrosse community is a pretty darn fun thing, and I want to be a part of it for as long as I can.”
One thing is for sure, when Hannum finally does decide to hang up his lacrosse stick, he’ll have a nice motorcycle on which he can ride off into the sunset.

To contact staff writer Eric S. Smith, e-mail esmith@dailylocal.com.