Suzanne Rondeau ’ 97
RETURNS AS HEAD COACH
Suzanne ( Picard ) Rondeau ’ 97 is returning to TA as head coach of the Girls Basketball program . Suzanne , a three-sport athlete at TA , graduated as the only player to score 1,000 points in the history of our Girls Basketball program , and was elected to the Thornton Academy Athletic Hall of Fame . Suzanne attended Saint Joseph ’ s College of Maine , where she scored 1,203 points for the Monks and was a two-time all-conference player and Division III All-American in 2001 . Her coaching experience includes stints as varsity girls basketball coach at Bonny Eagle High School and assistant roles at two area colleges -- Saint Joe ’ s and University of New England . She currently teaches mathematics at Saco Middle School .
What does it mean coming back to coach at your alma mater ? The pride I had putting on the Thornton Academy uniform as a player can ' t be described . Returning to my alma mater holds immense significance for me . The coaches , community , and teammates all had an impact on me during my high school years . I ' m honored and beyond excited to have this opportunity to come back and coach at Thornton Academy .
You have quite a few TA grads in your family . Well , I come from a family of 11 and all my siblings went to TA ! Denise ( Chretien ) ’ 84 , Michelle ( Tate ) ’ 85 , Gerard ’ 87 , Danielle ’ 88 , Paul ’ 89 , Guy ’ 91 , Helene ( Stevens ) ’ 93 , Claire ( St . Ours ) ‘ 94 , Marie ( Soucy ) ‘ 96 , and Jean ’ 02 . My husband , Darrell Rondeau ’ 98 , and I started dating my senior year . My son is a Sophomore at TA this year , Samuel Rondeau 2026 .
Do you have a favorite memory from your playing days ? Junior year , our season started horribly and had to win five straight games to make the playoffs . We had to beat a very good # 2 Portland team ; first victory and I believe may be the only one over Coach ( Ed ) Feeny . Coming together as a team to beat some very talented teams so we could play at the Civic Center was definitely my favorite memory . That year my sister Marie was a Senior , so to share that successful season with her was something I will never forget .
What lessons did you learn as a player that you want to pass on to your team ? I want my players to compete every moment with enthusiasm and grit ; mentally and physically wanting to be the best versions of themselves . This is not something you just show on the court , it ' s the way they should approach the classroom and life . Another lesson I learned was the importance of coming together as a team . Treating a team like a family where they understand all players have a purpose and will contribute in different ways to the overall success of the team .
You teach Math at Saco Middle School . Was there anything or anyone at TA who led you to that career path ( or helped you develop a love for math )? Math has always been a strong subject for me . My 6th grade teacher used to have us compete against our classmates on the chalkboard . I ' m a very competitive person and loved going to this Math class each day . My 8th grade teacher would allow me to teach from the board and help students , which is when I started to think about becoming a teacher . It was in high school when I interviewed Coach ( Chris ) Nadeau ( a science teacher ) on what it took to be a coach and teacher . It was my goal at that time to come back and coach at TA .