Like Mother, Like Daughter

Sarah and Aubrie Thomas (via Aubrie Thomas)

By Autumn Blue (@AutumnBlue3) – SB Beat Reporter

It’s her first season with the Spartans but she is no stranger to San Jose State. Aubrie Thomas is the third San Jose State student-athlete in her family. 

 Thomas is the daughter of three-year star defensive back Shawn Thomas and also the daughter of former softball team catcher, Sarah Coughlin. 

With two former college athletes as parents it should come as no surprise that Thomas and her two siblings are all athletes themselves. Her sister Korie plays softball at UC Santa Barbara and her brother Jaylen plays sports in high school.

“We’ve been training for as long as I can remember. We would come home from school and do squats in our jeans, and go run parachutes and sleds in our jeans, just take off our shoes and run down the street. So we have been training since we were little, we love it and we all bond over it,” said Thomas.

A family full of athletes, you can only imagine the competitiveness and the athleticism in their everyday lives. 

“There was always a little friendly competition but it didn’t necessarily translate directly from sport to sport. It was more who can get up the stairs in the houses first, who can eat their breakfast first, that kind of silly stuff. Everything was a competition in our house,” said Sarah Thomas.

Though Aubrie is a bit different from her siblings as she is continuing to follow in her parents footsteps at San Jose State, but it doesn’t just end there, Thomas is continuing her mother’s legacy by playing on the softball team this year. 

Freshman Aubrie Thomas is the utility on the softball team. Thomas started playing softball when she was 4 years old after growing up and seeing her sister play.

It wasn’t as easy for Thomas though she had to find her footing. Since Aubrie’s mother knew she was left-handed she would train her as left-handed but quickly she could see Aubrie wasn’t playing naturally but awkwardly.

“She was not very good. We thought she wasn’t going to be our athletic kid, our sports kid. As I continued to watch her, she just looked uncomfortable and finally I told her go get your sister’s glove and switch it around. Then boom right on the spot it was her thing,” says Sarah Thomas. 

Since then Aubrie has played right-handed despite doing everything else in her life left-handed. 

At 11 years old Thomas met Tammy Lohmann, who is SJSU’S softball current head coach. Lohmann would host a school of camp where Thomas would join and play softball. 

“I’ve always really thought she was really talented athletically with great skills. When I took over the program here and found out she was still available, I really wanted to get her to come here,” says Lohmann. 

Thomas’ want to continue her family’s legacy at SJSU is something she describes as the best fit for herself. Being from San Jose gives her the opportunity to continue to live at home with her family and see her friends. San Jose is home to her and gives her a chance to still see her younger brother as well.

Though following in her mother’s footsteps on the softball team, Thomas actually is living a different experience than from when her mother was a student-athlete. 

Sarah Thomas played on the San Jose State softball team from 1995 to 1998. At the time the school did not have a facility so the softball team had to practice where the beach volleyball courts are now.

“Before we had practice we would have to go clean the field and pick any of the trash or glass up. Roll out our own fence and do all our own stuff. It wasn’t even a field you can play on, it was just a field you can practice on,” said Sarah Thomas. 

Sarah honestly didn’t care whether Thomas followed her footsteps in collegiate softball or not, she never wanted to pressure her. She expressed that Aubrie getting to play softball collegiately is a blessing to her family and is something that she enjoys that touches her heart.  

“I certainly didn’t pressure her, or didn’t want her to feel pressure to have to choose San Jose State but I love that she’s here,” said Sarah Thomas.

It is a coincidence that Thomas and her mother have a lot in common even down to having the same major as each other, clinical psychology. Though Thomas is following in her mother’s footsteps she is completely her own person.

“I do sometimes feel there is pressure sometimes but it’s also like it’s my turn to shine,” said Thomas. 

“When you have a parent that has been an athlete themselves you strive to be similar to them but one thing Aubrie has always done a great job at is be her true authentic self and really strive to be the best athlete and teammate she can be as Aubrie,” said Lohmann.

Thomas is paving her own way while being on campus. Tutoring students and joining a religious club is something she enjoys outside of softball but ultimately she is proud to be following in her parent’s footsteps along the way.

“It’s a blessing and an honor to follow my parents. My mom was successful here, my dad was successful here and it’s really an honor to live what they lived almost,” said Thomas.