Future Forward

Thomas Sale Brings a Relationship-Driven Vision to Parker Athletics

For new Francis Parker School Director of Athletics Thomas Sale, sports have always been about more than competition.

Born and raised in Southern California, Thomas grew up immersed in athletics, competing in football, basketball, and track and field throughout high school.

“I always knew that eventually I would want a career in sports,” Thomas said. “But once I did get to dive into high school athletics, especially from an administrative role, I just fell in love with it, and I knew exactly what my purpose was.”

That path ultimately led him to Parker, a school that had been on his radar for years. During nearly 13 years at Pasadena Polytechnic School, Thomas became familiar with Parker through athletic competition between the two schools and visited the campus several times.

As he begins his first year at Parker, Thomas is focused on building relationships with coaches, student-athletes, colleagues, and families.

“It has to be relationship-based,” Thomas said. “I think that's the one thing I'm strongest at, is just maintaining a positive relationship with the coaches that I oversee, making sure that they're in positions to be successful because if coaches are successful, that means our kids are successful.”

For Thomas, putting students first also means viewing athletics as an essential part of their education, providing opportunities to develop accountability, teamwork, perseverance, and confidence.

“I think you'll hear a lot that athletics is the extension of the classroom,” Thomas said. “And it very much is because our coaches are teachers. They're teaching their sport and their classroom is the pool or the field or the court.”

Thomas also hopes to strengthen a culture in which students support one another across teams and throughout the School.

“While we all have our craft, we're a community,” Thomas said. “So I think that's what I would hope to kind of create culturally here is that it's fun to watch your peers be successful.”

As Thomas settles into his new role, he is excited to bring his relationship-driven approach to a community and athletics program he admired long before joining Parker.

Meet our Fall 2026 New Coach Hires

Cheer - Gabriella Pleasants

Gabriella Pleasants has been involved in competitive cheerleading and gymnastics for over 12 years, giving her a strong foundation in both the technical and team aspects of these sports. Before finding her way back to cheerleading, she spent nearly three years coaching gymnastics. Although she loved gymnastics, her true passion has always been cheer. She is so excited to bring her experience and love for cheerleading to the Parker community this season. “What I enjoy most about coaching is watching athletes grow—not only as cheerleaders, but also as confident, hardworking, and supportive teammates. I’m especially looking forward to building a positive team culture, creating lasting memories, and helping our athletes challenge themselves and reach goals they may not have thought possible,” Gabriella shared.

8-Person Football - Tim White

Tim White currently holds the position of 6-12 Physical Education Teacher and Head Football Coach. Prior to joining Parker, he spent more than 25 years teaching and coaching in San Diego County, including serving as an assistant principal, athletic director, mathematics and physical education teacher, and head football coach. Tim has coached football at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels, as well as varsity soccer, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He has served as President of the CIFSDS Southern Conference since 2012 and was honored with the CIFSDS Model Coach of the Year Award and the CIFSDS Distinguished Service Award for his years of service as an athletic director and conference president. Tim earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from San Diego State University. In his spare time, Tim enjoys coaching, spending time outdoors, traveling, playing video games, listening to music, exploring the beaches and communities of Baja California, and spending time with his boys, Ty and Brody.

JV Girls Volleyball - Akemi Falcon

Akemi Falcon enters her sixth year of coaching, bringing a wealth of experience guiding student-athletes from Grade 1 through high school. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, she discovered her passion for volleyball at age 6 and transitioned to her primary role as a setter at age 10. After moving to the United States, she continued my competitive career playing both high school and club volleyball in San Francisco. Akemi later attended UC San Diego, where she played two years of club volleyball while completing her degree. Though Akemi now channels her expertise into mentoring the next generation, she still hits the court occasionally as a hobby. She is incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead the Girls JV Volleyball program this season and looks forward to fostering a culture of teamwork, skill development, and competitive growth.

Girls Tennis - Jenna Mariga

Jenna Mariga is excited to join the Francis Parker School community as the new Head Girls Tennis Coach. As a former collegiate tennis player with 9 years of coaching experience and an RSPA Certified Professional Tennis Instructor, she is passionate about helping players develop both on and off the court. Creating a positive, competitive environment where athletes feel supported, challenged, and excited to improve is at the heart of her coaching philosophy. This season, Jenna is especially looking forward to getting to know the players, building strong team chemistry, and continuing to grow the Parker tennis program. “There is so much to look forward to, and I’m excited for the opportunity to help our athletes reach their goals while developing a lifelong love for the game. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together,” Jenna said.
 

From acting to copywriting to marketing, Kelsey Formost ’05 has always found a way to weave her skills and passions across industries and career paths. “What I would love for students in particular to know and understand is that you can have passions that manifest in different careers through the rest of your life.”

Kelsey discovered her first love—acting—almost by accident. “When I was in fourth grade at Parker…I was experiencing really extreme shyness socially, and my parents tried a bunch of different things…Nothing really took, but then they brought me to a community theater company,” she explained. When she took on the role of the Munchkin Mayor in “The Wizard of Oz,” she found herself in a safe place to joyfully meet and interact with other kids. 

Post-Parker, Kelsey received a scholarship to study theatre at Davidson College and spent time studying at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom. From there, her career blossomed as she took roles on prominent television shows like “New Girl,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “Modern Family.” 

When asked what she considers the highlight of her acting career, Kelsey said, “The project that I was most proud of was actually also the project that helped me understand it was time to let acting go.” The role in question: playing a cystic fibrosis patient on the Hulu/Netflix show “Zach and Mia.” A dear friend of Kelsey’s from Parker has a daughter with the same diagnosis, and Kelsey considered it a very personal and rewarding experience to honor her close friend’s child. 

From there, Kelsey dove into figuring out how she could apply the skills she learned through her acting career to another position or industry. Becoming a copywriter—particularly for female solopreneurs—shaped up to be an intriguing and logical next step. “Instead of making up a character, I’m simply helping someone who already exists say how they want to show up in the world,” she explained. 

A year later, Kelsey found herself with a full calendar of copywriting clients and a vision for helping even more solopreneurs tell their stories. Her hard work paid off in 2020, and her course, “Copy Class,” went viral, supporting over 8,000 students to date. 

Kelsey’s copywriting skills caught the attention of a tech company in LA, and while reluctant at first, she accepted a corporate position. Kelsey applied what she learned from acting and copywriting to guide the company creatively. Asking the right questions—like how do you want people to feel when they interact with your company—was a different and surprising approach from the norm in the industry. 

Now the head of marketing for an AI construction company, Kelsey is still fired up about using her passions in new and creative ways. What she most wants the Parker community to take away from her career path is that it’s okay to change or evolve. “A lot of overachieving kids, myself included, get hung up on the idea that if they don’t stick with something forever…then they’ve failed. But that’s not the case,” she emphasized. As she’s seen in her own career, “It’s all about building blocks and what’s the next right thing for you.”