Lone Tree

If you live in Lone Tree, chances are you know the name Tom Dickey. 

A lifelong resident of the community, Dickey spent more than 30 years serving the Lone Tree School District as both a teacher and coach.

Over the years, he has worn many hats, including three separate stints as head softball coach, 17 years as head girls’ basketball coach, the longest tenure in school history, and, most recently, junior high football coach before stepping down.

Even in retirement, he continues to help wherever the district needs him.

In addition to coaching, Dickey spent much of his career in the classroom. He began as an elementary teacher before moving to middle school social studies, a position he held until retiring in 2016. Despite retirement, he has remained active in the district.

“Even though I’m retired, I’ve kept a lot of responsibilities with the school, substitute teaching, bus driving, coaching, all those types of things,” Dickey said.

With former Wellness Director Thayne McElhinney leaving the position after being named head football coach for the new Highland-Lone Tree sharing agreement, Dickey has stepped into a new role.

The Lone Tree Wellness Center, which opened in 2018, was actually born from an idea Dickey and his wife, Ruby, had years earlier.

“The idea for the Wellness Center began about 10 years ago with my wife, Ruby, former basketball coach Tom Squires and myself. We met with then-Lone Tree Mayor Rick Ogren and then-Superintendent Michael Reeves because we saw a need for a recreation facility that could serve both the school and the community. From there, we began researching similar wellness centers and recreation buildings in the area,” he said.

Previous directors often balanced the position with teaching duties, but Dickey will focus solely on serving as Wellness Director. He said that will allow him to devote more time to growing memberships, expanding programs and providing a consistent presence at the facility.

His duties include managing activities and schedules, increasing membership and revenue, performing maintenance and general oversight, maintaining regular hours, promoting memberships, overseeing classes and programming, and handling communication through social media and other channels.

Dickey said his goals include growing the facility, providing stable leadership and making the Wellness Center a place people want to visit. 

He also hopes to attract new members, expand classes and programs, involve more young adults and improve the overall experience for members through better communication and other enhancements.

One area he would especially like to address is parking.

“One of the biggest things I’d like to address is the parking situation. One idea I’ve proposed is putting up signs designating some spaces around the building for Wellness Center members only. Since our members are paying to use the facility, I think it would give them a sense of importance and show that we value their commitment to the center,” he said.

Dickey said he plans to maintain a visible presence at the center, with flexible hours that include early mornings on Wednesdays from about 5 a.m. until noon and evening hours from roughly 4 to 7 p.m.

The Wellness Center offers annual, six-month and monthly memberships. Members have access from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., while non-members may use the facility from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Memberships cost about $40 per month, with reduced rates available for seniors and veterans.

Current programs include senior fitness classes and pickleball, with hopes of adding activities such as kickboxing and yoga in the future.

Dickey said he is eager to begin the next chapter and continue building community involvement through fitness.

“I’m really excited about the position and the opportunity to use my connections in the community. I’d also like to organize more activities that involve young adults, such as conditioning challenges and events like a Turkey Trot around Thanksgiving. The goal is to bring community members together and encourage them to work toward their fitness goals.”