![LIFE COACHES: Taylor Whitford and daughter Olive, 7 months, with Mitch Thorp, son Pax, 6, and daughter Jaga, 7. Pictures: Paul Scambler LIFE COACHES: Taylor Whitford and daughter Olive, 7 months, with Mitch Thorp, son Pax, 6, and daughter Jaga, 7. Pictures: Paul Scambler](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H9AemfQ3cDaTrBwqEFxwv/26220614-4eab-4f00-ade8-e72fb75e012f.jpg/r0_0_6016_4011_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Becoming a dad has changed Taylor Whitford's life forever - and for the better.
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The Kings Meadows High teacher and wife Amy became parents for the first time this year with arrival of daughter Olive.
"It's completely different to last year," the North Launceston coach said.
"For me it's not just thinking about doing my job at school and footy - family's definitely number one in my eyes and everything I do now is getting it back into little Olive.
"It's really exciting, I get home every day with a smile on my face to go and see her and I get a little bit disappointed at times as well when I don't get to see her - obviously I get home a little bit late from footy and she's asleep, but it's changed my life and my wife Amy's completely."
![Whitford with dad Chris in 2015. Whitford with dad Chris in 2015.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H9AemfQ3cDaTrBwqEFxwv/a298be66-acce-4fdf-951c-e2c24c6426e7.JPG/r0_140_4512_2817_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Whitford is one of many father-son combinations at North Launceston, with father Chris a former head coach who still serves as an assistant.
The 28-year-old hopes to extend the same support and guidance he has received from Chris to the next generation.
"Hopefully I can provide the same support to Olive in that capacity - whatever she does in her future that I'm there to guide her and give advice," he said.
"It's just such a learning curve - she's seven months old now and she's formed from a little baby nearly into a toddler already.
"It's amazing how much they grow and I'm just excited to see the growth - I can't wait for her to be a one, two-year-old girl and we get to go out to the park and hang around.
"I'm pretty childish myself in that way so I can't wait to do those things with my wife Amy, we just can't wait, it's been a really good ride so far and I'm loving every minute."
In other news:
![Thorp and wife Kyla with daughter Jaga after the 2013 TSL grand final. Thorp and wife Kyla with daughter Jaga after the 2013 TSL grand final.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H9AemfQ3cDaTrBwqEFxwv/05b43aac-e9a1-4987-a56b-61897b642a7d.JPG/r0_0_4256_2828_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Launceston coach Mitch Thorp will celebrate his seventh Father's Day on Saturday with wife Kyla, daughter Jaga and son Pax.
Both children have inherited a love of sport spanning from basketball and football to swimming and athletics.
"I had both my children reasonably young - they're six and seven now and they absolutely love their footy and sport in general," he said.
"The challenging part for me is still being away from them of an evening with footy and my own sporting aspirations, I'm sure my wife would agree that the winter can be a challenge but all families go through that sort of stuff.
"We're pretty lucky we've got a good support network around us."
Thorp said spending time as a family was the best part of Father's Day.
"I think it means a lot to my kids - it's an opportunity just to spend time together," he said.
"We normally go out for breakfast, they get to put something together at school and I think it's more a day for them really that we spend it as a family."
![Raising champions: Whitford, Thorp talk fatherhood Raising champions: Whitford, Thorp talk fatherhood](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H9AemfQ3cDaTrBwqEFxwv/0b2dbda6-78ae-473d-b0e4-37992229f7cd.jpg/r0_0_4016_6016_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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