REGISTER CITIZEN ARTICLE: Torrington biology teacher, Jared Sheikh finds success coaching men’s soccer at Elms College
NEW HARTFORD, Conn. - Wind rages outside. Inside, it's recruiting season for college soccer coaches.
Proof comes as close as New Hartford resident Jared Sheikh.
By day, Sheikh works in his first year as a Torrington High School biology teacher. The rest of the time, he looks for players to help him take Elms College men's soccer team (Chicopee, Massachusetts) to another level in his second year as head coach.
"Next levels" are the story of Sheikh's — and his teams' — rises, from Class M state championship at Nonnewaug through two state championships at Class L Brookfield, to a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship and NCAA Division III berth for the Blazers last year.
Two major philosophies propelled Sheikh's trip.
"The most significant part of my playing days (as a midfielder) at Nonnewaug (Class of 1996) is that I played under Martin Giroux (now at Thomaston)," says Sheikh, second team all-conference in soccer and two-time Berkshire League tennis champion.
"(Giroux) re-invigorated my interest in soccer because of his positive demeanor on the sidelines. It was not so much what he said, just him appreciating some of the things we tried to do creatively.
"It's that positive nature that still influences me today."
Four years of tennis under Trinity College's Paul Assaiante, the winningest collegiate coach ever, underlined the importance of the positive for Sheikh.
The second philosophy is more concrete.
"One of the things I've always done is identify the highest standard of play and set the goal just above that," Sheikh said.
He got his B.S. in biology along with a teacher's certificate in June, 2001. By the fall, he was a teacher in Ansonia and head coach of the Nonnewaug boys.
"(Then-Nonnewaug-AD) John Lawless gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and it became a passion," he said.
The philosophies came ready-made.
"The first step at Nonnewaug was not just to win the BL title, but to identify the single best team in Connecticut and set the bar just higher than that," said Sheikh.
Lewis Mills was in full flower; he didn't have far to look.
In Sheikh's six years at Nonnewaug, the Chiefs won three league titles, the 2002 Class M state title and rolled through a 43-game unbeaten streak.
"Nonnewaug has always had the luxury of strong assistant coaches," said Sheikh. "With Toby (Denman), I didn't have an assistant; we had two coaches. I'm still on the phone with him every day."
He left the team to Denman to earn his masters in education, then signed on as head coach at Class L Brookfield in 2007.
"I always believed the game of soccer is best played when you marry blue collar and white collar philosophies," says Sheikh. "At Nonnewaug, we tried to bring in a little more white collar. At Brookfield, I inherited the best team in the state and needed to go a little bit the other way."
In Sheikh's three years at Brookfield, the Bobcats won two Class L titles.
"In 2007, we were the underdogs. In 2009, we were the favorites," Sheikh says. "That was the most stressful championship — it's difficult being the front runner."
Philosophies?
"It was a continuation of the same model — setting our goals as high as they could be. At Brookfield, we weren't just looking to be the best in the state, but in the country.
"More than the physical, it's the mental," Sheikh says. "I'm a servant of the players who need mental preparation. Sometimes, I have to build an ego; sometimes I have to destroy one. It's not concrete; it's a very liquid thing that involves creativity as well as acceptance of failure. I see it as an art.
"Parents, teachers and fans see the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more time involved in things like building camaraderie."
Sheikh set his sights on college coaching after his first state championship.
"I wanted to ride the coat tails of that championship into the college ranks. It took me a few years to realize that everybody wins championships," he laughs.
In six years, Sheikh sent out 400 applications to every college level there is. He got two phone interviews and one in-person interview for his trouble.
"It was completely miserable," he can laugh now. "The process is exceptionally competitive and remarkably biased in favor of those who played the sport collegiately and had connections. I did not (play collegiately) and didn't have anyone to vouch for me."
Sheikh built his knowledge and resume with week-long coaching courses from the United States Soccer Federation. Rejections piled up.
He and wife Emily, now a first grade teacher at Goshen's Center School, were married two years ago, setting down roots in New Hartford.
"Living in New Hartford limits me to a certain geography. I thought that would be it," he said.
All good stories have a twist; Sheikh's is one of the best.
"My ultimate (coaching) goal was to get in and bring (younger brother) Tyler in with me," Sheikh says. "It turned out the other way around."
Tyler played soccer at Division I Quinnipiac. He had the playing background and connections to land a college coaching slot in Pennsylvania.
He tipped off Jared to the opening at Elms College.
"The opportunity presented itself. My wife said, 'You've got to chase it,'" said Sheikh.
He got the job. Tyler moved from Pennsylvania to coach with his big brother after all.
"When I got the job, there was no emotion," said Jared. "It happened so quick, it was just get to work as soon as possible. I wasn't impacted until after the season. Getting to do it with my family and my boys was the most important thing to me."
In an 11-8 season, the Blazers peaked when it counted most.
"The college game is much more of a chess match," Sheikh says. "Every team, every coach is educated. Picking them apart, trying to absorb what they're doing is that much more of a challenge. It's less a physical game than a tactical game.
"My team and I focused on our own education when we lost during the season. The players bought in and we earned the No. 1 seed going into the conference tournament (with a 5-2 conference record).
"All season, we talked about finding success 'when it matters most.' That became the phrase we used the most."
The Blazers had a first-round bye, then swept through the NECC semifinals and finals, on to the NCAA Tournament.
At the next level, it's time for reflection.
"It seems so long ago," he says. "After BL titles and state titles, we're now in the national pool. It's been built on a lot of shoulders."
But there's not too much time for reflection.
"The look at what's out there (in the NCAA tournament) was an incredibly inspiring experience that makes the recruiting season all the more exciting because my passion is intensified," Sheikh says. "We're trying to identify those kinds of players who will get us out there."
Northern Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts are the traditional drawing territories for the Blazers. (Torrington graduate Andre French starred on the Elms basketball team.)
Sheikh has obvious connections in the area, but he's not about to limit his reach, far or near.
"It's down to the Caribbean, out to California and Europe," he says, then turns local. "Having All-State on your resume goes a long way, but I know there are very good players who are overlooked for honors, including athletes in the NVL and Berkshire League."
Sheikh has seen the Division III national champion. Long-term, the goal is to set the Elms College bar just a little higher.
