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03/31/2023 06:02 AMThroughout his professional and coaching career, Jake Bocian has deeply entrenched himself in the close-knit community that is Valley Regional High School. Now, after many seasons on different athletic terrains as an associate, he finally gets his shot at the top as a head coach this spring.
The Old Lyme resident went to Xavier for high school, graduating in 2009 after playing on the gridiron and being a hurdler in track for the Falcons. After continuing track and earning a physical education degree at Springfield College, Jake began coaching youth football in 2015 before being an assistant coach under Tim King for the Valley Regional-Old Lyme football squad.
Becoming the Warriors’ defensive coordinator after Hill Gbunblee took over the helm, Jake was additionally an assistant for both the Valley softball and track clubs. Now, Jake has a chance to add a head coach moniker to his resume as he will guide the Warriors’ girls’ outdoor track team.
“When the opening came about here, it was a no-brainer to me. It is my first time as a head coach, and I am really excited to see where this opportunity takes me,” says Jake, who is also a special education teacher at the high school. “Coaching takes a different approach in every sport. There is a lot more planning and preparation behind the scenes with football, yet it is more individualized with track. It is about personal growth. It should be about developing athletes holistically as part of a community. They have to be willing to explore in track; track caters to so many different types of athletes. You never know what you are good at until you take a shot; there is an event for everyone.”
With the state of any program’s club in a state of flux year to year, goals for a successful season can certainly become subjective to any given team. Jake maintains, though, that you have to strive for personal excellence no matter the scenario.
“Coaching is very rewarding to me,” Jake says. “Every coach wants to win; you do not want to settle for mediocrity. Yet winning is in the eye of the beholder. In football, we want to win states, but in years where the numbers of the program are down, those goals might be unrealistic, so the goal might be to just have a winning season. It is similar to track, where winning could be performing to the best of your abilities every day.”
Jake further details that his coaching profession borrows and blends from his prior and present vocations as an educator and athlete–further fueling his fire to the coach’s chair.
“When you Youtube education with sports, coaching is what you get,” says Jake. “Athletics has been huge to me; I played sports my whole life. When my playing days ended, there was a void for me, and I missed the challenge of wanting to better myself. It was a natural progression for me, and it was never a second thought with coaching.”
Valley Athletic Director Lewis Pappariella knew he tabbed the correct man for the job in Jake, as he not only has a sound pedigree within track, but he also has a great grasp when it comes to motivating the Warriors’ student-athletes.
“We are fortunate to have Jake as our girls’ outdoor track coach,” says Pappariella. “He has experience in a similar role, as he served as an assistant outdoor track coach for several years. Jake has proven to be knowledgeable, well-prepared, and takes great pride in coaching. One of Jake’s strongest attributes is his ability to communicate in a positive manner to encourage athletes to achieve at their highest potential. The athletic department is excited about the direction of our program under Jake’s leadership.”
While he knows that he is succeeding a great coach on the track, Jake jumps at the opportunity. He notes that as is the case with many schools in the sport, it is about bolstering the numbers and simultaneously having the Warriors show their stuff on the Shoreline and state stages.
“I am taking over for Chris Allegretti, who has been the main guy for several years. There are big shoes to fill, because he was amazing,” says Jake. “It is about growing the numbers and getting kids interested in track again. When I started here as an assistant, we had 15 throwers for the boys and the girls, and we’ve seen those numbers dwindle the last few years. Getting people to come out for track is a long-range goal. I also would love to see the girls win medals and qualify for the Shoreline Conference and state championship meets, but also build the numbers back up.”