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11/09/2016 11:00 PMSam Barnes has been the architect behind a successful Old Saybrook boys’ soccer program for the past two decades. This year, the Rams’ head coach has seen the fruits of his labor pay off with a great campaign that’s featured a couple of milestone victories.
Sam, who lives in Old Saybrook and graduated from the high school in 1984 after contributing to a pair of state titles, became head coach of the boys’ soccer squad in 1995. Earlier this fall, Sam, a six-time Shoreline Conference Coach of the Year and two-time State Coach of the Year, earned his 200th career victory when the Rams defeated Hale-Ray. Old Saybrook went undefeated through the regular season and stayed that way last week, when the team won its first conference tournament crown since 1964. Sam now owns a career record of 210-134-43.
“It’s a program that we’ve built over the years. Honestly, [the 200th win is] a milestone, but I enjoy coaching. It’s just another day and game for me,” says Sam, who works as a detective with the Old Saybrook Police Department. “It’s been a lot of bus rides and commitment to the program, along with a lot of positive things from the players. Soccer is my passion and I put 100 percent into everything I do. It’s all about balance and that’s the expectation for the players. I enjoy mentoring and teaching young adults as they develop into mature adults. I also take pride in giving back to the community that I grew up in and the school I graduated from.”
One of the things that Sam prides himself on is making sure his players develop into all-around, balanced student-athletes. Sam appreciates all the assistant coaches he’s worked with through the years who’ve helped him carry out that mission.
“You can’t recruit at this level, so you get what you get, so you try to get the most out of your players. You also make sure they are good in their personal lives and with their academics. It’s about getting the most out of each player,” Sam says, who’s also a two-time National Coach of the Year nominee. “I’ve also had some good assistant coaches. We have over 50 players on the team this year, which is a huge number for a small school, so they’ve been a part of that, as well.”
Even though he’s only known Sam for a short time, new Athletic Director Michael Cunningham says he’s been impressed by Sam’s organizational and communication skills, which help him produce great players at Old Saybrook.
“In my short tenure, Sam has been the utmost professional in terms of his coaching. He is the most-organized coach I have been around and his communication within his program is second to none. He has a passion for the game and tenacity that suits our current team very well,” says Cunningham. “Over the course of his tenure, Sam has personified the importance of being a process coach. He makes sure his student-athletes are in tune with their role and the end result is to help make them the best they are capable of being. It is a pleasure to have someone on staff that you can count on each and every day, not to mention for his entire career.”
Sam takes particular joy in seeing his players reach new plateaus and really likes when alums come back as men and thank him for influencing them.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from when players do the best they can and achieve higher goals as individuals. I also love when I have former players reach out years after they graduate and know I made a difference in their lives,” says Sam, whose sons, Matthew and Jonathan, are members of the boys’ soccer program. “Old Saybrook is a soccer town and we’ve been successful. A lot of it has been because of the youth program, and the parents have promoted soccer here.”
After winning the Shoreline Conference title, Sam and the Rams enter the Class S State Tournament as the top seed and are looking to continue their landmark campaign with even more postseason prosperity. The Rams last made the Class S state final with Sam back in 1998.
“We’ve made states all but four years since I’ve been coach, so the postseason is pretty common for us. We [hadn’t] won a Shoreline title since the 1960s and made a few state and conference finals,” says Sam. “This team is motivated and playing strong with few injuries. We need to keep everyone healthy and on track. They have a big target on their backs, but they are ready for the challenge.”