Holley and Roberts Wesleyan College grad Caleb Orbaker began the third generation of family soccer coaches when he took over the Albion boys varsity program this fall.
His grandfather, Eugene (Gene), coached both the freshman men’s soccer program at what is now SUNY Brockport from 1964 to 1967 and started the women’s program in 1983.
Caleb’s father, Dan, coached the Holley boys varsity team for 33 years, winning two New York State titles after his own playing career at SUNY Brockport in the early ‘80s.
Some pretty big shoes to fill; Caleb Orbaker is both humble and driven.
“So far, so good,” Orbaker said before his team took the bus for a road game at Newfane. “We have a large senior class with really good leaders in that group. We haven’t been getting the results we were hoping for, but we feel we have a positive culture for the program overall, and we’re looking to build on that the rest of this season and next year as well.
“Being around the fields for so many years, I’ve seen a lot, though mine was a second-hand viewpoint. Now there are different challenges that coaches have to face in contrast with what my dad had to face in the beginning and middle of his career.
“We’re looking at more of a social media aspect of life now, so balancing that with school and sports is a bit different. But the students are handling it pretty well and making it quite easy on me so far.”
But the success his family predecessors had coaching the sport isn’t an easy act to follow.
Grandfather Gene had a 30-13-2 record over his three seasons at the helm, including a 12-1-1 record in his first year of the women’s program, and coached two All-State and three ALL-SUNYAC selections. As a college player at Brockport, the Class of ‘53 alum was All-New York State in 1950, 1951, and 1952 along with an All-State selection the final two years. He was inducted into the Golden Eagles Hall of Fame in 1986.
In addition to the two state titles, father Dan finished sixth all-time in Section V with 457 wins. He helmed nine Section V titles and 13 Genesee Region crowns, was Genesee Region Coach of the Year 15 times, Section V Coach of the Year 10 times, and New York State and Northeast Region Coach of the Year once each. He was inducted into the Section V Hall of Fame in 2019.
Caleb followed his brother Colton, who played three years of varsity at Holley from 2007 to 2009. Caleb played varsity from 2008 to 2010.
But he felt no pressure to join the family coaching fraternity.
“Being around the field my entire life, I knew I wanted to be a part of a coaching staff, and it wasn’t until I got into teaching that I was like that it was something that I could do.
“My brother (Colton) is a Spanish teacher down in the Southern Tier, and there was no pressure whatsoever. Obviously, I think my dad is very happy that I’m coaching, but there was never any pressure one way or the other. But going into it, we know what the demands are time-wise and what the expectations are. My wife (Maggie – daughter of former Kendall boys coach John King) is also a varsity head coach (at Albion, but is off this year after the delivery of their first child in August).”
Caleb and his brother both spent several years playing with the Roberts Wesleyan program, and he believes that has helped him relate to his players who are hoping to play soccer at the next level.
“It helped a lot. If nothing else, I am able to speak to something that a lot of kids strive to get to. Sharing what I experienced – what it takes to get to that level of play – is a very humbling experience, and being able to be a mentor to help them get to that point because they don’t always understand the commitment it takes to get to that level, so being able to shed some light on that and I pull some drills from what I remember from practices then to give them a little higher level of play.”
“A lot of the in-practice or drills are from Roberts or Premiere type of play, but a lot of my coaching style mimics my dad a lot. I try to stay as positive as I can. It’s interesting the conglomeration that is what I feel like my coaching style is right now, but there is room to improve. That was what was modeled to me by my dad looking to grow in the profession.”
Caleb added, “(Playing with my father coaching) was probably my favorite year of playing. It’s always special to play with a sibling, and to have your dad coach you at the highest level in high school alongside your brother is a great experience. It’s something I remember fondly.”
