West Hartford’s Conard High School boys soccer team begins the 2024 season with a new coach.

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Greg Smedberg holds the championship plaque after Hall’s victory in November 2023. Photo credit: Craig Rosenberg

By Paul Palmer

Greg Smedberg has been named the new head coach of the Conard boys’soccer team. He replaces Rebecca Lewis who took a job as an administrator outside the West Hartford Public Schools district.

Smedberg is no stranger to West Hartford, having served as the freshman coach at Hall for two seasons and being a teacher at Hall. “Being a teacher in the district  and coaching and teaching in the same place is something I’m really proud about.”

Svedberg has been able to work with returning players twice a week during the summer and said he already likes what he sees. “These players are hungry and motivated and I can work with that. I’m excited by that.”

Patrick Guildner (8) will be one of Conard’s leaders on the field this season. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

He is focused on building the program that has not gotten past the second round of the state tournament in five years. “It’s my job to make sure Conard boys soccer is recognized as  powerhouse in the state,” Smedberg said. “You want to play the best teams, and I don’t think my teams are here to go and take easy wins. I want to be competing with Hall, Farmington, and Glastonbury and the shoreline teams in the tournament.”

He will get his wish as Conard faces powerhouses like Simsbury, Farmington, and Trumbull over its first five games of the upcoming season.

Smedberg played high school soccer in Southington and has also coached at Suffield and Farmington Soccer Academy (FSA). He is also part of the Zeke Seguro soccer coaching tree – which Lewis was as well. “I think what I value about my relationship with Zeke is it always has to be team first and every decision I make is going to be a reflection of them and the ones they make are a reflection of me.”

Greg Smedberg has been a coach at West Hartford’s Hall High School but takes over as head coach of Conard’s team this season. Photo credit: Craig Rosenberg

Seguro said he first worked with Smedberg when he helped select him to lead Hall’s freshman squad. “He’s all in and I think he’s going to do a fabulous job,” said Seguro, the coach of the defending state champions. “There is a learning curve having not coached varsity level before, especially in CCC West– with time he’s gonna figure out what works and doesn’t work. I like that he’s passionate and  I think he’s gonna be all in and that’s what ya need in order to build a successful program.”

One of the advantages Smedberg sees in coaching in West Hartford is the feeder program for youth soccer; He also praised the positive interactions he’s already had with both his student-athletes and their families. “Playing for your school has a different feel to it and that is something I gravitated toward as a player and now as a coach. I ask players to hold on to the feeling that motivates them to step out on the field,” he said.

Smedberg also said that as a teacher he is able to gain a vision of what the student wants and can then translate that onto the soccer pitch as well. The key to it, Smedberg said, will be messaging. “There’s going to be conversations about roles, how does a senior who is not a captain handle that role? How does the talented sophomore who is just needing to polish a few skills to be a starter at varsity, how are they  going to handle their chance?”

He’s also a big believer in developing the person as well as the player, something that has be a core value of a Seguro program. “Something really important to me is making sure, besides record, I want Conard boys soccer to be respected as a program and the first thing I want people to say is ‘that’s a good kid,’ and secondly ‘and a good soccer player too.’  I want them to know that at the end of the day I will never ask them  to do anything that is not beneficial to them.” Smedberg added he will treat his players as young adults, and the players in turn have to realize that there are consequences that come with every decision.

Smedberg sees this opportunity at Conard not only as a chance for him to continue to make a difference in the lives of young men, but also to bring back the Red Wolves’ program to the elite level of boys soccer in Connecticut. “Something we need to remember is Conard has always been really good,”  Smedberg said. “Hall has the results to back it up and Conard needs to turn a corner. It’s my job to get all our players on same page to do that. There is no reasons why Hall vs. Conard can’t be a state championship game.”

Conard opens the season with a non-league game at Portland on Sept. 3, then hosts Simsbury on Sept. 5 in their home opener. Hall and Conard will meet at McKee Stadium on Oct. 22 in the regular season finale.

Some of the players who will return for Conard this fall. Photo credit: Paul Palmer

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