FOREST, Va. – After three decades, it’s a fair bet there aren’t many people who know Jefferson Forest high school better than Jedd Zaring.
The veteran coach and current Athletic Director is best known for his 25 year run at the helm of the Cavaliers soccer program. But his legacy, as a teacher, coach, athletic director, and career educator, looms even larger than that.
“I think a lot of people say kids today, they’re all different, but they’re not different, they’re just dealing with different pressures and they’re still kids and they’re trying to figure the way out,” Zaring said. “So in the end, that’s why you’re here, you’re not here to make money, you know, we’re here to win a Super Bowl, you’re here to hope that kids 20 years down the road sent you an email saying ‘hey congratulations, I hear you’re retiring and you were a big part of my life’ and that stuff’s pretty cool.”
But, the Zaring tradition starts on the soccer field, and lives on at Jefferson Forest. His son, Scott, has run the boys team since dad hung up his whistle back in 2017.
“I tell people, he’s already a better coach than I was, and I mean that. He grew up in the game, he has coach for many years, an assistant coach under Chris Yeager at University of Lynchburg so he’s seen the game at the college level, he coached at Weidner University and Southern Virginia University.”
His son, just one of the young leaders in the Cavaliers program, which gave Zaring a chance to share his experience and his expertise, before he walks away.
”Whether I’m right or not, I don’t know, but I do know things worked for me and so sometimes I will share what’s worked for me and I just offered it and this might work for you, no guarantees, so be yourself and take the high road would be my suggestion to people going forward to new teachers new coaches.”
The high road, a place Zaring has kept Jefferson Forest for a long time.