Most kids growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia are engulfedin football, baseball and basketball from an early age. Sahaydakwas different, he chose to dive head first into soccer, which tookhim to places that most people only dream of reaching.
Soccer took him all over the world while playing professionally,it gave him an education at North Carolina and it helped him meethis wife and “co-worker”, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
Now entering his sixth season as the Co-Head Coach of the VCUwomen’s soccer program, not much has changed for the33-year-old native of Bethlehem, Pa., soccer is still his life.
“I think Tiff and I are both products of the environmentswe’ve been in,” Sahaydak said. “We’vebeen fortunate to have been coached by some extraordinary coachesand to have played with some great people. We have theadvantage of seeing things that did work and things thatdidn’t.”
The duo’s impact was felt immediately, leading the Rams toan 11-8-3 mark and a date in the CAA Championship game, with aroster of just 13 healthy players.
“The first year was something that we will neverforget,” he said. “Not only was it our first year ashead coaches, but the way our girls continued to battle and doanything we asked of them was just awesome.”
“I can’t tell you how excited I am about the futureof the program under their leadership,” said Norwood T.Teague, VCU’s former Director of Athletics. “Since their arrival, they have done all the rightthings. For two people who had never coached at the DivisionI level, their growth has been significant. They were moreprepared for this job than I even thought they were.”
Sahaydak rose quickly through the national soccer community,earning spots on the U-18 and U-20 national teams and gaining ascholarship to join the Tar Heels for the 1995 season.
In 1997, he was granted the opportunity to become, at the time,the youngest player to ever play on Major League Soccer when heplayed for the Columbus Crew. He spent two seasons with the club.He then joined the Miami Fusion for three seasons than the reservesquads for FC Dallas and DC United.
After his playing career came to a close, he returned to ChapelHill and completed his degree in communications/rhetoricalstudies.
“It is interesting. As a player, I always respondedto that type of coaching, that individual coaching, much betterthan I did having a coach stand up in front of the group,”Tim said. “I just kind of melded into that. Tiff iswonderfully talented as a motivator. She’s great at gettingup in front of a group.”
“It’s not like I can’t instruct and hecan’t motivate,” Tiffany said. “Tim can buthe’s fine with stepping back and letting me take thatrole. That is kind of what has gotten me through mycareer, having a really positive outlook on everything. I’m more outspoken about those things and more comfortablewith that.”
The duo currently resides in Richmond’s Historic FanDistrict with their two daughters, Layla and Evie.
