Showcasing Leadership On and Off the Ice: Meet Vericol’s Jack Yager

Jack brings a blend of writing, coaching, and federal experience to his work at Vericol, shaped by his time at a strategic consulting firm where he covered congressional and administrative hearings. He earned his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia, where his passion for writing and sports converged through the launch of a blog and newsletter covering everything from the NHL to European soccer.

Jack also draws from years of playing and coaching hockey to mentor young athletes and foster team environments rooted in respect, hard work, and personal growth. His coaching philosophy and leadership skills are informed by a lifetime in sports, which continue to fuel both his professional and personal pursuits.

Read below for Jack’s full Q&A:

What first drew you to hockey, and what keeps your passion for the game alive today?

I’ve loved and played hockey ever since I can remember. I have two older brothers who got into the game before me and when I was about 5 or 6 they needed a goalie to shoot on for practice so I strapped on the pads and would play with them for hours in my parents’ basement. Shortly after that I started playing on ice for a real team and would switch off games playing both goalie and skater. It wasn’t long until I realized that scoring goals was more fun than preventing them, so I switched to skater full time, made a travel team, and then from there it just became my life; playing in high school, college, and still now in a couple of local adult leagues.

I was fortunate to be part of a hockey obsessed family at the perfect time in the DC area. Alex Ovechkin had just completely turned the Capitals around and made them perennial contenders and that sparked a big hockey movement in the DMV. People now call it the “Ovechkin Effect” and it was a very real thing. I even still see it now in the kids I coach who have grown up with him breaking the all-time goal scoring record, so it’s pretty awesome to have that connection between generations.

In what ways has your experience as an athlete shaped your approach to challenges in your career?

Being an athlete and playing sports my entire life has really shaped and prepared me for all sorts of challenges. You learn early on about being part of something that is bigger than just yourself, the idea that everyone is pulling on the rope at the same time to achieve a shared goal. It has really helped with working in team settings, communicating effectively with different people across different channels, and just being a leader in really any environment, all of which are extremely important in the government proposal lifecycle.

I think team sports are a great way to learn so many life skills and lessons and you can really see it all around you in the professional world.

How would you describe your transition from player to coach, and what have you learned through that process?

It’s a big adjustment. Being a player, or even just thinking about being a coach, is way easier than actually doing it. I used to think “oh well if they just played this style, or this way, or just did what I did, then they’d get better and win more!” But it is so much more than that. You need to really create a strong and positive team environment for the kids to grow in. You need to find out what pushes and motivates your players, and the fact that what works with one kid might not work with the other.

You learn a lot on the fly, and take from other coaches around you or even professionals you see on TV from any given sport. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that despite what you may think in some moments, the kids are always watching and looking up to you, so the passion and energy you bring each day is going to be reflected in how they play and approach the game, so you want to be sure you are always putting your best effort forward.

How do you approach mentoring young athletes, and what values do you aim to instill in them?

I tell the parents each year that while getting better at hockey and winning games are obvious goals, the real goal is to help the kids grow into quality young men. I coach 15/16 year olds so the kids are at a pivotal part in their life when they are discovering who they really are and what their real passions and interests are.

For some, for most even, that might not even be hockey down the line, but that’s fine. I always try to teach them about giving your best in whatever you do and being respectful in the process—to your teammates, opponents, and to the referees, no matter how bad the call was! I always say to my teams, there are two things you can control: effort and hard work. If you bring that in everything you do, you will be successful, on and off the ice.

Can you talk about your sports blog? How did you start it? Is it something you keep up with?

The sports blog was an idea that originated during Covid. I was finishing up my degree at UVA and was struggling to fill the time during lockdown and then social distancing. I floated the idea about it to my brothers and they were on board and pushed me to do it.

I looked into how to build a website, start a digital newsletter through Substack, and launch social media channels to go along with it. As I graduated from college and was looking for work it was a great place for me to dive into my interests and became a real hobby.

I would post about everything from the NHL and NFL to European soccer and fantasy sports and even had a few things that went viral online. I’ve taken a bit of a break from it recently but definitely aim to get back into writing soon. It is something I’ve always enjoyed and it’s a great way to stay engaged in the sports world while also honing my writing craft.