Bentley Men’s Soccer Captain Michael Haikal ’26 is a leading scorer as he helps power the Falcons through the season. But when he’s not chasing goals on the field, Haikal is driving a bigger mission as an entrepreneur. In 2022, he founded Elevate Soccer. The youth training program has inspired hundreds of young players to “think bigger, play smarter and give back.”

“I’ve always had a passion for soccer — the tactics, the game, front-to-back positions,” says Haikal, a midfielder for Bentley’s NCAA Division II team. With an 11-1-3 record for the 2025 season, the team captured the NE10 Regular Season Championship — their first in 30 years.

Haikal also “loves mentoring kids.” He leaned into that interest by coaching the Boston Bolts and SFC New England club teams, and logged hundreds of hours as a volunteer coach for youth soccer programs in his hometown of Easton, Mass. Working one-on-one with athletes reinforced what he had experienced as an athlete. Traditional coaching often doesn’t click with young players.

“The old school coaching philosophy of running athletes into the ground can be unmotivating; it’s a narrow way of doing things,” says Haikal, who grew up playing soccer year-round on club and school teams. “I had a lot of great coaches, but I also had some who crushed my passion for the game. At one point I almost gave up the idea of playing in college.”

Being both praised and criticized by coaches can take an emotional toll on athletes. Wrestling with that, and learning how to persevere, led Haikal to launch his own soccer training program. “I knew that I could take the lessons I learned to develop a strong business model that would motivate players on and off the field.”

Elevate’s coaching staff of high school and college soccer players, who openly share their personal experiences, adds authenticity to the training and mentorship program. “A player-led pathway helps tighten the exchange of knowledge, especially of the college recruitment process.”