Jets take flight this fall

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

Fall is right around the corner, which means the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball Jets are preparing for another busy few weeks. Like every other year, weather plays a major role in how many games they can play, but the preparation for the fall portion remains largely the same.

While plenty of the players get into games over the summer, one thing the coaching staff tries to do over those months is not micromanage anything. Returning players get a bit of guidance on their summer training, but for the most part, the coaching staff for VAB wants their players to hear different voices in the months they aren’t in Vauxhall.

“We try not to overdo the coaching part because when you’re not there, it’s hard. We do have one-on-ones and exit meetings with every player that’s eligible to return. So, last June we would have met with every tenth and eleventh grader and talked to them about what we see, what they need to focus on, and what they need to work on throughout the summer,” explained Les McTavish, head coach of the Jets. “And then there is constant dialogue throughout the summer with players. One on their health, two on how they’re doing and how they’re feeling, and then things that they’re working on. They send video because over the course of the last 10 months or two years, you develop a pretty good relationship with players. So it’s important to continue that. At the same time, it’s important for them to go get coached by other guys and get some different opinions.”

Another big development checkpoint the coaches hope to see from players is them becoming their own coach. They hope they can identify what they need to work on and when a break may be needed from training. The game has changed so much that the coaches hope players can pick up a few things from different sources to get their game to the top level.

“We always encourage our players that they need to become their own best coach — you know, take knowledge and take information from multiple sources, digest it, put it in your toolbox, per se, and then figure out what makes you tick and what feels right for you,” added McTavish.

While games have already started, the fall season starts quickly once players arrive in Vauxhall. A few practices help get players ready for the game, but there’s so much to work on throughout the weeks that the team can still be outside. 

“We hit the ground running pretty quickly. You kind of do some hurry-up offence, and there are a lot of little things that you haven’t even come close to touching on. Whether that’s bunt defence or first and thirds or double cuts or all the little nuances, but we were able to build a pretty good routine over the course of the first 10 days leading up to games,” said McTavish. “That’s a testament to the players because practice ends, but there’s a lot of work that they do in the evenings that we don’t see as coaches that help prepare them to go to. Overall, we were super happy.”

With games running usually until mid-October, there’s a ton of baseball to be played in a short amount of time. One thing that is top of mind every fall is health. With players playing all spring with their high school and then many continuing to summer ball, the fall for the Jets is all about making sure guys are healthy. 

“It’s the end of a long year, too, right? Like the fall, yes, it’s the beginning of it for us, but they played a spring season and the summer season. So we try to really manage their load as far as possible, especially on the mound. This weekend, nobody threw over three innings, and we just try to manage their load and how their bodies are feeling. (Some players are) kind of limping to the finish line to get a little time off and then get in the weight room and get strong,” added McTavish. “It’s as much about just trying to teach them how to go about their business six, seven days a week. A lot of guys aren’t used to practice and are competing every day.”

Being ready to hit the field every day can be a big adjustment for new players who aren’t used to it. The early portion of the fall season is as much about getting the players adjusted as anything else.

“That’s a big focus of our attention — to try to teach them what it’s like every day to wake up and try to prepare to go out and practice and play. Just how to take that energy every day because it’s tough, you know, you get the dog days, and it’s 30 degrees outside. You’re tired, you went to school, you didn’t sleep very well and all those types of things. But it’s important for us to really take that step each week,” stated McTavish. 

To stay up to date on the Jets’ fall schedule, visit vauxhallbaseball.com/