One of the best compliments a ball player can get is being called a "complete athlete" and head coach of the U17 AAA Central Energy, Cam Zacharias, believes his group is filled with exactly that, and looks to bring it to provincials starting today.
"I still get the butterflies," Zacharias jokes as he passes through the gates in Stonewall, the host site of provincials. "I think I'm more nervous than the players. I just want them to do so well. They seem calm, but I'm over the top excited."
Going back to the start of the year, the coach says that his group has been solid throughout and has shown steady improvement. "We've had a good season all the way through," Zacharias explains. "We started strong and kept it going. The team in the second half of the year, they're really started to score a lot of runs. We were winning at about the same pace as the beginning of the year, but now we're probably getting twice as many runs as we did early in the year, as the girls have settled into their positions and have gotten used to moving up from the U15, getting used to the pitching. It's been real steady improvement all year."
Developing the skill is one thing, but Zacharias is perhaps most pleased with how the team has bonded on and off the field. "It's been really special for me. The group came together as a very, very quiet and reserved group of players, and it was a bit of a struggle to get them to relax, to open up. But, as they've relaxed, more comfortable with each other, we've seen them improve day after day. We had very few players come back from last year, many aged out to U19, so some people that were not as loud last year have become the leaders this year, they've gotten everyone on board. It's been a very exciting and interesting season."
Zacharias has taken a bit of a different approach when it came to how he coached this team, he really believed in the players and trusted in them. "We're probably different than most teams, this year we focused more on relaxing, getting away from everything they've learned over the years and going back to their athleticism. It's an extremely athletic group. We've gotten away from as much structure as they were used to, as they've gotten better at the game. It's more about using their natural abilities, using their speed, their strength, and it's really helped them to improve this year. For them, I think they've had a lot of fun."
Heading into the provincial weekend, Zacharias has pinpointed a team strength that he believes will distinguish his team from the others. "Our bats," he says emphatically. "We have a very good hitting team, a very fast team on the bases, and when everything comes together, we generally outscore the other teams that we play against by quite a bit. There's always the off days for that, but on our best days, it's really hard to keep up with our batting."
Coaching provincials is a little different, but another point of pride for Zacharias and the U17 Central Energy is the depth, something that makes his life a lot easier. "My approach doesn't change much, because I'm lucky enough to have five really good pitchers. That's more depth than most teams have. We have the ability to not have to plan as much as some people. We're kind of set no matter who we play, we usually have a set fresh pitcher, plus, we have four catchers, so if it's a hot day, we can change catchers every day and not burn anyone out. We're in really good shape, we have a lot of depth on the team this year, so it's easy to keep the same game plan that has made us successful."
Looking at the level of competition they'll be facing, but knowing what his team is capable of, Zacharias is taking more of a cautiously optimistic approach when it comes to setting expectations. "If the team plays the way that we can, we can win it. There's a lot of strong teams in the province this year, so anyone can come out and win. I believe we're at the top of the league right now, but we have lost at least one game to every team in the league, so it all depends on the day. If the girls come out and bring their best, I believe we can win it. I'm sure all the coaches are saying that exact thing right now."
Being in Stonewall, getting to spend time together as teammates and friends, it's something that Zacharias says they'll always remember. "I've been lucky to have a great group of girls, they're humble and appreciative of everything they get to do. They're happy to be out here and play. Many have been at a Western Championships or Canadian Championships before, and they're looking forward to proving they can get there again. It's a great group to be around, great parent group and there's been no drama this year, it's been amazing. I'm sure the girls are going to have fun and many are looking forward to college. I'm sure there will be conversations with scouts and that's always fun. It's going to be a good few days here."
"Myself, the other coaches and our manager, we always talk about what a special group this is," Zacharias says beaming with pride. "We talk about how much fun it's been to be around them this season. I may be more stressed than they are, because they may worry about their own game, but I'm worried about all of them. Not because it affects me, but because I want them to have success. They're relaxed, but I want so badly for them to feel some success, feel good about what they're doing and walk away happy with the experience."
The U17 AAA Central Energy provincial tournament starts with games today.