When the new head coach of the midget AAA Cardinals arrived in St. Albert from New Zealand, he didn't expect to see the diamonds in winter condition.
"When I got here it was late in the afternoon and it was cold. They drove me straight to the SAMBA fields and I got to see them covered in snow. That was almost a week and a half ago," said Chamara Jayasekera (CJ) on Monday at a snow-free Legion Memorial Park. "I wanted to see baseball and the only thing that was going on was some young kids hitting inside Athletes Nation so we went there."
Jayasekera, 30, was also introduced to the team that was picked for him to coach.
"I'm glad I've got a great group of kids," he said. "I'm looking forward to actually building and making these young kids into better people and I suppose baseball is the tool."
Not being part of the selection process wasn't a major concern for Jayasekera.
"I can't really complain about it. Ideally I would've liked to have been part of it and seen what kind of kids and what sort of athletes are available but it's just the nature of the deal," he said. "Even if I was here I would've needed a lot more information with the help and support of the coaches and the executive here."
Twinbill losses
The Cardinals made their season debut with Jayasekera in charge during Sunday's doubleheader in Strathmore. They lost 6-1 to the home team and 17-7 to Okotoks.
"We did really well considering we hadn't been on the field at all with the late cold and the delay of summer," he said. "I'm not trying to give excuses but the fact is the team is getting to know me and me getting to know the team. Half the team is new moving up from bantam and there are a few new kids. It's just a matter of time before everyone knows their roles and once we do that we will definitely compete."
The Cardinals were also short two starting pitchers because of injuries.
"We were quite thin on the pitching end of things but a lot of the young guys stepped up and I was quite impressed overall. I'm really excited about what we have at hand in terms of what we can achieve as a team," Jayasekera said. "We haven't had a pre-season and for kids to just jump out and play two games like that I was very impressed with their enthusiasm and their attitude in terms of just wanting to battle. I couldn't really ask for more."
Jayasekera's coaching philosophy revolves around several areas.
"It just comes down to the day and the opposition and what kind of pitcher we have and the roster of athletes and your own team's weaknesses and strengths," he said. "I like to put things in motion and be aggressive and get into deeper counts and get on base and then the guys can drive them in. Defence though is the most important thing and that is going to win championships."
St. Albert marks Jayasekera's second coaching stint in the province after serving as the bench defensive coach for the Okotoks Junior Dawgs in 2008.
"It gave me incentive to try and work towards creating kind of the program they have," he said. "It gave me an idea what they're trying to achieve and what they were actually doing to achieve that."
Jayasekera was tipped off about the Cardinals' dugout position by Greg Wolfe, the development and technical coordinator for Baseball Alberta who spent time in New Zealand working with aspiring players.
"I've been in touch with Greg quite regularly ever since he returned to Canada. He dropped me an email saying there was an opportunity here so I just jumped on it and 72 hours later I was making arrangements to be on my way. I got in touch with the executive here and they made an offer I couldn't resist. Baseball is what I love doing and I couldn't say no and here I am," said Jayasekera, who is being billeted by Steve Randall during his stay in St. Albert. "I wanted to get here as soon as I can just so I could get to know the kids before the start of the season."
Baseball newbie
Jayasekera has been involved in the sport for only eight years and is making up for lost time.
"I didn't grow up in the game of baseball obviously but the first couple of years I wanted to play the game because that's obviously the best way to immerse yourself in it. I ended up playing for the senior team and they picked me to go to the nationals as part of their national development squad," said the former rugby winger who played mostly in the middle infield. "I was also helping and coaching at the youth levels at the same time and it's taken off since. It's just sort of grown on me."
Jayasekera's background includes working with youths. While completing his teaching degree, with primary school specialization, he coached a youth basketball team and a parent suggested he should check out the baseball program that was being introduced to the primary schools in Auckland.
"I turned up at the field and that's where I was introduced to Greg Wolfe. I shook his hand eight years ago and I haven't looked back since."
Jayasekera's baseball resume is loaded with a variety of coaching positions he has held over the years. He has also instructed at several programs, summer camps and academies in the Oceania Region and is an accredited umpire.
"Baseball in New Zealand is a work in progress for sure and unfortunately the past 15 years it's been a game of convenience. It's still at an amateur level but the new executive officer, Ryan Flynn, is trying to get baseball its niche and promote it into a more professional level. I guess his objective is to get a team into the World Baseball Classic and compete at the highest level," said the head coach of the New Zealand national U15 program and the assistant coach/defensive coach for the U16 program in 2010.
This weekend the Cardinals have doubleheaders scheduled at home Saturday against Strathmore at noon and 3:30 p.m. and Sunday against Red Deer at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
