Month: October 2006

With strikes against them, towns get back in game as hubs for elite athletes

Baseball academy in Vauxhall, Alta., follows example of girls’ hockey school in nearby Warner

by Shawn Ohler, The Edmonton Journal

Published: Monday, October 09, 2006

VAUXHALL – As Cody Phipps and 20 other teenage boys from the Vauxhall Baseball Academy sprint through the grass infield, barking “Atta kid!” and other clipped encouragements unique to baseball, you see two things.

You see the boys’ improbably broad shoulders, and the temptation to place the weight of an entire town — indeed, an entire way of life — upon them.

Phipps, 17, moved last month from Round Hill, an hour southeast of Edmonton, to Vauxhall, an hour northeast of Lethbridge. He and two other Edmonton-area boys came here, to Vauxhall’s new $150,000 field and desert-like climate, to attend high school and play ball through the fall, winter and spring.

But Phipps senses he’s part of a bigger narrative.

“We’ve been told how the team will be good for Vauxhall. In a way, it’s taken me away from my own small town. But (this is) a special thing to be part of,” he says.

Surrounded by pumpjacks and pivot irrigation towers that shape lush circles out of the parched prairie, Vauxhall sits on Highway 36, the single-laner that runs South in a nearly dead-straight line from Two Hills, east of Edmonton, to the Alberta/Montana border.

The town of 1,200 has been battered in recent years by BSE and the closure of the grain elevator, the alfalfa dehydration plant and the rail line. It needed something to counter the slow downward spiral.

Phipps and his teammates in the month-old baseball academy might just be it.

“I love Vauxhall, but geographically, some days it feels like we’re in the middle of the wrong place,” says the town’s mayor, Lois Maloney.

“There was a feeling here that the decline was inevitable, the losing of industry and services. But when the school came up with the (baseball academy) idea, it just sounded like something positive that we hadn’t had in a while.”

Vauxhall Baseball Academy was inspired by its neighbours less than an hour’s drive south in Warner, where the Warner Hockey School for girls in Grades 9 through 12 was launched three years ago.

High-school classes would have been shut down and students shuttled to nearby Milk River if the hockey program hadn’t started in September 2003, says Warner school principal Mark Lowe.

Since then, more than $2 million in player fees — $19,000 a year per player — has circulated through Warner’s economy. Eight jobs have been added to an employment base of about 100.

Shane Mazutinec, a teacher at Vauxhall high school, floated the baseball academy plan the day principal Todd Ojala was reviewing the school’s enrolment projections.

“The trend was losing 20 kids a year for the next five years,” Ojala says.

“For every 10 to 15 students you lose, you lose a staff member. If the trend continued, I’d have to look at some big questions. Do we get rid our shop program? Or home ec? Art? Drama? Music? Band?

“And then Shane walks into my office and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got this idea.’ ”

The players would attend regular classes until mid-afternoon before hitting the diamond.

“We want to recreate the atmosphere these kids would get in junior hockey. We’ll put them on a bus for eight hours, we’ll put them with billets,” says Mazutinec, himself a former WHL player with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“We figure American scouts will love our guys. Canadian kids will stand in the batter’s box, take one in the teeth like Ryan Smyth and be back in there in 20 minutes.”

The 2006-07 Vauxhall roster boasts kids from Nova Scotia as well as southern Alberta, not to mention Smoky Lake’s Joshua Hoetmer and Sherwood Park’s Lionel Morrill.

“It was pretty tough at first,” says Phipps, moments after jacking his last batting-practice fastball 90-plus metres over Vauxhall’s left-field fence. “But, just like in baseball, you have to learn how to adjust, become comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Now he says he loves his new team, and his new town.

All three Edmonton-area boys want to play Division 1 college ball in the States, an opportunity nearly impossible to contemplate back home. For one thing, Vauxhall’s relatively mild climate, which last winter afforded 35 days when the ground was bare and the temperature was above 5C, should allow the academy to practise outside through January and February.

The buzz in town has prompted entrepreneurs to consider building a new hotel here, to accommodate visiting parents and scouts. And the academy gives $70,000 a year to billets’ families to spend in the community on groceries and restaurants.

“I think the program has revitalized the town,” says Les McTavish, the academy’s Stettler-raised coach.

“But we have to be careful not to overstep our boundaries and try to put ourselves on a pedestal. … We want our kids to be involved in the town … the way they are in Warner.”

Sherri Mandel, who cooks at the girls’ dorm, a refurbished Mormon church, answers the residence’s front door with a mortified look. The girls, amped from an 8-1 win that afternoon, have gelled her grey hair into a curly mohawk.

“Can you believe what they put me through?” she says. “They’re monsters!”

It’s mock outrage; Mandel loves “her girls” and Warner’s new heroes.

“There’s more optimism. We’re not losing our high school. Do you know what happens when the high school goes? The town dies.”

In three seasons, Warner grads have earned more than $2 million in college scholarships and financial aid. Many are on American university teams, the goal of current Warner stars like Spruce Grove defender Kara Edwards and Slave Lake centre Megan DiJulio.

Edwards, who, like DiJulio, scored a pretty goal in the afternoon game, says: “Our skills wouldn’t have come nearly as far…” But before she can finish her sentence, DiJulio does it for her, “… if we stayed back home,” she says.

With affectionate synchronicity, they shrug and sigh: “We love it here.”

Both towns and both programs have had growing pains — naysaying from the odd pessimist, tiny social conflicts as local kids size up their new, high-profile classmates.

But as girls from Portage La Prairie, Man., and Great Falls, Mont., and Baddeck, N.S., mill around Sherri Mandel to coo about her new coif, you see two other things.

You see joy, and a town reborn.

[email protected]
© The Edmonton Journal 2006

Successful Spring Training Camp!

May 13th, 2006 was a very exciting day for the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. The dream of starting this Academy now became a reality as 27 student-athletes, ranging from Grade 8 to Grade 11, arrived in Vauxhall to show their talents and skills to the coaching staff and school officials. Above these 27 players there were also 10 additional players that visited Vauxhall prior to this date.

The evaluation camp day turned out to be great weather wise and all the festivities were very well received by all the visitors. Parents & players enjoyed a lunch put on by the Safe and Care Committee and a tour of the high school with school officials.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, coaching staff and community members we thank everyone for attending. You have made some very tough choices for our coaching staff!

The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball is proud to announce National Partnerships

VAUXHALL, AB – The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball is proud to announce National Partnerships with Easton Canada, of Kirkland, Quebec and Sports Connection (Source for Sports) of Medicine Hat, Alberta, the New Era Hat Company of Derby, NY, USA, and Rawlings Canada, again through Sports Connection.

Easton Canada – through Sports Connection – will supply the Academy with its official uniforms, baseball gloves, spikes, turfs, equipment and apparel. Over 100 Major League Baseball (MLB) players currently use Easton gloves and bats.

“The Coaching Staff and Board of Directors are extremely excited to partner with Easton and Sports Connection in the 1st year of the Academy,” Les McTavish, head coach of the Academy said. “Easton has proven time and time again why they have one of the best baseball products on the market today. Come September the student-athletes at the Academy will be extremely excited with the professional equipment and gear that they will wear.”

Brian Bauman, the owner of Sports Connection Source For Sports in Medicine Hat, said he is thrilled to enter into partnership with the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. “We are excited to play a part in developing young baseball talent in Southern Alberta and ultimately Western Canada,” he said.

“We at Easton Sports,” said Jon Konigsberg, Canadian/European Sales Manager with Easton Canada, “are very excited about being named the Official Equipment Supplier to the Vauxhall Baseball Academy. Fighting dwindling participation rates in our sport in Canada has been a challenge over the years and this academy is a terrific initiative that will encourage kids to continue to play the game they love while furthering their academic interests. We are proud to have the Easton name associated with this program and will strive to help make it a great success for many years to come.”

New Era will be supplying the official headwear for the Academy. Academy players will be wearing the 5950 model, which is the same hat worn by all Major League Baseball teams. New Era also supplies the hats for Team Canada, many College Teams and the World Baseball Classic. The Academy will have 2 hats – 1 maroon hat with a black/gold logo and 1 black hat with a maroon/gold logo.

“The Academy is extremely gratified to be working with New Era,” McTavish said. “New Era is the world leader in headwear and we all believe that our players, coaches, and support staff will be extremely proud to wear MLB quality hats in 2006/2007.”

Logo Black Logo Maroon

Ken Haqq, New Era Canada Marketing Manager, said that, with New Era Cap being so deeply rooted in the sport of Baseball, “we are excited and proud to have the opportunity to be the official headwear of the Vauxhall Academy and look forward to a lasting relationship.”

Rawlings will be the Official Baseball and Helmets of the Academy. Rawlings is a world leader in baseballs and helmets and is the official baseball of Major League Baseball. The Academy will use the Rawlings ROML model baseball for all games.

McTavish said that “Rawlings baseballs and helmets are the best quality that the Academy could possibly use. Rawlings baseballs are the official baseballs of the MLB and will prove again why they are a world leader in this sport.”

For more information:

Les McTavish
Head Coach
[email protected]
(403) 654-2145 – school
403) 382-8869 – Coach McTavish

Vauxhall Academy of Baseball Jets Proud to Introduce the 2006/2007 Team Roster!

VAUXHALL, Alberta – The Vauxhall Academy of baseball is pleased to introduce its inaugural Team Roster.

The Academy’s first roster consists of athletes who have come to live in Vauxhall both from nearby rural towns such as Hays, Alberta, and from as far away as Sussex Corner, New Brunswick. This year’s roster consists of one athlete from Saskatchewan, one from Manitoba, one from Nova Scotia, one from New Brunswick, and sixteen from Alberta. Five of the players come right from Southern Alberta, whereas five are from Calgary and area and six are from north of Calgary.

The creation of Vauxhall Academy of Baseball Jets quickly appealed to many student-athletes from across the country. The Academy filled up quickly and now consists of twenty athletes with the potential for a couple additions (the full roster is below). The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball’s unique atmosphere has enticed these young athletes, who range in age and talent, to come from all over Canada.

All twenty players will be attending Vauxhall High School and will don the Jets jersey in this, our inaugural year. This year’s roster will have thirteen players in their senior year who will be graduating in the spring of 2007. Six of the athletes will be attending grade 11 and one athlete will be joining grade 10.

With such a diverse component of age and place of origin, the team also has an assortment of talent. Four out of the twenty athletes are left-handed hitters and the remaining sixteen players are right-handed hitters. Three out of the fourteen athletes who may pitch are left-handed and eleven are right-handed.

The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball is pleased to announce that five of their senior players were 2005 Team Canada Mizuno Camp invitees, to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, for the top 16 year olds in the country. The athletes who were part of this great experience last fall are Zane Anderson, Kiel Armstrong, Sean Carrick, Cody Phipps and Alex Tufts.

It is evident that the inaugural Vauxhall Academy of Baseball roster consists of young men of great athletic ability, desire and commitment. As Head Coach Les McTavish explains, “Jim (Kotkas, coach) and I have been overwhelmed with the interest in our 1st year of the Academy. We have both worked very hard to ensure that the student-athletes that have been selected are quality young men, strong academic students, and talented athletically. We are both very excited to begin work on August 28th, 2006 with these young men. All of them have a future in the game and we hope that the Academy assists in their developmental process.”

For more information on individual players, please see here for the full roster.

Les McTavish
Head Coach
[email protected]
(403) 654-2145 – school
403) 382-8869 – Coach McTavish

Vauxhall Academy of Baseball announces launch of The Reno Lizzi Scholarship Fund

VAUXHALL, Alberta – The Vauxhall Academy of Baseball is proud to announce The Reno Lizzi Bursary/Scholarship Fund,which was formed to honor Reno’s memory.

Reno was a well respected businessman and devoted baseball fan. Not only did he own and operate his own men’s clothing business, he was instrumental in bringing a Pioneer League Professional Baseball Team to Lethbridge.

Although he was known for his devotion to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Reno Scholarship Dodgers, he was also an enthusiastic Toronto Blue Jays fan. While his accomplishments in Lethbridge were legendary, for Reno, his family and friends were always a source of much pride and happiness.

Reno was a devoted sports fan and a lifelong Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers supporter. While his accomplishments in Lethbridge are legendary, for Reno, his family was always a source of much pride and happiness.

All monies raised will form Bursaries and Scholarships for elite high school athletes who aspire to combine their academic studies and their passion for baseball at the newly formed Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. This program will officially begin in September 2006. Bursaries will assist student athletes to pursue their scholastic and athletic goals while scholarships will reward those aspirants for their excellence in those disciplines. Scholarship recipients will be also be honored with a Commemorative Ring. Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations.

map00002.jpgThe Vauxhall Academy of Baseball would like to invite you attend the press conference/scholarship launch in memory of Reno Lizzi and in support of our aspiring student-athletes.

When: 11:00 a.m. MST, June 23, 2006

Where: Park Place Mall, Lethbridge, Alberta

There will be an announcement of a special scholarship donation at the press conference!

Vauxhall Academy of Baseball coaches, staff, officials, and other special guests will be available for comments and questions at the completion of the press conference.

For more information:

Les McTavish
Head Coach and Manager

(403) 654-2145 – Vauxhall High School
(403) 382-8869 – Coach McTavish

From humble beginnings

By Trevor Kenney
Jun 24, 2006, 23:50
© Copyright Lethbridge Herald.com
It was a simple five-cent business transaction that turned into a lifelongYukio Kitagawa friendship. When 15-year-old Yukio Kitagawa was hocking newspapers in downtown Lethbridge, he stopped in at Reno’s Haberdashery, a fledgling clothing store being run by a young Reno Lizzi. A deal was struck and Kitagawa had his first regular customer.

“I’d buy them right off the press, two for a nickel, then turn around and sell them for five cents each,” Kitagawa said during a Friday morning news conference announcing the formation of the Reno Lizzi Scholarship/Bursary Fund for the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball.

“He was friendly and he probably looked at me as just this little guy and decided to buy a paper from me and he could have bought it from anybody. I don’t know what he saw in me but I’m sure glad he did see that element in me.”

Now, about to turn 70, Kitagawa and his wife Barbara are giving back to the community they said gave so much to them. Kitagawa left Lethbridge long ago (he lived in town from 1947 through 1967) but the former shop teacher has never forgotten his roots, or those who made an impact upon his life. A Calgary resident these days, he supports all manner of worthwhile causes (he was instrumental in helping save Theatre Calgary) but has a special place in his heart for Lizzi and the game of baseball he learned from his “mentor.”

The scholarship/bursary idea came to Kitagawa shortly after learning of the Vauxhall project. He originally wanted to donate time or money to the program but instead settled on the scholarship idea, linking Lizzi’s name (he passed away in 2005) to the proposal because he wanted to make it “great.”

“At the beginning we were just going to donate ‘X’ amount of dollars and then amortize it for the five years and then just continue to do that,” Kitagawa said. “It came to us that this was not going to be good enough. We decided we’d open it up to the public because, after all, Reno had an incredible presence here, we feel that in this community he has a lot of currency in terms of what he’s done.”

The scholarships will be awarded based on academic standing, baseball abilities and the demonstration of citizenship and character. Each scholarship will carry a $2,000 award as well as a commemorative ring. The bursary element is a $1,000 award and is intended to help students in financial need.

“The scholarship will be evaluated throughout the year and awarded near the end of the first year and the bursary part, what’s neat about that, is it will entail looking at all the same criteria but also financial need, deserving athletes who also need a little bit of financial help,” Vauxhall High School principal Todd Ojala said.

“(Yukio and Barbara) are great with people, they’re great supporters of good things and this is a good thing. We couldn’t ask for two better people to have on board.”

Lizzi of course is well known to baseball supporters in southern Alberta. Integral in bringing Pioneer League professional baseball to Lethbridge in the form of the Lethbridge Expos and then Dodgers, he introduced Kitagawa to the game and eventually coached him at the minor level. Kitagawa readily admits he was no all-star ballplayer but he would go on to Olympic weightlifting and eventually capture the 1961 Junior Canadian Championship in the 132-pound weight class.

“One thing that was very important, even though I was not good in some of those sports, I didn’t lose my confidence and went on to weightlifting and always had that confidence,” Kitagawa said. “That’s because I wasn’t shut down, where a person gives up on you.”

It’s a legacy he wants to pass on to another generation.

“We’ve dedicated our life, the people in Lethbridge have just been outstanding to us and we really appreciated that and we knew that some time along the way we had to pay back and that’s what we’re trying to do right now,” Kitagawa said.

“Once you have a role model – mentor – you try to become that for other young kids and it just kind of continues on from one to the next and that’s what we want to do. A community doesn’t go anywhere if you don’t accept and honour those people that went ahead, really and truly, because it’s them who give us the inspiration to move on.”

What it means to the Vauxhall academy, as it gears up for its inaugural season, is priceless.

“The more you have quality people like Yukio out to the academy just to speak to the kids or just meet these people, the kids, when they see things like this they emulate the people who give these things out,” Vauxhall head coach Les McTavish said.

“Reno was a big part of baseball, not only in Lethbridge but in southern Alberta. I wasn’t fortunate enough to know the man personally but I’ve talked to a lot of people and everybody’s had so many good things to say about him and his family and his contributions to baseball.”

The goal of the scholarship fund is to reach a total of $60,000. Donations can be made directly to the academy or at any RBC Royal Bank.

© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com

There's no place like home.

By Greg Price
Vauxhall AdvanceIt looks like for some attending the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in the fall, the Vauxhall area is a very close second. Kiel Armstrong, a catcher/first baseman from Winnipeg, Manitoba, attended the recent tryout camp the academy held in mid-May. An “AAA” midget player who also plays on the Manitoba provincial team, he came away impressed from the tryout that also included a tour of the facilities, school, town and a meeting with billets, along with a pancake breakfast.

“I was happy with what I saw. I was happy to see what felt like the whole town was there. It showed that the people there really cared,” said Armstrong. Armstrong received a call a few months ago from Les McTavish, the head coach of the inaugural team that will play in the fall, who recommended the academy.

He was already sold on the baseball side of the academy, with its highly-qualified staff and facilities that will eventually feature upgraded seating and a new concession stand. The lighted Jets Stadium reminded Armstrong a lot of facilities around his area that feature much higher population bases. It was the community and school side Armstrong needed to be sold on, and the tryout camp where Armstrong got to see the school first hand and the people he’ll be living with sealed the deal, as Armstrong committed the Sunday after the tryout camp.

“To be honest, I was a little leery. I haven’t been away from home before for any length of time and it was very far away. All I really wanted to know was who I’d be living with. It was a beautiful area and the people were all really nice. Everything checked out and it felt good,” said Armstrong.

“I’d like to recommend it to anyone who is moving away from home.” Armstrong’s words echo the sentiment felt by many of the 29 kids and their families that visited the area during the tryout camp process. Shane Mazutinec, a committee member for the Vauxhall Academy of baseball, noted the school received numerous thank-you cards and e-mails from out-of-towners that praised the academy and the community.

“It really confirmed for us what we’ve been telling people all along across Canada that this is an area that is a hidden jewel in southern Alberta. It’s a place filed with community-minded citizens where you can get a quality education along with playing some high calibre baseball,” said Mazutinec. Armstrong will be billeting with Peter and Connie Van Uden. The two are looking at perhaps billeting another student athlete as well, and just as the player’s families took the process seriously interviewing potential host families, so too did the Van Udens.They had a family meeting with their grown children on the ramifications of being a billet.

“Connie and I discussed it. It affects the whole family,” said Peter Van Uden. “We looked at it as an opportunity and as a new experience. We had hosted exchange students in the past for two or three months and it’s a life-long experience where you make new friendships.” Being empty nesters themselves, the Van Udens knew it would be a change of lifestyle that involved more responsibility. Seeing how much potential student athletes cared about where they lived and the community they lived in, confirmed to the Van Udens what they would want themselves if they had sent their kids off to far away places in the country to pursue sport and an education.

“If it was something where we were sending our sons or daughters to, the billet is a key factor and big step. It also shows to us that they are coming here for more than just the baseball. They want the education, they want the community, they want the whole experience,” said Van Uden. “We believe in the program being a positive for the community and all the people involved. I think these are kids that are going to give back to the community” Having already met the Armstrong family, the Van Udens are continuing to build relationships with e-mails back and forth. The Van Udens will bring Kiel Armstrong back to Vauxhall when they watch him play for Manitoba at the Canada Cup in Medicine Hat in mid-August.

The academy is still looking for a few more billets, according to committee member Scott Reiling, and would like to see billets confirmed by the end of June. Those interested in being a billet, or just looking for more information on the expectations of billets and the student athletes themselves, can call Reiling at Vauxhall high school at 654-2145.

Baseball academy borrows Warner's ideas

Graeme Morton, Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2006

Separated by 100 kilometres of sunburned southern Alberta prairie, linked by two lanes of Highway 36 blacktop, the communities of Vauxhall and Warner have hitched their stars to parallel dreams.

Faced with falling enrolments in their cherished schools, the people of Warner and Vauxhall rolled up their collective sleeves to reinvent themselves as destination schools for elite high school athletes.

Warner is three years into its girls’ hockey school while Vauxhall, three times larger at about 1,100 residents, is on the cusp of seeing its fledgling Academy of Baseball step into the batter’s box.

The towns see themselves as partners in survival rather than rivals.

“We’ve begged, borrowed and stolen Warner’s expertise and advice. We’ve really picked their brains in doing the groundwork for our program,” said Todd Ojala, principal at Vauxhall High School, which will house the baseball academy.

“We both have had to be proactive to save our schools.”

Vauxhall High, despite a strong academic reputation, saw its enrolment fall to 226 from 246 this fall.

On Friday, the baseball academy introduced Les McTavish as the program’s first head coach and manager.

A fixture for years in provincial baseball circles and an Alberta scout for the major-league Seattle Mariners, McTavish beat 60 other applicants for the job. He can’t wait to hit the recruiting circuit in coming weeks.

“We want to develop excellent student athletes here, but first and foremost, good citizens,” McTavish said.

Ojala said McTavish and assistant coach Jim Kotkas of Lethbridge are the ideal team.

“They’re not just coaches but they’re great teachers too. We found who we were looking for right in our own backyard.”

McTavish expects his first crop of 24 players, ranging from Grades 9 to 12, will hail mainly from the prairie provinces.

“We’re going to be holding open houses in Calgary (Feb. 21) and three other Alberta cities to start promoting our program,” said McTavish, a standout collegiate pitcher at Washington State University.

“And I think we’ve got a great product to sell. These kids will be coming to a safe, supportive town with an excellent high school program.”

The academy team will be known as the Jets in honour of Vauxhall’s revered semi-pro ball club of the 1950s. Extensive renovations are underway to upgrade the town’s baseball stadium in preparation for the first game in September.

“When you talk to people around town, they’re excited to see how the program is coming together,” said Vauxhall mayor Lois Maloney.

“They can’t want to see what the next step is going to be.”

McTavish said his Jets will play fall and spring schedules against midget, Babe Ruth, American Legion and high school teams from Canada and the U.S.

“We’d certainly like to prepare these boys to have a great shot at landing a college scholarship, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they could be looking at a pro career too,” McTavish said.

Evaluation camps will be held later this spring, with the first crop of Jets set to arrive in Vauxhall a few days before school’s launch in late August.

Initially players will be billeted with town families, but Ojala said Vauxhall wants to follow Warner’s lead in eventually establishing a dormitory.

“Our school is due for an infrastructure modernization and we envisage converting older parts of the school into a dorm,” he said.

Warner School principal Mark Lowe said the two programs could share the services of specialists such as sports psychologists and nutritionists.

“The only real advice we gave them was to be prepared for countless hours of hard work and to never give up, no matter what the cynics said,” said Lowe, on hand Friday for Vauxhall’s big day.

Ojala expects demand for the baseball academy will quickly outstrip current capacity. Organizers are already pondering expansion to a girls’ program as well.

“I can’t wait for opening day,” Ojala said. “I really think this thing is going to take off like a rocket ship.”

Or, dare we say, a Jet.

[email protected]

Photograph by : Tim Fraser, Calgary Herald