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HB NEWS SWINGING FOR THE FENCES LOCAL WOMAN HIRED AS JAYS MINOR LEAGUE HITTING COACH HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com Jamie Vieira says there is nothing more difficult in sports than hitting a base- ball. In what she calls a game of failure, where even the best succeed only three out 0 times, the pitcher has ant the advantages —know- ing what pitch will be thrown, at what speed and its location. The batter has less than a second to react, adjust, swing and make sol- id contact. Vieira's new job? ple. Help some of the best do it better. The Georgetown native became the first woman to hold a coaching position in the Toronto Blue Jays' or- ganization when she was hired as a minor league hit- ting coach in January. As a kid playing softball for the Halton Hills Hawks, Vieira took part in a skills clinic on the Rogers Centre field. But it didn't spark vi- sions of being part of a ma- jor league team. Vieira 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown | 905-873-1655 "| have a passion for making every athlete the best they can be.” - Jamie Vieira knew how it was — boys played baseball, girls played softball. And there were far fewer options there. "Maybe you play i in col- lege,” said Vieira, who played for the Humber Hawks, “but that was the end of the line." It easily could have been. But Vieira never gave up on being involved in the game. Even when surgery on her spine sidelined her when she was 16, she took ona coaching role with her team. Her surgery sparked an Guelpl Humber. Se ren earned a a Master of Science from York University where her thesis focused on the chanics of a swing. Viei continued _ to coach at Humber after her playing days, but still thought her interests Me Jamie Vieira photo Jamie Vieira is the first ever female coach in the Blue Jays' organization. wouldnever bemorethana sideline until she saw a job posting for the Jays Care Foundation. She got the job and worked with the Girls At-Bat program and set up programs for disadvan- taged youth and children with disabilities. Vieira said it was a great place to work. “Eve eryone in the: organi- zation was so to learn about what you were doing," she said. jeira was equally will- ing to learn. She attended Major League's Baseball's Take the Field event, which helped women find jobs in the sport. 0 met with members of the Jays' baseball operations, find- ing out more about the or- ganwation as well as shar- ing her background. Last year she gave up the security of a full-time job for an internship in baseball operations, which gave her the opportunity to work with minor league staff and players. As it came to an end, Vieira be- gan looking for other op- portunities, but the Jays, impressed with her contri- butions, offered her a posi- ion. "T have a passion for making every athlete the best they can be," Vieira said. "I was blown away how welcoming the hitting coaches and players were. They respected my back- ground and I never felt Uke I was the only woman o} 1 OUL | 2 the field. 3 Fectinately, Vieira said 3 3 biomechanics hasn't creat- + ed the same old school/ new school divide as ana- lytics. "I think the way base- > ballis evolving, everyo! meis 2 way to make players better, “ a predictor of suc- y layel not a: cess, wo T think p ers are & 8 Vieira is proud to join a growing group of women in baseball that includes Kim iami Marlins, the first female general man- ager in any of the four ma- jor sports) Alyssa Nakken (San Francisco Giants, the first female coach on a ma- (Milwaukee Brewers, minor league hit- ting co-ordinator). Vieira wants young girls to know that opportunities exist t that didn't when she wet ta take a ‘ot of pride in being a good role model. I like to talk to youth softball teams and schools," she said, "just to let them know there can be a future in traine! Therei isone other thing Vieira — born a year after the Jays won their last World Series — would like to see in her lifetim: "I want to help Mlevelop ie next generation of World Series champions," she said. TED ARNOTT, MPP WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS As always, weke here to help, Call: 1-800-265-2366 Ha (Yo Me: aLo a Corel olemo) -Molae}