When her Montreal Marquis take to the field at Gary Carter Stadium for their opening match on Saturday, Marie-France Castillo will experience a historic moment. She will become the first woman to lead an U17 AAA men’s team, the highest caliber of play for Quebecers under 17.
This is an exceptional appointment.
At what point ?
Marquis leaders looked for other examples of female head coaches at a comparable level in Canada. Without success. They asked reporters for the minor league baseball bible, Baseball America, if they knew a woman leading a graduating team in a major school program in the United States. Good luck, they were told. Ultimately, the Marquises found just one – in California.
I suspected that I was the first woman in Quebec to occupy this role, confides Marie-France Castillo. But it was when I started receiving congratulatory messages from all sides that I realized it was something big.
Marie-France Castillo
Marie-France eats baseball. “My father and I are real maniacs. At home, the TV is always on MLB.TV. » She was only 4 years old when her father signed her up for a mixed team in Laval. “Actually, I was the only girl. » From the mosquito category, she always played in the AA, with the boys. At the same time, the young receiver also became an important element of the Quebec women’s team, and she allowed the Canadian junior team to win a gold medal in a tournament in the Americas.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Marie-France Castillo
“She is a player who always worked very hard and who was not afraid to evolve with the guys to improve,” remembers the Canadian coach during this tournament, André Lachance. “She had a great presence behind the plate. She was very good at directing the pitchers. »
“My strength was really defensiveness,” she agrees. It was by giving private lessons to young receivers that she developed an interest in the work of an instructor.
The receivers, we are a little different from the other players. We are the only ones who see the whole field. We have to call the plays. This is why we are often leaders within teams. It helped me a lot going forward.
Marie-France Castillo
Bruce Bochy, Joe Torre, Buck Rodgers, Mike Scioscia, Joe Girardi, Bob Melvin, Ralph Houk: many catchers have continued their baseball careers as head coaches. “Like many receivers, I think she will make a good coach », believes André Lachance.
It was Marie-France’s former coach in the school network, Danny Plante, who gave her her first chance as head coach. It was the summer of 2021. The Montreal Orioles were looking for someone to lead their Bantam AA team. “She had already demonstrated her leadership qualities to me on the field. It was also a great way to introduce her to the program, to eventually promote her to AAA. »
Marie-France was not convinced. “I said, ‘Are you sure, Danny? I’m new to coaching.” I hesitated before accepting. I was nervous. What stressed me out a lot was what the parents and young people would think. » His father offered to be an assistant coach. Two mothers of players also offered their help. “They told me: ‘Take care of the land, we’ll take care of the rest.’
– And how was it ?
— We had an extraordinary year, from A to Z. At the end of the season, all the parents thanked me. I think I brought a different vision. Throughout the summer, I stressed the importance of respect. I wanted to do it because as a woman, I wanted to be respected. During the season, we played an exhibition game against girls. I warned the guys: “Don’t take them lightly!” Well, the girls won. The guys realized that the girls knew how to play, too. They understood that it was necessary to respect all opponents. Afterwards, we made it far in a tournament and in the playoffs. »
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Marie-France Castillo
In 2022, Marie-France returned to the field as a player for one final season. She then hung up her crampons for good, at age 25. The Marquis recruited her as a receiver specialist for their U17 AAA team. Again, it went well. Last fall, Danny Plante and head coach Claude Roy asked him his plans for the future. “I told them that I would like to get more experience to one day become a head coach. »
Their response ?
“We think you’re there. »
According to Danny Plante, Marie-France has many of the assets to succeed.
She knows her baseball well. She manages her pitchers well. She has good communication on the bench.
Danny Plante, former coach of Marie-France Castillo in the school network
She has already managed the majority of the team’s players. And a new graduate in kinesiology, she will be responsible for the development of athletes in the Marquis sports-study program.
“Her journey is very inspiring,” says Rosalie Paquette, who plays for the Canadian Baseball Academy (ABC) women’s team. “When I was in secondary 1, Marie-France was not there. The men spoke to me in a certain way. The following season was different. She didn’t talk to me like the other coaches. I looked more towards her, because we had more in common. She opened my mind by offering me new goals. She took me to a higher level. It was she who encouraged me to join the ABC. »
“In our sport, there are really few women,” adds Juliette Raymond, who plays in an elite softball team. “Marie-France is an inspiring example. The guy coaches are the fun. But we feel that she understands us differently. »
Before setting career goals, Marie-France Castillo prefers to take one bite at a time. “It is certain that I would like to coach one day in elite juniors, or in an American college, or in the minor leagues. Except there are really a lot of steps before getting there. I want to enjoy every moment. It’s a bit boring that there aren’t more women in coaching roles, because that leaves few role models to cling to in order to get further. But I think I can become a pillar for the next women who will have this ambition. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca