WBA Thunder Jaxx

 I'd like to thank Eric Greening of the WBA Thunder Jaxx for taking the time to answer some questions for me.

BAW:  How did the Thunder Jaxx get started?

Eric:  The ThunderJaxx were started last year when there were guys who weren't in the Legion or Babe Ruth circle. Here in Wausau the Legion team has it's pick of 3 different school districts so it is an All-Star team of sorts. Along with the ridiculous rule Legion put in a few years ago that college freshman could play after their first year in college, this left a lot of underclassmen in the area with no where to play. When we started telling people we were starting a team, people started contacting us from outside of Wausau to try out. We had a very good team at the 16u level last year considering it was our first year, and this year it is looking like we will continue that stride to being one of the more elite programs in the state.

BAW:  What kind of time commitment is required to play for the Thunder Jaxx?

Eric:  The time commitment is dependent on the age level. We are offering teams at the 12u, 14u, 16u, and 18u ages, and the 12u will play 3 weekends in the summer, the 14/16u will play 4, and the 18u will play 5 weekends. One thing that we do not, and will not do, is pull from local leagues (Little League, Junior/Senior League, Legion, etc...) meaning our practices are offered in the mornings during the summer as to not interfere with leagues. Also, we are working very hard on our schedule for the older guys this summer so we don't pull away from the Legion tournaments. We have various events through the winter that we do such as a whiffle ball night, movie night etc, where guys on the teams can come down and interact with other team members.

BAW:  Do you have a tip for helping kids stay sharp over a Wisconsin winter?

Eric:  The key to staying sharp through the seemingly endless winters in Wisconsin is to stay active with your swing/throwing on a weekly basis. I hear it over and over about there not being enough time, but when you think about it, we are open from 3pm-9pm Tue-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, and by appointment Sun/Mon. All I would suggest in the middle of winter is 1 hour/week. Once the season approaches and the winter sports slow down, then I would start putting in more time, but asking a kid to commit 1 hour/week isn't a whole lot, and that is all it takes to maintain mechanics so when spring rolls around, they aren't picking up a bat or ball for the first time a week before practice. That also helps in injury prevention when a young guy tries to impress his coach on March 21st at the first day of practice and throws out his arm. With this in mind, we have started a "Velocity" program that is a 12 week boot camp to really get arms and bodies in shape so when the first practice comes, guys are already in mid-season form.

BAW:  Anything else you want people to know about the Thunder Jaxx?

Eric:  A big thing we can offer is the level of coaching that you can't find anywhere else in the area. Our head coach at the 18u level was recently named to the "WIAC All-Decade Team" as a member of the UW-Oshkosh Titans. He also played professionally for the Kansas City Royals. He knows what it takes to get to that next level, and that is very important to us to be able to help the guys reach their full potential and get to that next level.  I will be coaching the 14/16u teams and my experience was winning a Division 3 National Championship at UW-Whitewater, coaching there after my playing career was done and also coaching at various positions in high school and other travel ball organizations throughout the state. This past summer I was the hitting coach for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. Our dedication to finding top level coaches is very important and will always be an integral part of what the Wisconsin Baseball Academy, and more specifically the ThunderJaxx organization is all about.