With the President and two American players from the Valenciennes Vipers
BTVF: Marc WILLIAMSON, President of the Valenciennes Vipers, can you introduce your club to us?
Marc: The Valenciennes Vipers were founded in 1989, and I am the founding president. The club has gone through various significant phases, but without minimizing the other major events, the club’s highlights include: its creation by a group of four friends, the arrival of Louis Dupont, our first sports director in 2002, the opening of Vipères Park in 2014, and the hiring of our first full-time sports director, William Swindling, in 2021.
Our club is first and foremost a family where it’s great to be. Sometimes, even often, the attachment to the club is stronger than the attachment to baseball itself. After a few years in the club, most members realize that the majority of their friends are within the club. Our club is committed to always doing our best in everything we do.
*Baseball 5 team, Marc Williamson, and Fabien Carrette Legrand
Whether it’s sports, event organization, improving our field, communication… even if, of course, we are not professionals and it’s far from perfect. We finished with 173 licensed players in 2021 and we are not far from that number today, which gives us hope of reaching a post-COVID goal of 200 licensed players by the end of the year. We have 4 senior teams, including the 4th team composed of 18U players, 1 mixed softball team playing slowpitch in the summer and fastpitch in the winter, 1 15U team, 1 12U team, 2 9U/6U teams, 1 cricket team, 1 women’s cricket team, 1 youth cricket team (which we hope will be complete very soon), and 1 adapted sports team.
*Cricket Team
*15U Team
BTVF: You are competing in D2, you have just organized the French Women’s Open, you have a cricket section, what are the development objectives of your club?
Marc: We are indeed competing in D2. The team’s, coach’s, and each player’s objective is, of course, to win. The club’s objective is the same but with a longer-term vision. We want to return to D1 in a sustainable way and not just to make an appearance. To achieve this, and before the federation announces the reform of national championships, our first objective was the development of prospects for our first team, but also for all senior and youth teams. The second objective is to play the playoffs, and the third objective is to reach at least the semifinals or even win the competition.
*Division 2 Team
Today, since the federation aims to reduce the number of teams in D1 and D2 to 20 by 2024, the first objective will be to reach the playoffs, as relegation to the regional level would be catastrophic for the club at all levels. Therefore, instead of taking just one overseas player, we have taken two, while ensuring maximum playing time for our young players, and their current results justify this decision. It must be said that Will has done incredible work this winter with the young players, and their progress has been just as remarkable.
*Vipères TV
The French Women’s Baseball Open was an incredible experience for the club. The girls showed intensity, commitment, and a joy of playing, all in a remarkable spirit. Baseball as we would always like to see it.
The club once again surpassed itself to welcome the teams, officials, federation, and public in the best possible way, whether through the bar, catering, or reception. For the first time, we set up our Vipères TV with four cameras and our own equipment, which had 1800 hours of viewing.
*The women’s team of Hauts de France
We indeed have a cricket section that James Worstead continues to develop. After the seniors, we are enthusiastically launching into women’s and youth cricket, and we believe our two new teams will soon be complete. Development through schools and Baseball5 are also priorities for the club, and we are currently setting up important projects in public and private schools in the Valenciennes area for Baseball5 and cricket.
Today, our development objectives, both short and long-term, are: reaching 200 licensed players, maintaining Will’s employment, returning to D1 in a sustainable way, developing our prospects, having players in the French national teams, having young players in the poles, and keeping our family club spirit.
*The club’s bar family
BTVF: William SWINDLING, you are the coach and first baseman for the first team competing in D2. At the halfway point of the championship, your team is well positioned. What are your objectives for 2022? Also, tell us about your feat of hitting three home runs in a single game.
William: As a team, our goal is always to win a championship. We feel like we have a good team that can compete with anyone. This team has worked hard during the off-season to step onto the field this year with more confidence and energy in every game. As a coach, my goal is simply to continue developing this team to its fullest potential.
We have young players who can be very good in the future, and our experienced players have improved a lot over the six months I’ve been here. As for the three home runs, every time I step up to the plate, I’m just looking to hit the ball hard and get on base to give our team a chance to win. If the ball goes over the fence, that’s just a bonus. As a coach once told me in the United States, « home runs are accidents, » so all you can do is try to make a good swing on a ball and hit it hard, which is what I was able to do on Sunday against Montigny.
*William Swindling’s swing
BTVF: Michael VOCHELLI, you are a pitcher for the first team. You recently threw a perfect game over five innings. Tell us how you experienced this feat.
Michael: My stay in Valenciennes has been a fantastic experience so far. The people, the city, and the club have been so welcoming. It’s a great opportunity to be able to play the game I love and discover another part of the world.
When I took the mound, my job was to give our team the best chance to win, and it ended up becoming something really special that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was nice to celebrate this feat with the team. But our goal as a club is to win a championship, so I will do everything I can to achieve that.
*Michael Vochelli’s pitch
*Score sheet of a perfect game
BTVF: What can you wish for all three of you?
Of course, to win D2, even though we know the competition will be very tough, especially this year. But also to achieve our objectives in the other teams. In terms of results, of course, but above all in terms of development. The Vipers want to win, but win based on a long-term sports and club project. We want to become a club that counts in French baseball.
Interview conducted by Didier Cannioux
Photo credits: Valenciennes Vipers
