A happy birthday for Valour’s Jean-Baptiste

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This article was published 17/06/2023 (1160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste couldn’t have wished for a better birthday present.

In the 73rd minute of Friday’s contest against Forge FC, Valour’s Haitian-born captain checked into the match. A chorus of cheers — and a grand rendition of Happy Birthday to You — rained on the fearless leader as he blew a kiss to the heavens and trotted onto IG Field for the first time this season.

Jean-Baptiste’s home season debut came 10 matches into the 2023 campaign, something he certainly didn’t plan for but became his reality after sustaining a lower-body injury while training in the weeks leading up to the season.

The trusty centre-back played the remaining 20 minutes (17 minutes plus three minutes of added time) and helped shut down Forge’s potent offence in a 2-0 win over the perennial powerhouse, which snapped an eight-game winless streak for Valour that dates back to April.

“It’s been too long,” said Jean-Baptiste, who turned 31. “It’s been way too long. I’ve missed them, they’ve missed me. It’s always a pleasure playing in front of them … it’s a moment that’s unreal for some people.

“Some people get that feeling when they play in front of their home fans and this is it for me. Playing in front of them is the ultimate feeling — three points, clean sheet, birthday, the day was magic.”

Jean-Baptiste got his first taste of game action six days earlier on the road against the Halifax Wanderers. Like Friday, he came off the bench but played just 13 minutes in a 2-0 defeat.

Despite the bite-sized samples, the defender’s return is a welcome one for a Valour team that is finally nearing full health after being ravaged by injury in the early goings. Jean-Baptiste is as reliable as they come and his ultra-competitive qualities are sure to make Phillip Dos Santos’ club better when he’s on the pitch.

While it’s easy for Dos Santos to rush his star defender back to the starting lineup, he’s vowed to remain patient as Jean-Baptiste works back to optimal game shape.

“It needs to be a process, it can’t be accelerated and we need to go step by step and make sure that he’s feeling well, that he’s gaining rhythm, that he’s gaining confidence, as well,” said Dos Santos. “I think we all know the qualities that he has, the importance he has not only on the field but off so it’s good to see him out there getting minutes, but we also have to manage expectations.

“The same way I tell the team it’s one game at a time, it’s the same for AJB.”

Jean-Baptiste echoed Dos Santos’ sentiments, adding he has full trust in his coach’s plan to ease him back to play.

“For a lot of other players, it’s not ideal because they think for themselves. But for myself, I put the team first no matter what. Since I signed with this team, since I took the badge, I’ve always put the team first so if I’m not at my best, that next guy is gonna come up and I know he’s gonna put it out there because he’s ready for his opportunity,” Jean-Baptiste said.

“Coach has always had a plan, he never steps into anything unprepared and how he’s been managing me has been perfect — not only for the team but for me. Some players won’t ever see it like that because their competitiveness takes over but as a professional and a team player, you have to see the better good in it and that’s what I see.”

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Jean-Baptiste referenced the biggest injury of his career, a torn ACL in his left knee that forced him to miss much of the 2021 season, saying his most recent injury was also avoidable. He’s dealt with the frustration that comes with injury while recovering, however, and is prepared for the next time he’s in a similar, vulnerable situation.

“I don’t know if every player does it, but I know I always look back on every single little injury and what more I could have done to prevent it,” he said. “I always sit there with my thoughts and deal with and learn for the next time and just become a better professional like that.

“I don’t mind taking my time, I go with the plan coach has and push the guys that are playing and wish them the best because their success is our success.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam

Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.