Jada Baptiste launched her touch football career in Grade 7 at the glamour position: quarterback.
But once the team found a gunslinger with a stronger arm, the Ottawa product ended up sliding across the field to defensive back.
In the secondary, Baptiste soon learned that resilience and mental toughness are key — especially after surrendering a touchdown.
“On a lot of big plays, you can probably look at and see that it was someone’s mistake on the back end,” says Baptiste, embedded with the Toronto Argonaut coaching staff as part of the Diversity in Football Program, presented by Securian.
“But there’s also a lot of calmness with being in the back end of the field. You’re the eyes for everyone in front of you. You can see routes coming to you.”
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There’s also an opportunity for glory.
“When you have the luxury of making a big play there’s a beautiful celebration where people are acknowledging,” says the 23-year-old ball hawk, who played flag football at the University of Ottawa. “You’re the last person to ensure that no one is scoring a touchdown on you, the last resort.
“So I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
Baptiste’s passion for the secondary — and everything football —is on full display at Argos training camp, as she helps out with the defensive backs and the defence as a whole.
Now in its fourth year, the Diversity in Football Program opens doors for people from diverse cultural backgrounds, helping them gain momentum in their chosen football careers — or even assisting them in carving out a completely new path within the sport.
In the East Division, Baptiste is one of four Diversity in Football participants. Coach Garlins Duclervil is with the Montreal Alouettes. Over in Ottawa, Thompson McCallum is working in scouting and football operations. And in Hamilton, strength and conditioning coach Kayla Wong is with the Tiger-Cats.
“The beautiful thing about the game is it brings people from different walks of life,” Baptiste said. “It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, or who you are. It’s not one of those sports like track or even like long distance running, where you’re working alone.
“Everything in this game takes a team right down to running the right routes to doing the right coverages.”
Jada Baptiste is coaching in the Toronto Argonauts’ training camp as part of the Diversity in Football Program, presented by Securian (Argonauts.ca)
Baptiste is in middle of teacher’s college at the University of Ottawa, specializing in physical education, health and biology. She also coaches the defensive backs at Carleton University where she serves as a defensive assistant for the men’s football team.
“It was definitely a transition,” Baptiste said. “I have never really worked in men’s sports. I’ve always been on the female side of things. But honestly, it’s been great.
“The head coach of Carlton, he said something really great to me. He said: `As as a woman, coming into a male-dominated sport, there’s a lot that you can bring. There’s a lot of knowledge and experience that you bring that a lot of male athletes don’t think about.’”
In her first week with the Argos, Baptiste felt a little unsure of herself. A little shaky.
That changed after a conversation with Mickey Donovan.
The special teams coordinator told her that coaching is teaching — and teaching is coaching.
“I came in here a little nervous,” she said. “I’m not as experienced as a lot of the coaches here. But he was like, `You are experienced in teaching, and it’s the same thing.’”
At that moment, Baptiste felt the self-imposed pressure lift and soaked up every moment.
“To work with the best of the best — pro athletes, pro coaches, even the training staff here, the strength and conditioning — it’s been phenomenal,” she said.
Baptiste wraps up her time with the Argos next Wednesday, and she promises to carry the lessons into the classroom — and onto the field — upon her return to Ottawa.
“This is a huge stepping stone,” she said. “A once-in-a-lifetime experience that you can only dream of.”
