New Princeton coach Jhavon Hayes investing in softball, players’ lives

Jhavon Hayes was a lights out softball player for Illinois State University, one of the best players to ever suit up for the Redbirds.

Now she’s trying to turn the lights on for her young Princeton High School softball team.

With a team featuring just one senior who did not play last year because of an injury, one junior and a cast of underclassmen, there’s a lot of learning going on this year. The Tigresses improved to 2-4 with their second win over Hall this week on Thursday. Hayes said the wins and losses are not as important this year.

“I think things are going pretty well. We’re not getting the results we wanted,” Hayes said, pausing to correct a couple of players’ swings off the batting tees. “But I do think we’re doing a really good job learning. We are a very young team. Everyday we’re learning something. We’re not just going to go through the motions. Everything will come together. We have nine or 10 freshmen. One senior, one junior (and) fill in the rest.

“There’s a lot of learning going on. That’s my main goal as coach. This is definitely a rebuilding season. Everybody’s kind of buying in, which is what I’m really grateful for. They’re helping each other, holding each other accountable. We’re growing as people and becoming better athletes.”

Hayes, who just turned 32 this week, enjoys the group she has for her first year coaching to be able to nurture them and see them grow.

“Sure, it would be nice to have a heavier senior class, but it’s also nice to be heavy with the underclassmen because they’re not so set in their ways,” she said. “It’s a little easier to mold them and then they’re going to see the results over the course of these four years.”

Hayes said her young players have not been shy about stepping up into leadership roles.

“We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores stepping up, being vocal leaders, leading by example,” she said. “Everybody has their time. I’m going to pick on people, ‘Hey, who wants to be in charge today?’ Now I’m getting people to raise their hand, ‘I’m in charge.’

“And when things start going downhill in practice where we’re making errors, I just sit back and let them take charge. I don’t have to do anything. Definitely see a lot of accountability and leadership being born.”

Hayes, who works in foster care for the Youth Service Bureau in Princeton, came to Bureau County when her husband was transferred from Peoria to Ottawa and she was still working in Peoria, “so this was kind of our halfway point.”

She joked that she had never heard of Princeton before.

“No, I’m a city girl (from Joliet)” she said with a laugh. “My mom was like, ‘Where is Princeton?” (I tell her) get on 80 and keep going.”

Hayes, who previously has served as an assistant coach at Bradley University and Millikin University and coaches travel softball in Peoria, got into coaching to stay in the game. She had good examples to follow at ISU with former longtime coach Melinda Fischer and current head coach Tina Kramos.

Showing how much she remains connected to ISU and the influences of the legendary Fischer had, Hayes rolled up her Illinois State sweatshirt to show off a T-shirt featuring a large picture of her coach on it.

“I always wanted to coach and I also see myself modeling myself after their style,” she said. “They taught me a lot of different things. They’ve made me a much better human being. You don’t always remember the wins and losses as a player, but you definitely remember the experience. And I feel like I had a great experience and wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

It’s the off the field experiences at ISU that has perhaps shaped Hayes’ coaching style the most.

“I’m very invested in making this group of girls good people,” she said. “I’m teaching them to be grateful for what you have. Not everybody is fortunate to have the things that you have, the opportunities you have.”

Hayes joked they kind of “tricked” her into helping coach the team at Logan last fall because initially she thought it was a youth program team.

“Next thing I knew, I was applying for the high school job,” she said.

Hayes was a real diamond gem in her playing days at ISU.

A four-time Missouri Valley All-Conference outfielder and a two-time NFCA All-Mideast Region selection, Hayes led the Valley with a .462 average in conference play as a junior in 2012. She is ranked in the top five all-time at Illinois State in career hits, runs, home runs, RBIs, walks and stolen bases.

She helped the Redbirds to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the 2011 MVC regular season title and four straight top-three regular season conference finishes.

Hayes was never concerned about her stats and numbers. It was always about the team.

“Yeah, I’m proud (of them). I never really kept track of my stats. Didn’t care about that,” she said. “I didn’t really know any of my stats until my senior day and they were reading them all. I felt like I was very much a team player. I was just invested in the ‘now’ at the time.”

As good as a player as she was, Hayes doesn’t profess to know everything.

“If I don’t know something, I don’t have a problem reaching out to people. I pick people’s brains because you’ve got to keep evolving with the game. I’m not done learning,” she said.

Kevin Hieronymus has been the BCR Sports Editor since 1986. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrmews.com