BRAVES FRONT OFFICE

GM & Head Coach

Mike Gionas (email: bvbbraves@hotmail.com)

Mike has been involved in building winning organizations for most of his life. He began his sports coaching career at age 18, when he was named head coach of an official Little League team based in mid-town Toronto. In 1986, he was awarded a men's baseball expansion franchise in the Metro Senior Baseball League (MSBL), the Islington Barons, who played out of Ourland Park in the Islington and QEW area of west Toronto. The Barons won-lost record improved from 2-22 in year one, to 5-25 in year two, and 18-12 by year three. Most of the core players who comprised the roster during the successful year 3 season were with the team in its expansion year, a philosophy of Mike's that you'll hear more of down below.

Mike also coached men's ball hockey teams, forming a team in 1987 - the York Bandits. The team entered the Toronto Ball Hockey Association in the tier 4 division, and steadily improved to the point where they reached tier 1 by 1992. In tier 1, the team faced such national ball hockey powerhouses as the Fernview Rangers (multiple National Champions). Again, a large part of the core of that team began with Mike in tier 4 and grew with the team.

By the late 1990's, Mike began focusing his coaching attention to his son Chris, a budding young minor hockey player. Mike served as head coach for Chris and his teammates at both the Double A level with the Humber Valley Sharks, and at the triple A level with the Don Mills Flyers. And, during the summer months, Mike formed a minor hockey tournament travel team called the Mississauga Mighty Ducks, which travelled to New York State & Michigan, going up against the best hockey players of the age group (1990 birth year).

During his years in minor hockey, Mike coached young NHL stars such as Tyler Cuma (1st round pick of the Minnesota Wild), Cory Trivino (drafted in 2nd round by NYI, currently at Boston University), and several other players who starred in the OHL. He also coached against current NHL players John Tavares (NYI), Steven Stamkos (Tampa  Bay), and Cody Hodgson (Vancouver), to name a few.

Mike thought he had retired from the coaching ranks when he joined the BVB five years ago, first with the Red Sox, and then with the Giants, keeping a low profile on his coaching experiences, preferring instead to enjoy being "just a player". But the coaching bug caught him yet again, and he decided to leave the Giants to form the Braves after the 2009 season.

Mike's coaching philosophy centers around communication & loyalty with players. Constantly keeping players informed as to their role, offering them feedback, while providing them ample notice prior to making any changes to their role. Mike also prefers to build winning teams from within, by assembling a core group of players and keeping that core together.

Finally, Mike believes a team belongs to the players, not the head coach. He understands that for a strategy to work, or a particular philosophy to pay dividends, he first has to get the majority of the team to buy into it. The moment a coach begins doing things his way, and players be damned, that's the moment that the players no longer see it as "their team", and instead see it as "his team". And that is how good teams fall apart. Mike always runs strategy by his players, sometimes before implementing, sometimes after, not because he feels he has to, but because he wants to. After all, players are participating because they want a fun experience; they are not professional ball players, this is not their job, and they aren't earning a paycheque from this, so treating them as if they are subordinates who should do as they are told and not ask any questions will just not work.

Assistant Coaches

Constantinos Gionas

Unlike his brother Mike, who has been primarily a coach first, player second throughout most of his athletic career, Constantinos spent his time assembling a very impressive playing resume, primarily as a shortstop. Constantinos began playing Little League ball as a 12 year old, and parlayed that experience into an impressive high school performance that saw him win three MVP awards.

Constantinos then joined the Islington Barons, a men's 18+ league, at the age of 17. He struggled in his first year in the loop playing against older and much more seasoned ball players, but the very next year he took home League MVP honors, as he led the loop in home runs, and played a  Gold Glove caliber shortstop.

It didn't take long before the top Toronto league came calling. Constantinos played junior ball with the York Pioneers (1989-1991), and then played 7 years in the Metro Labatt's League between 1992 and 1998, with the North York Blues (4 years), East York Bulldogs (2 years), and the Leaside Leafs (1 year), winning 3 league championships, garnering 3 all-star nods, and winning the silver in the 1996 Provincials. He was also runner-up to part-time Mudhens (BVB) outfielder Colin Cummins in the Rookie of the Year balloting in 1992, as he finished second in home runs that year with 9 to Cummins' 14.

Other notable accomplishments include being offered a partial scholarship to Mattatuck Junior College (Connecticut); homering off future major league pitcher Peter Hoy and future Team Canada pitcher Shawn O'Connor ; hitting 3 home runs in 3 conssecutive at-bats in a Labatt's League game; was teammates with ex-Blue Jays farmhand Alan Butler; played against ex-major leaguers Rob and Rich Butler;

Constantinos' role as a Braves assistant coach will be to pass on the vast knowledge and top coaching he received.

Greg Froese

Greg Froese is a long time BVB veteran, always playing prominent roles for his team. He is a pitcher and infielder who has represented the BVB at the Nationals several times, including the past 2 years.

Greg is a real student of the game, able to recite player stats for every starting and backup major leaguer, past and present. Greg brings a strong understanding of what it takes to build a successful baseball team, and in-game strategy (the game within the game).

One of Greg's greatest strength is earning players' trust with his fun-loving nature, who gravitate to Greg's easy going personality.