Softball BC Announces 2021 Team BC Head Coaches

Langley, BC – Softball BC is pleased to announce the Head Coaches for Team BC Men and Women for the 2021 Canada Summer Games.  Doug Allin (Peachland, BC) has been appointed as the Head Coach for the Men’s team, while Mark Dunlop (Surrey, BC) has been selected as the Head Coach of Team BC Women.

“Our selection committee was thoroughly impressed with Doug’s level of professionalism and his high performance playing and coaching experience will bring instant credibility to the position. We are very pleased that our Team BC Men’s program will be led by someone of his caliber” said Mike Renney, Chair of the Selection Committee.

When asked about his recent appointment Mr. Allin said “I am honoured to be selected as the Head Coach for Team BC Men for the Canada Summer Games in 2021. Softball BC has a tradition of excellence and the goal will be to continue to build on the history while building on striving for gold in 2021”.

On the Women’s side, Mark Dunlop was the successful candidate from a pool of eight very strong applicants.  “After a distinguished career at the club level our committee felt that Mark was the ideal candidate to lead our Women’s team. With a proven track record at the National level we are confident our Team BC Women’s athletes will greatly benefit from his knowledge, experience and leadership” stated Mr. Renney.

“I am honored and excited to be selected as the Head Coach for Team BC Women that will be competing at the 2021 Canada Summer games in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I look forward to getting familiar with the athletes over the next two years” – Mark Dunlop.

About the Canada Summer Games

“Held every two years, alternating between summer and winter, the Canada Games are a key event in the development of Canada’s young athletes. As the best in their age group, these young competitors come to the Games having trained long and hard to be among those chosen to represent their respective province or territory and compete for the Canada Games Flag and Centennial Cup. With the Canada Games poised as a key step in the development of Canada’s future stars, Canada Games athletes are Canada’s next generation national, international and Olympic champions.”

For more information, please contact:

Rick Benson – Executive Director

rbenson@softball.bc.ca

604-371-0302

Meet our official partner, TeamSnap!

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with TeamSnap as the Official Team and LSO Management App of Softball BC.

With 20 million users and counting, TeamSnap delivers the platform Softball BC and your LSO can’t live without. The app is already in the pocket of all your coaches and parents, as more teams use TeamSnap than any other management platform worldwide.

TeamSnap enables you to save time and grow your LSO with a solution that is seamlessly connected to the app, guaranteeing a fantastic experience for everyone in your organization. With TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues you can:

• Streamline communication to a single platform, keeping everyone in the loop with instant updates to individual teams or custom groups.
• Save time with automatic schedule creation for every game and practice.
• Collect club dues upfront and on time, and deposit directly into your bank account.
• Attract new participants with a professional and easy-to-use website.

Visit the TeamSnap Softball BC partner page to learn more and to contact your dedicated TeamSnap account specialist, Meg Sterzer.

Sport BC’s  Senior Male Athlete of the Year – Bryan Abrey

Bryan Abrey was among the big winners at the Sport B.C. 53rd Annual Athlete of the Year  Awards Ceremony and Gala.

Abery was named “Senior Male Athlete of the Year” after his outstanding 2018 season on the Fastpitch diamond at last month Awards banquet at the Fairmount Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver.

Having also been selected The Most Valuable Player of the 2018 ISC World Men’s Open Fastball Tournament while playing for the New York Gremlins by hitting for a batting avg. of 500 for the week that was highlighted by Bryan going 4-6 at the plate, and hitting a winning home run in the winner’s bracket final and Championship game against Circle Tap Dukes Fastball Team from Denmark, Wisconsin, USA.

Bryan is only the second Fastball player from B.C. to received the MVP at the ISC World Championships in their 55 years history of this tournament, and the first player named MVP from B.C. since 1981., and the first Male Fastball player to win the B.C. Sports Award.

Bryan also earned All American Honors in 2018 hitting for a batting avg. of 385 with a home run while helping again his New York Gremlins win their 3rd consecutive National Senior Men’s American Championship.

For the year, Bryan was a key player for the Gremlins playing defensively at Catcher, Third Base, and Outfield, competing against the top pitchers and players from around the world, Bryan had an overall batting avg. of 455, and a fielding avg. of 930. for the 2018 season.

Bryan is not only an outstanding player and citizen, a long time member of Softball B.C.

He is also a past Richmond Boy’s Fastball player, and Softball B.C 2006 Minor Player of the Year.

John Stewart, Team Canada Mens National coach is quoted as saying, “Bryan is one of the most talent hard working players on your National Team, and gives back to his sport and community by volunteering countless hours coaching and mentoring young athletes, both in B.C. and across Canada.

I have personal coached Bryan in both Provincial and league play with The Richmond Stealers Team for the last 12 years and he is truly an outstanding person and very justified for winning the Sport B.C. Award for not just his athlete ability, but for his citizenship.

In my thirty five years of being involved with Men’s and Boy’s Fastball I have never coach or seen a better player or person then what Bryan is and what he brings to the field and our sport.

Well done Bryan!

Next up for Bryan is playing for Canada at the 2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championships in the Czech Republic – June 13-19

Submitted by: Marshall Shields