Over the past several months, Softball NL has completed an extensive search for Head Coaches to lead the Provincial (All-Star) Teams at the 2018 Canadian Fastpitch Championships. After completing a thorough review of the applications and the coaching committee recommendations, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce the following coaches for the 2018 Season…
2018 Softball NL Provincial (All-Star) Team Coaches
U14 Girl’s – Steven Rice (Torbay)
U14 Boy’s – Daniel O’Keefe (Placentia)
U16 Boy’s – David Kennedy (Carbonear)
U19 Men’s – Mark Nash (Placentia)
U23 Men’s – Bill Hatfield (Placentia)
Women’s – Andrea Wolf (Wapella, SK)
Men’s – Les Howey (CBS)
Also, the Board is pleased to announce the following Head Coaches selected to coach the Eastern Canadian (All-Star) Teams at the 2018 Eastern Canadian Softball Championships.
2018 Softball NL Eastern Canadian (All-Star) Team Coaches
U16 Girl’s – John Farrell (Holyrood)
U19 Women’s – Derm Croke (Avondale)
As well, the Board of Directors is extremely pleased to announce that Softball NL Hall of Famers Bette Murphy & Dee Murphy have been appointed as Honorary Coaches of the Women’s Team who will be competing at the 2018 Women’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in August.
Steven Rice (U14 Girl’s)
Steven is from Torbay and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s U14 Girl’s Fastpitch team that will participate in the U14 Girl’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Montreal, Quebec from August 15-19, 2018. Steven has played softball at various levels over his career including Canada Games and National Championships at the Midget, Junior and Senior levels. He currently is a Certified NCCP Coach at the Community Coach Level. He has coached several girl’s teams with Kelly Park Sports Association Outer Cove Softball Program at the U12, U14 and U16 Divisions. He has also coached baseball and basketball.
Daniel O’Keefe (U14 Boy’s)
Daniel is from Placentia and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s U14 Boy’s Fastpitch team that will participate in the U14 Boy’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Stouville, Ontario from August 12-18, 2018. Daniel has been involved in softball as an athlete and/or coach since 2002. He currently is a Certified NCCP Coach at the Community Coach Level. He coached at the 2017 U14 Boy’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship and coached the Placentia U12 Squirt Team to a Gold Medal at the 2016 U12 Boy’s Atlantic Fastpitch Championship in Nova Scotia. He has also coached hockey and basketball.
David Kennedy (U16 Boy’s)
David is from Carbonear and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s U16 Boy’s Fastpitch team that will participate in the U16 Boy’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Innerkip, Ontario from August 01-05, 2018. David has coached for 10 years with the Carbonear Minor Softball Association and has coached at the U12 Atlantic’s in 2014 and 2015, as well as the 2017 U14 Boy’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship. David currently has In Training Status for the NCCP Competition Introduction Level. He has also coached baseball and hockey.
Mark Nash (U19 Men’s)
Mark is from Placentia and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s Men’s U19 Fastpitch team that will participate in the U19 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Napanee, Ontario from August 14-19, 2018. Mark has enjoyed a lengthy career in softball as both an athlete and a coach. In 2017, he was Head Coach of the U18 Men’s Fastpitch team that played in the Nationals in O’Leary, PEI. Mark currently has NCCP Certified Status for the Competition Introduction Program. He has also coached hockey and basketball.
Bill Hatfield (U23 Men’s)
Bill is from Placentia and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s Men’s U23 Fastpitch team that will participate in the U23 Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in St. Leonard – d’Aston, Quebec from July 31 to August 05, 2018. Bill has enjoyed success both as a player (1975 National Junior Men’s Champion) and coach (numerous Local & Provincial Championships) over his softball career. In 2016, he was the Head Coach of the Placentia Midget Men’s All-Star Team and an Assistant Coach with the U18 Men’s NL Selects Provincial Team. He currently is a Certified NCCP Coach at the Community Coach Level. He has also coached hockey.
Andrea Wolf (Women’s)
Andrea is from Wapella, Saskatchewan and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s Women’s team that will participate in the Women’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from August 15-19, 2018. Andrea has been playing softball since 1985 at the local, provincial, national and college levels. She has been coaching since 2006 and recently she was the Head Coach for Saskatchewan’s Women’s Canada Games team. She is also a Board member with Softball Canada and is currently the Chair for the Long-Term Player Development Program. She is Certified at the Competition Development Level and is currently working towards her Advanced Coaching Diploma.
Les Howey (Men’s)
Les is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but currently resides in Conception Bay South and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s Senior Men’s team that will participate in the Men’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship in St. Croix, Nova Scotia from August 29 to September 02, 2018. Les competed at the elite level in softball for many years while living in Saskatchewan. He has been coaching nationally and internationally since 1986 and recently coached the Galway Hitmen (NL) at the Senior Men’s Nationals, as well served as Assistant Coach for the Softball Canada Men’s National Team. Les is currently Certified at the NCCP Competition Introduction Level and has completed the Competition Development Technical Component.
Softball NL Eastern Canadian (All-Star) Teams – 2018 Head Coaches
John Farrell (U16 Girl’s)
John is from Holyrood and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s U16 Girl’s Fastpitch team that will participate in the U16 Girl’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia from August 23-26, 2018. John enjoyed an outstanding playing career in the St. John’s Junior and Senior Men’s Fastpitch Leagues and represented Newfoundland Labrador at 19 Canadian Fastpitch Championships (1 Midget, 3 Junior & 15 Senior). John has coached numerous divisions from U8 Co-Ed to Senior Men’s. He recently coached the 2017 U16 Girl’s team that played in the Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in O’Leary, PEI. John currently has Trained Status for the NCCP Competition Introduction Level. He has also coached volleyball and basketball.
Derm Croke (U19 Women’s)
Derm is from Marysvale, but lives in Avondale and will be the Head Coach for Softball NL’s U19 Women’s Fastpitch team that will participate in the U19 Women’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from August 23-26, 2018. Derm has been involved in softball since 1981 and has been coaching since 2009. In 2017, Derm was Head Coach for the U18 Women’s team that competed in the U18 Women’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship in Nova Scotia. Derm currently has Training Status for the NCCP Competition Introduction Program.
Honorary Coaches 2018 NL Women’s Fastpitch Team – Bette Murphy & Dee Murphy
Bette Murphy
Bette Murphy’s softball career overflowed with accomplishments and contributions for more than 30-years, as a player, coach and especially as an administrator and team manager. In all aspects she enjoyed impressive success and played a major role in a wide range of activities from 1960 to 1994.
As a player, she won the Batting Title in the first Provincial Senior Ladies Fastpitch Championship in 1966, was a member of one Intermediate Provincial Ladies Fastpitch Championship club, and was also a member of five St. John’s Senior “A” Ladies Fastpitch Championship teams and seven Provincial Senior “A” Ladies Fastpitch Championship teams.
She was the manager of the St. John’s All-Star Team that captured the Provincial Junior Ladies Fastpitch Championship (1980) and was the first female to coach a team in the St. John’s Junior Men’s Fastpitch League.
She fulfilled extensive managerial duties for 17 teams that represented Newfoundland Labrador in National Championships, including two Canada Summer Games squads.
In addition to serving very successfully as Provincial Ladies Chair for 10 consecutive years (1967-1976), she filled the role of St. John’s Ladies “A” League President and Secretary, and was Atlantic Rep three times and Newfoundland Labrador rep seven times at Canadian Softball meetings. She also served on two Hosting Committees for National Championships (1978 & 1986) and was PR Chairperson for the 1994 World Women’s Championships in St. John’s.
Bette was inducted into the Softball NL Hall of Fame in the Builder Category in 1977.
Dee Murphy
Dee Murphy was the first President of Softball NL, serving for 13 years (1963-1967 & 1969-1976), and he served five-years (1972-1976) as Vice-President of Softball Canada.
He was responsible for the organization of Female Softball in St. John’s. He coached Ladies Fastpitch teams for 25-years, coached numerous St John’s and Provincial Ladies Fastpitch Championship teams, coached 11 Newfoundland Labrador Ladies Fastpitch teams at Canadian Championships and was associated with numerous softball events and organizations during his career.
Dee was inducted into the Softball NL Hall of Fame (1977), Softball Canada recognized his contributions to the sport in 1981 awarding him one of only seven honorary Life Memberships, was inducted into the Newfoundland Labrador Sports Hall of Fame (1985) and was inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame (1999).
