The head coach for the Sooke Peewee B girls has much to celebrate, after he led his team to provincials and was crowned ‘Coach of the Year.’
Len Sudlow was given the title at the Sooke Minor Fastball closing ceremonies on July 27 at Art Morris Park.
“It’s recognition which is well due for somebody who has been involved in softball in Sooke, not only as a coach, but as a player for about four decades,” said Chris Bryant, Sooke Minor Fastball vice-president.
Bryant said Sudlow has been a major asset for the association, and defined him as a man who gets the job done.
“He’s just one of those guys that really elevates the level of softball in this town,” he said. “It’s not just about talking, it’s about doing. He’s one of those guys who will put talk into action.”
The recognition sweetens a recent victory by his Peewee B girls, who placed second during the District playoffs held in Brentwood Bay on June 21-24.
As a result the girls have earned a spot in the Softball BC U14 B Provincials in Maple Ridge on July 13-15.
The girls played four games and lost their final match to their ultimate rival team, Langford Lightning.
“Langford has been a great team to play against all year-long. We’ve never been closer to topping them as we were at Districts,” Bryant said.
The “gut-wrenching” game was taken to extra innings and an international tie breaker strategy — where the inning starts with a runner on second base and one out — was undertaken to determine the winner.
“Many spectators commented it was the best game they’ve seen all year,” he said. “They were thrilled to have taken Langford right to the edge, the team that they deeply respect and that they’ve come so close to beating.”
The Provincials will serve as the first off Island tournament for the team of 14 girls. Although they are not familiar with teams from the Lower Mainland, the Sooke Peewee B girls hope to be a force to be reckoned with.
“We hope to surprise a few of the Mainland teams,” Bryant said.
