At his day job, Doug Allin is used to making lists, checking them twice, helping coach staff and council members on municipal and provincial issues.
Away from being the administrator of the Township of Spallumcheen, Allin is a fastpitch softball coaching wizard.
An assistant coach with Canada’s men’s softball team, which won the bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Allin has been named head coach for the B.C. men’s team that will compete in 2021 at the Canada Games in Niagara Falls, Ont.
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“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 calibre,” said Mike Renney, chairperson of the selection committee.
About to turn 50, Allin, a native of Campbell River, has been playing softball all of his life. A pitcher with the rise, drop, and curve balls needed to bedazzle and frustrate the bejeebers out of opposing batters, Allin threw in Vancouver’s top senior men’s level league for years.
After his playing days, he turned to scouting for the men’s national team, which led to his job as assistant coach. And with his daughter on the team, Allin guided the Enderby Storm to the 2019 B.C. U14B provincial title and a fourth-place showing at the Western Canadian championships.
“I am honoured to be selected as the head coach for Team BC Men for the Canada Summer Games in 2021,” said Allin. “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.”
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One of the things he’s looking forward to is bringing more exposure to a game that has seen its playing numbers dwindle over the years. In the 1990s, Vernon used to have as many as nine teams playing men’s fastpitch softball. Today, there are none. A handful of Vernon players participate in the Kelowna league.
Allin will host two player identification camps and Team BC’s main training camp, when the squad is selected, will be held in Kelowna.
Mark Dunlop of Surrey was named coach of Team BC’s women’s entry for the Canada Games.
Held every two years, 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.
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