8 New Members To Be Inducted Into Softball NL Hall Of Fame

Softball Newfoundland Labrador is extremely pleased to announce that the Softball NL Hall of Fame Committee will induct eight new members into the Softball NL Hall of Fame.

The inductions will be celebrated at the Softball NL 2017 Hall of Fame Ceremony & 2016 Awards Presentation taking place on Friday, May 12, 2017 at the Royal Canadian Legion, Legion Road, Conception Bay South commencing at 6:30pm.

The individuals selected for induction have all made a positive impact on the game of softball and are deserving of this honour.

The Softball NL 2017 Hall of Fame Inductees are:

Valerie Abbott (Athlete Category)
Jeanette Adams (Builder Category)
Joe Boland (Athlete Category)
Mike Davis (Athlete Category)
Jeff Kirk (Athlete Category)
Sherry Maher (Builder Category)
Joe Maynard (Athlete/Builder Category)
Darrell Walsh (Athlete Category)

Valerie Abbott (Athlete Category)
Valerie Abbott played in the St. John’s Senior Ladies Fastpitch League for eight years and was a member of two league championship teams and won a number of individual awards. At the provincial level, she played on two championship teams and at the national level, Valerie represented the Province at one junior and four senior Canadian national championships.

Jeanette ‘Jen’ Adams (Builder Category)
Jeanette Adams was a central figure in sports, particularly at the minor level in St. John’s where she, along with her brother Wally Layman, were instrumental in establishing the Cabot Street Athletic Association, an organization that focused on a variety of sports. Her proudest moment was when they established a Minor Softball League in 1979 for kids 8-15 years of age. League registration was free and was open to anybody who wished to join. Uniforms and awards were also made available at no cost. Jeanette was also a fixture at the Constable William Moss Memorial Tournament where she volunteered on an annual basis to help in various capacities.

Joe Boland (Athlete Category)
Joe Boland played in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League for 16 years and was a member of three league championship teams and won a number of individual awards. At the provincial level, he played on one junior and two senior championship teams. At the national level, Joe represented the Province at two junior and eight senior Canadian national championships.

Mike Davis (Athlete Category)
Mike Davis played in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League for a total of 13 seasons and was a member of eight league championship teams and won a number of individual awards. At the provincial level, he was a member of one minor, one junior, and three senior championship teams. At the national level, Mike represented the Province at one junior and six senior Canadian national championships.

Jeff Kirk (Athlete Category)
Jeff Kirk played for 13 years in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League and was a member of three league championship teams and won a number of individual awards. At the provincial level, he was a member of one junior B and one senior championship teams. At the national level, Jeff represented the Province at four senior Canadian national championships.

Sherry Maher (Builder Category)
Sherry Maher has been one of the hardest working individuals for Minor Softball in this Province over the last number of years. She served as Minor Director for Softball Newfoundland Labrador (Softball NL) for seven years, a position to which she brought new meaning and leadership. She took the initiatives of Softball Canada in areas such as Learn-to-Play, Coaching, and Pitching and brought them to minor softball organizations registered with Softball NL. Sherry was a member of the Constable William Moss Minor Softball Tournament Committee for eight years and continues to make contributions and is giving of her time when needed. She has worked tirelessly with a number of provincial teams and individual players to prepare them for national competitions. Sherry was a recipient of the 2010 Bob Whelan Memorial Award for her outstanding and significant contributions to the game of softball in the Province. In 2011, she was the winner of the Rose Hodgson Memorial Award, a National award given to the volunteer who best demonstrates true dedication to the game of Softball in Canada. Sherry is also a member of the Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove Sports Hall of Fame.

Joe Maynard (Athlete/Builder Category)
Joe Maynard played in Mercantile and Commercial Softball Leagues for a total of 33 years in what is believed to be the longest period that any player has played competitive fastpitch softball in this Province. Joe’s teams won seven league championships in the Mercantile League and two in the Commercial League. He was the recipient of a number of individual awards in both leagues. He served on the executive of the Mercantile League for 13 years and for one year in the Commercial League. As a coach, his teams won three junior league championships, four provincial junior championships, and a silver medal at the 1993 Bantam Boy’s Eastern Canadian Softball Championship.

Darrell Walsh (Athlete Category)
Darrell Walsh played in the St. John’s Senior Men’s Fastpitch League from 1990-2014 (24 years) and was a member of four league championship teams and won a number of individual awards. At the provincial level, he was member of three senior championship teams. At the national level, Darrell represented the Province at five junior and nine senior Canadian national championships. In 2006, Darrell was selected to the Senior League’s 5th All-Decade (1997-2006) Team at 3rd Base and was also selected as one of 15 players to the Senior League’s All-Time Top Performers in its first 50 years of operation (1957-2006).

Tickets for the Softball NL 2017 Hall of Fame Ceremony & 2016 Awards Presentation are $40.00 each and may be purchased at Ropar Shoes on Water Street (576-6980), Sportscraft Ltd. on Ropewalk Lane (753-7558) or by calling Paul F. Smith (744-2255) or Bill Barron (368-0616). Tickets will be available until Saturday, May 6, 2017.

Softball NL Hall Of Fame Committee
Paul F. Smith (Chair)
Bill Barron
Derek Mercer