Former softball star Todd King headed into Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame

June 25, 2017

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Cow Bay’s Todd King will be inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in November for his many accomplishments in softball.

ORIGINAL STORY by Halifax Chronicle Herald

For standout softball player Todd King, induction into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame means rubbing elbows with the likes of Mark Smith and Jody Hennigar, a pair of his fastpitch heroes.

King is one of five athletes, one team and two builders who will be honoured for their contribution to Nova Scotia sport when the Hall welcomes its latest inductees in November.

Born and raised in Grand Lake, King started playing community softball when he was about five years old.

His career in softball includes being named MVP and top hitter at the 1994 Canadian senior men’s softball championships, before playing on the Canadian men’s national fastpitch team from 1995 to 2000.

He collected a number of All-Canadian honours and led teams to silver and gold at the senior men’s nationals, as well as winning a pair of Pan-American gold medals in 1995 and 1999.

These days the Charles P. Allen High grad balances more books than baseballs.

He is a chartered professional accountant who practices Canadian and cross-border tax as a partner with Collins Barrow in Halifax.

He now lives in Cow Bay with his wife Jennifer and two sons Jesse and Morely, aged 10 and 12, and his main sporting passions today are surfing and hockey.

Growing up, while his parents were “low key” when it came to sports, he and his two siblings were “born to compete.”

His brother Mary played hockey in the DMJHL and his sister Janice played varsity basketball at Dalhousie.

“I do think that it was some sort of predisposition to compete that made the difference in my sporting career. You have to want it and I wanted it . . . and still want it. Sometimes in life that gene can be a curse but mostly it is a blessing.”

King was seen as a versatile player who did well at a number of positions at the international level and ranked as one of the province’s best third basemen.

He was also the top hitter at ISC world championships in 1994 and inducted in the Canadian Softball Hall of Fame.

King recalls winning Pan-Am gold in Argentina in 1995 and in Winnipeg in 1999, as two career highs.

“It was amazing to win in front of 5,000 screaming Canadians (in Winnipeg) and on CBC TV.”

King was also part of two ISC world championships with the Tampa Bay Smokers in 1996 and 1998.

“But the sweetest I must say was winning the Canadian senior men’s national championships at home in St. Croix with a home-grown team (Halifax Jaguars). We won with a group of guys who had been playing together for a decade or so. That was the sweetest.”

King is thank for his supportive and loving parents and for the many influential coaches who helped him.

“The late Steve Schneiderman and Tom Doucette were two of the best. But the one person who was, without a doubt, the guiding hand in my fastpitch career was Mark Smith. I still have the letters Mark used to write me with thoughts of encouragement (and always areas for improvement). Mark was also a mentor who could lead by example. He was, without a doubt, the most impressive athlete I have ever suited up with or against.

“He had the eye of the tiger and unwavering confidence in himself to get the job done said Kind. “For some reason Mark saw something in me at a young age and took me under his wing. That’s one of the reasons it feels so good to join him in the Hall.”