Bates Steps Down as Men’s National Softball Team Head Coach
November 24, 2014
Ottawa, ON
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 24th, 2014
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Bates Steps Down as Men’s National
Softball Team Head Coach
(Ottawa, ON) Don Bates (Saskatoon, SK) has decided to step down from his position as Head Coach of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Softball Team.
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“I have submitted my resignation as Head Coach of the Canadian Men's National Softball Team†stated Don Bates. “At the 2013 ISF World Championship and at the 2014 Pan American Championship, our Canadian team completed pool play in first place only to be eliminated in two straight playoff losses. After nine years as a National Team coach, these results have prompted my decision to resign. I would like to thank Softball Canada for the opportunity to lead a great program, and would like to thank the many players I have had the opportunity to work with over the years. I will continue to be a supporter of the program and wish my successor all the best in leading Canada to Gold Medal results.â€
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Bates had served as Head Coach since 2010, leading the program to a Gold medal finish at the 2012 Men’s Pan American Softball Championship in Colombia, a fifth place finish at the 2013 International Softball Federation (ISF) Men’s World Championship held in New Zealand and a recent Bronze medal finish at the 2014 Men’s Pan American Softball Championship in Argentina.
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“We have appreciated Don’s commitment to the program and thank him for all his efforts. We hope he will continue to find time to assist the game in the future†stated Softball Canada President Kevin Quinn.
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Softball Canada will be looking to fill the position as expeditiously as possible.
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The Men’s National Team will compete at the ISF Men’s World Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from June 26 to July 5, 2015 and then in the Pan American Games in Ajax, Ontario beginning July 12, 2015.
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca