Three dedicated women have been recognized by Central Saanich Extreme Fastball with lifetime honours.
During their opening day ceremonies April 12, the trio — Lyne Junger, Allison Duthie and Patti Flanigan — were recognized for their years on and off the field with Extreme Fastball.
Dave Hamer, current club president, says each in their own way have contributed to making the girls fastball and softball club as strong as it is today. Both Junger and Duthie were on the club’s executive committee since 2008, Hamer said, and Flanigan has been a coach with Extreme Fastball since the 1994-’95 season — essentially the beginning of the league.
Junger and Duthie, Hamer continued, helped keep the club alive in 2008 when interest had ebbed to only 63 players.
“During that year, Lyne was the vice-president and had her hand in everything, trying to keep it going,” Hamer said. “It’s because of their efforts, keeping up the club, that we are so successful today.”
Duthie was the league registrar, Hamer added, working late nights to get player information and club details off to the provincial body.
This season, Extreme Fastball in Central Saanich has around 190 players and 16 teams.
Flanigan, Hamer said, took the girls Under 14 team through the district playoffs and into the provincial finals two seasons ago. She is still coaching this year, he noted, adding that dedication had to be included in the lifetime awards as well.
Both Duthie and Junger have stepped back from the club’s executive committee this year, Hamer said, and all three women still have daughters playing for teams within Extreme Fastball.
“They have given a lot of years to the club,” he said. “They have done such a good job for the community.”
The lifetime honours, Hamer said, are about recognizing that contribution, although he said he likes to joke that it also gives the trio free admission to any of the club’s games (the games are all free to attend anyway, he laughed).
“They get their names on the (perpetual) plaque and keepers for themselves, but it’s more about recognizing all the time and effort they have put out for the benefit of their community.”
Extreme Fastball games and practices are held at Rom Knott Park in Central Saanich. For more, visit extremefastball.com.