Citing health reasons, Westshore Rebels president Doug Kobayashi has decided to resign from his position, with Rob Lervold taking over the role moving forward.
“I have to take care of my health first, so unfortunately I had to make a difficult decision to step down,” Kobayashi said in a statement. “I feel more comfortable with my decision now that I know the Rebels have a phenomenal new president to continue what I have started.”
Kobayashi has received praise from team personnel for his work in turning around the B.C. Football Conference club that won just six games over the course of three seasons prior to last year’s Cullen Cup win.
“Doug was instrumental in turning this team around but will continue to sit on our board of directors. We respect his decision and wish him well,” stated general manager Jonathan Poppitt.
Lervold played quarterback for the franchise during the 1987 and 1988 seasons and stayed in Victoria following the completion of his junior football career, competing a degree in Economics from the University of Victoria. He is currently a manager at Coast Capital Savings.
“I am looking forward to building on the success of last year’s Rebels program and working with the superb support staff and volunteers. The Rebels have a strong tradition in the Victoria area providing players an opportunity to compete at a high level of football,” he stated.