The West Shore Local Hero Awards are back! You can find this year’s special feature in the March 22 edition of the Goldstream Gazette or online under e-editions. Stay tuned for more on each of this year’s honourees, you will be able to read their stories online at goldstreamgazette.com.
After a group of Langford girls first assembled on the diamond in their early teens, the defending national champions’ rise through the years since is said to be a rarity for a locally assembled Island club.
Spearheading the Langford Lightning team through its softball successes over the last four years has been coach Chad Bryden.
After the team’s success and his impact on the girls, Bryden has been named the Coach of the Year in the Local Hero Awards.
Starting out as a B division team four years ago, the then-U14 Lightning shook off losing their first game to go on a 50-game win streak before capping the 2019 campaign with silver medals at provincials and the Western Canada finals. The local girls then moved up to A the following year, a feat that was unheard of in decades outside of Island-wide select squads.
After the pandemic shuttered play in 2020, the Lightning avenged their provincial finals loss by taking gold at the 2021 B.C. championships.
Bryden saw something in the girls and fostered their improvement by organizing plenty of weekly practices and entering them in every tournament he could to maximize the girls’ playing time and experiences.
Bryden’s 2022 goal from the start was nationals and he brought in renowned coaches in every aspect of softball to help the girls get there, said Nic Lehman, one of the community members who nominated Bryden and whose younger sister Jenna is on the team.
“He provided these girls with a storybook season and he just does it because he loves the girls and he loves the game.”
Aside from beating elite select teams from across the province, the Lightning’s 2022 season included visiting seven states south of the border and being invited to the U.S. nationals. The competition in those circuits is usually made of up teams that pull players from all over their respective province or state.
“And here are 12 Langford girls placed on a team together with a coach who wants to give them a lifetime of experience and a love for the game,” Lehman said.
“The whole season last year was just amazing.”
After a silver medal at provincials, the U17 girls swept the field at the Canadian championships in Montreal – punishing the country’s top teams with a 68-9 run differential through eight games.
“There was a lot of emotion from Chad when that ball was caught and they won,” Lehman said of what’s believed to be the first national title by a Vancouver Island team. “That stood out to me too, just seeing how proud he was of the girls.”
Jen Aune, whose daughter plays on Bryant’s team, said the life experiences the coach has given the girls are an immeasurable gift and his passion for every member of the team is evident.
“The reason these girls succeed is they are able to make mistakes and learn from them, this is something Chad always makes sure they know and (he’s) there to support them,” the parent said.
Apart from his own daughter being on the team, Bryden also treats all the girls like family, Lehman said. He added that Bryden has been key to the team’s success and all the opportunities provided by the coach have had a noticeable impact on the girls.
“I have no doubt that has contributed to who Jenna is as a person and the respect she has for people,” Lehman said.
“They became better ball players and better people.”
READ: More 2023 Local Heroes stories
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