Lindsay’s Rosemary Theriault inducted into Softball Canada Hall of Fame
On September 5, Softball Canada announced its Hall of Fame class for 2023, a distinguished group of inductees that includes Lindsay’s Rosemary Theriault. Theriault, who will be honoured at a November 12 ceremony, is the ninth person to be inducted in the Coach Category since 1995.
An ambassador for the sport, Theriault has dedicated over four decades of her life to coaching young and upcoming softball players in Ontario.
She has coached internationally, having been the head coach of the Canadian women’s open softball team for the Maccabiah World Games since 2013, and winning silver in 2013 and 2017, and bronze in 2022. She was the head coach of the North American Select in France and Netherlands from 1995-2004, winning gold in 2000. Later, Theriault was the Senior Women’s Head Coach of the Whitby Eagles from 2010-2017, which won gold in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Theriault is also a founding member of the Brooklin Whitby Girls Rep Fastball Association, and was an executive member of both the Whitby Girls Softball Association and the North York Women’s Softball League. In 2000, she was presented with the Women of Distinction Award from the YWCA Durham, and was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
Theriault was the assistant coach of the Durham Lords in the OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) from 2003-2020, and was inducted into the Durham College Sports Hall of Fame. Between 2003 and 2019, Theriault had helped coach the Lords to 10 gold, five silver and one bronze medal in OCAA competition. The Lords also won two more bronze and two more silver medals at the CCSA National Championships.
A career spanning 40 years was sure to come with a long list of honours over the years – some of these include the Queen’s 125th Anniversary Medal, YWCA Durham Woman of Distinction, PWSA Outstanding Service Award, PWSA Volunteer of the Year, Coach of the Year and Service Awards. She is also in the Ontario Ringette Hall of Fame, CNE Sports Hall (Softball), and the Israel Sports Hall of Fame Softball.
Theriault will be one of four individual inductees and five total inductees to enter the Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at the Softball Canada annual general meeting banquet in Niagara Falls, on November 12, 2023.
