Colleen Moffat’s (nee: McCarthy) softball legacy will be honoured next month, as the Trail native gets poised for induction into the BC Softball Hall of Fame.
Moffat’s career in softball as a player, coach, and administrator spans more than 25 years. The game began for Moffat in Trail at the age of 14 when she tried out for a senior women’s team in Montrose. After watching the tryouts, Colleen said her father told her she was in tough with the other players and may not make the team. He suggested that she try pitching. She followed his advice and not long after became one of the premier pitchers in Canada.
Moffat played in Trail until her graduation year, mostly for a junior women’s team, and participated in the Junior Provincial Championships in Trail. When she was 18 she was asked to play for a senior women’s team out of Castlegar and played in a BC championship in Victoria. In that tournament she was recognized for her pitching talent and the next year, 1967, moved to Vancouver to start her illustrious career.
The Delta resident played for the Eldorado Hotel in Vancouver and in 1970 was named MVP of the US-North West League. She went on to play in five Canadian Championships winning three gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. She was named to the first all-star team in three of those Canadian championships as well as tournament MVP in the 1972 Nationals.
“She was a gut player,” said Moffat’s former coach Pat Harrison. “Her playing ‘smarts’ could never be taught. It was just who she was. Colleen accepted every challenge and always wanted to be on the mound in the biggest games because she knew in her heart that she could handle anything that was thrown her way.”
During her 11-year Senior ‘A’ career, Moffat distinguished herself as one of the best fastball pitchers nation wide. Her numerous appearances in Canadians, her Canadian All-Star selections and MVP selection in the Canadians led to her nomination and selection as an inductee into the BC Softball Hall of Fame.
“Not only is Colleen a BC treasure, she is a Canadian Softball pitching icon,” said Harrison. “Colleen’s competitive prowess, work ethic and natural talent translated into her becoming a transformative leader on every team she played on. She demanded the very best from herself and in turn demanded the best from her team-mates. Everyone benefited from being on the same field as Colleen Moffat.”
Moffat also played in two Canada Summer Games for BC, winning a bronze medal in 1969 at the first Summer Games in Halifax and a gold medal in 1972. A highlight of her career was playing in the third World Softball Championship in Stratford Connecticut.
Moffat retired from Eldorado in 1978 ending an 11 year Senior “A” pitching career.
Coaching was the next step for Colleen, first with Eldorado in 1979-80, then focusing her attention on minor softball in Delta where she shared her talent and knowledge with the Delta Heat and the softball community. Delta inducted Moffat into the Delta Hall of Fame in 1999.
“Colleen was a friend and mentor who made a difference and made me want to be a better player and achieve my goals,” said former teammate Debbie Duke. “Colleen loved the game of softball and wanted to help others, continuing to develop young players in Delta after she retired. She was respected on the field and in the community becoming a great ambassador for our sport and truly deserves this recognition.”
In 2011, Moffat was nominated and recognized on the Kootenay Savings Credit Union ‘Home of Champions’ monument in Trail.
Another Trail native, Lauren Bay Regula, was inducted into the BC Softball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Joining Moffat are fellow 2017 BC Softball Hall of Fame inductees Kathy McGuire and Terrie Cruly. The ceremony goes Oct. 21 at the Marriott Hotel in Richmond.