OTTAWA, Ont – Umpire Clinton Harvey, of Valley, will be honoured by Softball Canada next month.
Harvey has been named the Home Run Sports Umpire of the Year. He will be recognized during the Softball Canada Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet on Nov. 11, 2017 in St. John’s, N.L.
Harvey, 36, a native of Brooklyn, Hants County, began umpiring at a young age and achieved his Level 5 status in 2009 before becoming a WBSC certified umpire in 2011.
His first international assignment was at the 2015 WBSC Junior Women’s World Softball Championship in Oklahoma City. In 2017, Harvey represented Nova Scotia at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg as a working umpire while also providing leadership as the deputy umpire-in-chief at the U18 men's Canadian championship in O’Leary, P.E.I.
In 2016 he represented Canada at the European men's championship in Montegranaro, Italy.
Meanwhile, former Brookfield Elks fastpitch player Chris Hopewell, of Lantz, will be presented with the Home Run Sports Coach of the Year award.
Hopewell has been coaching for 15 years, both at the minor and adult levels.
He has led the East Hants Mastodons to five straight top-five finishes at the men’s Canadian championship, including their first gold medal with a win over the five-time defending champion Galway Hitmen of Newfoundland this summer.
In addition to his success at the men’s level, he brought in several Nova Scotia Canada Games team and Mastodons players to help establish the Timbits Softball and U8 programs for the East Hants Minor Softball Association, and leads winter skill clinics to help develop both minor and elite athletes in the area.
Hopewell’s Mastodons will be looking to defend their title when they host the 2018 national championship in St. Croix, Hants County next summer.
As previously announced, Colin Abbott (athlete, N.L.), Dave Houghton (builder, Nova Scotia), Randy Souliers (official, N.L.) and the 1992 Canadian men’s world championship team will be inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame at the banquet.
