(Submitted Photo/Dean Holoien)

By Mat Barrett

Coach Holoien

Melfort’s Holoien named to U23 national softball team coaching staff

Mar 23, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Softball Canada has announced their coaching staff for their Under-23 men’s team as they prepare for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WSBC) World Cup in Argentina.

Melfort native Dean Holoien has been named as part of that coaching staff for the 2021/2022 cycle. Holoien has been part of numerous national teams as a player and as a coach, but this will be a new step for him.

“I’ve been on the coaching staff on the men’s side of it,” Holoien told northeastNOW. “I’ve played on the men’s side of it on the Senior’s side, but never with the U23’s. So, it’s kind of a refreshing start again for me as well.”

During his time playing, Holoien spent 11 years with Team Canada between 1998 and 2009, playing in two Pan American Championships, and two WBSC World Cups. He also had a lengthy Senior A career from 1992 to 2015, where he won four Canadian Championships, and also won two Masters Men’s Canadian titles in 2018 and 2019.

On the coaching side, Holoien has been helping mold young players for about 15 years and has coached Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Games, and was an assistant coach of the Canadian Men’s National Team at the 2017 WBSC World Cup.

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Holoien said there’s likely to be some Saskatchewan flair on the team as well when it comes to players, as there’s normally a good spattering of Saskatchewan players at this level. He’s still got to get familiarized with this age group, he said.

As the first tournament nears, Holoien said he’s just excited to be part of Team Canada again, especially with how the past year has gone.

“As things start to open up here and we’re able to travel again,” Holoien said. “It just puts a bow on the top of it all to be able to say we’re off with the national team doing some stuff again.”

The first major tournament for Holoien and his team will be the WBSC U23 Men’s Pan American Championships set to be played in Colombia in October or November.

He is joined on the coaching staff by Head Coach Doug Allin from Peachland B.C., and Mark Quinn from Mermaid, P.E.I. Holoien’s main role will be on the pitching side of the game.

Holoien currently operates the 222’s Fastpitch program.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6