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B.C. baseball community mourns death of legendary Vancouver Island coach Dave Wallace

‘All who knew Dave and his passion for the game will miss him greatly’
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Dave Wallace coached the Parksville Royals for 23 years. (PQB News file photo)

Parksville has lost a coaching legend.

Former Parksville Royals head coach Dave Wallace died on Nov. 30. He led the Royals for 23 years, impacting the lives of hundreds of players and their families on Vancouver Island and across B.C.

“In over 20 years of coaching, he always put the longterm development of the players ahead of short-term victories,” the Royals posted on their website. “He encouraged his players to put their best effort into everything they did on the field, at school and at life. Dave believed you don’t take shortcuts because it shows you in the results.”

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Wallace was also instrumental in developing the BC Premier Baseball League. He and Clyde Inouye, a devoted baseball enthusiast, formed the Island Premier League in 1995, featuring five teams. Several years later, teams from the Lower Mainland and Okanagan were added and became the BCPL, which has become a hotbed for baseball talents, producing a number of major leaguers over the years.

Many passed along their condolences via social media.

Baseball Canada said: “Dave’s contribution to baseball in British Columbia are immeasurable and lives he impacted along the way, countless.”

BC Baseball also called Wallace a coaching legend.

“(He) devoted a huge amount of his time to the thousands of athletes he worked with over the years, the hundreds of coaches he encountered in competition and our sport in general.”

Nanaimo Minor Baseball offered their thoughts to the family of Wallace, the Royals and Oceanside Minor Baseball.

“All who knew Dave and his passion for the game will miss him greatly,” said NMB. “The impact he made on so many of his players and his unwavering support for youth baseball will not be forgotten.”

— NEWS Staff

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