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 Val
Greenwall was born and raised in Wetaskiwin. Growing up she participated
and excelled in many school and community sports including Volleyball,
Basketball, Badminton, Track and Field, and Ringette. Because of her
athletic participation, ability, and leadership she was chosen as the
Wetaskiwin Composite High School Female Athlete of the Year in her
graduating year (1980). Val’s true passion was Softball. She started
playing softball at age five, developed into an exceptional pitcher and
during her playing career achieved some incredible accomplishments and
garnered many deserved awards.
Softball is still part of her life, as a high school coach she instils
the love of her favourite sport in young people.
Recipient of US University Athletic Scholarship
Because
of her innate talent as a pitcher Val usually played on teams with older
girls. If her Wetaskiwin team was not in the final, teams from Camrose
or Edmonton picked her up for championships. From 1974 to 1982, Val
played on teams that won the Provincial Championships and represented
Alberta in the Western Canadian Championships. In 1977, playing for the
Wetaskiwin Greenwall Construction Midget A team, Val was named MVP for
the Western Canadian Championships. That year she also played on the
Alberta
 team
in the Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland. From 1978 through 1982, Val
played in the Junior Canadian National Championships. During those five
years her team won the championship twice (‘79. ‘82), was runner-up once
(‘81), and third twice (‘78,’80). As a sixteen-year old, Val was
named MVP in the 1978 Nationals and from 1979 to 1982 she was awarded
Top Pitcher in the nation. As well, in 1978 Val was a member of the
Junior Olympic Team. Softball Alberta recognized her accomplishments in
1982 when she was named “Alberta Female Player of the Year”. In 2006
Val was inducted into the Softball Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as a
member of the Camrose Imperials that had won the Junior Canadian
Championship in 1979.
Val’s Won-Lost Percentage
of .782 and Earned Run Average of .83 with the Sam Houston Bearkat Women’s Softball team still tops the school’s records.
Val’s
outstanding play was recognized internationally and in 1980 she was
given a full, four-year scholarship to Sam Houston University in Texas.
During her stint with Sam Houston, the women’s softball team made the
National Championships every year. Val led her team to two National
Championships (‘81,’82), one runner-up (‘83) and one 8th place finish
(’84). In both ‘81 and ‘82 she was named All American and also made the
All American Team in the Final Four Tournament. Besides that, in 1982
Val was also the MVP in the Final Four Tournament. Val’s Won-Lost
Percentage of .782 and Earned Run Average of .83 with the Sam Houston
Bearkat Women’s Softball team still tops the school’s records.
At the
present time, Val is the Women’s Athletic Coordinator at Splendora High
School in Splendora, Texas. She has been the Head Softball Coach for
the past ten years and during that time her team has won the district
championships every year, has also won regional championships,
represented their school at state championships, and won the State
Championship in 2002. Val has received numerous coaching awards
including nine “District Coach of the Year”; five “County Softball Coach
of the Year”; in 2002 was named “Coach of the Year” by both the Texas
Girls Coaches Association and the Texas Sportswriters’, and in 2003 Fox
Sports Network” (Texas) “Coach Who Makes a Difference”. Val is indeed
a worthy Wetaskiwin Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
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Information about an inductee
is collected from published sources, sports
archives, scrapbooks, anecdotal information from
family, friends
and
fans, and the athlete.
However, sometimes the
best stories and personal insights are gleaned at the induction dinner
from the introductory comments or acceptance
speech of the inductee
or their representative.
Where possible
we have included this
type of information for your enjoyment.
Read the
opening comments made by Sandra Wright when introducing
Valerie (Greenwall) Weldon.
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