Not all good players turn into great coaches, but Gary Johnston managed to pull off the career double in rugby.

His formative years playing the sport were in the same neighbourhood: Gordon Head schools, Oak Bay Wanderers and finally the University of Victoria. In 1974 he connected with the club that has been his home ever since - James Bay Athletic Association. Johnston won seven B.C. titles with the Bays through 1981 and represented B.C. and Canada internationally.

He began coaching in 1972, first at the high school level, and later in tandem with JBAA and B.C. junior teams. He founded the annual Boot Game between his Oak Bay Barbarians and St. Michaels, and won six B.C. rugby titles with the Barbs.

In the 1980s, he coached B.C. junior and senior teams to national crowns and coached both national teams during that decade. Mostly retired since 2003, his understanding of the game continues to make him a valuable resource around any rugby pitch.

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A former player and coach who had an opportunity to help a group of local juniors step into the senior ranks, Herb Bate found himself bitten hard by the fastball bug in 1968. As sponsor-manager of the newly minted Bate Construction team, he set the stage for a provincial and national dynasty in men's fastball that would last well into the next decade. From the word go he was keen on making more than simply a run-of-the-mill team out of this fairly talented group of players. Working with his coaching staff, he recruited top pitchers on a regular basis, a key ingredient at the senior level. He then found high-level opponents for his squad to play and was instrumental in forming a Northwest International Fastball League. The formula led to seven B.C. titles in eight seasons and helped attract the Canadian championships to Victoria in 1974. He achieved two major goals the next year when his team captured a Canadian championship, then later earned a tie for the world championship title in New Zealand.