An exciting new era of UBC Softball is set to begin with the appointment of Jennifer McKellar (Cloverdale, B.C.) as the third head coach in the program's history.
 
McKellar, a former standout second baseman/outfielder with the Aiken Technical College (South Carolina) and Douglas College, joins the T-Birds after spending the previous five seasons as the head coach of the Douglas College Royals (NWAC). Her coaching career has spanned nine years and began with Douglas College in 2014. One of her first notable accomplishments at the helm with the Royals was leading them to a third-place finish in the Northwest Atlantic Conference standings in 2018.
 
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to join the UBC Thunderbirds and to coach at such a highly respected institution for a program that has such a strong athletic and academic history," said Jennifer McKellar who captured second-team All-American honours during her tenure in South Carolina. "My desire to coach stems from a sense of mentorship and an unrelenting love for the game of softball."



She holds the distinction of being the first ever Canadian to capture an academic All-American award at Aiken Technical College. She is the proud holder of an Associate of Arts Degree (Aiken Technical College), a Sports Science Diploma (Kinesiology Specialty) from Douglas College and a Bachelor of Physical Education & Coaching Degree (Kinesiology), also from Douglas College.
 
There were some specific factors at play that nudged McKellar to pursue this coaching opportunity with UBC. She continued, "This specific group of athletes at UBC are so talented. Gord Collings has recruited so well in the last three-to-four years specifically, and I see so much potential within the program to achieve big things and to compete on the big stage in the Cascade Conference, while also being a development vessel for young women."
 
"On behalf of the entire UBC Athletics and Recreation department, I am proud to welcome Jennifer McKellar to the UBC Thunderbirds," shared Kavie Toor, Managing Director, UBC Athletics and Recreation. "Her leadership skills, values, passion for Softball and vision for the program shone brightly through the interview process. She comes highly regarded by her peers and we're confident that she's the right coach to lead our Softball program moving forward."
 
UBC Director of Athletics, Students Services, Leah Pezer added, "Throughout the search process, it was clear that Jennifer embodied the values that UBC holds, and has the clarity of vision and organizational skills to lead the UBC Softball Team in this new phase of the program."
 
Entering their 13^th season in the Cascade Conference (CCC), the UBC Thunderbirds softball team is looking to build off a 21-20 record in 2022. The T-Birds are coming off their fourth consecutive Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship tournament appearance where they dethroned the two-time defending champion Southern Oregon University Raiders. The T-Birds will take the field for the 2023 season beginning in February.