Len Potskin was a big man, with an even bigger heart.
And when that heart gave out on him Friday morning, ending his life at age 40, his passing left a huge void in the Prince George sporting community.
As part of the Potskin clan, Len built a legacy of excellence on the baseball/fastball fields and in hockey rinks, where he stood out as a cut above the rest. The impact he and his family made on the games they played is the stuff of legend.
As a teenager and a young adult, before his struggles with his own weight ended his playing days, Len earned a reputation as a guy who got the job done, whether it was scoring a big goal on a breakaway or delivering a clutch hit with baserunners in scoring position.
He would suit up for hockey without shoulder pads or hockey pants and he'd get behind the plate as a catcher missing shin pads and a chest protector. By the end of a tournament, he'd be black and blue from the foul tips his body absorbed, but he was willing to take the pain if it helped his team win.
As a catcher/first baseman, the lefthanded hitter was the hero in 1993 in Vancouver when his bloop single brought home the winning run to gave a young, underfunded, underdog Prince George Lumber Kings squad its first Native Canadian Fastball A-division championship. He went on to become a fixture as manager/coach of the Lumber Kings/River Kings teams that won seven consecutive native national titles, from 2000-2006.
Those ball teams included brothers Lance and Laurel, his Potskin cousins - Randy, Evan, Joey, Cory, Clayton, Curtis - cousin Chris Fulton, uncles George and Joe, and the Ghostkeepers, Chad and Colin, who married into the family. All of them wanted to play, but in high-stakes tournaments, imported talent was needed to put those national titles within reach. As manager, it was Len's job to field the best possible lineup, even when he knew it could leave a blood relative's nose out of joint. Most times, he found the recipe for success.
"Len made the calls and he was good to have around," said Chad Ghostkeeper. "He made it fun, but it was also serious at the same time and we won a lot with him. It's tough for him with eight or nine family members around because only nine guys can play.
"He definitely knew the game because when he played himself, he was one of the top hitters around. He was never a home-run hitter but he was a tough out. He was heavyset back then, but he'd also throw in the old drag-bunt and beat guys that way, because everyone backed up when he came to the plate."
With Len in the dugout helping Grant Williams and Nino Fabbro coach, the River Kings went to the ISC senior A world championship in 1997 in Victoria and finished ninth out of 52 teams. The team also competed for four seasons in the Nor-West Fastpitch League against the best of Vancouver and the Pacific Northwestern U.S.
In 2006 with Len as coach, the Prince George Black Bears hosted the Canadian fastpitch championship at Spruce City Stadium. After finishing fourth in the eight-team round-robin, the Black Bears scored playoff wins over Newfoundland, Vancouver and Jarvis, Ont., then lost a thrilling extra-inning final to undefeated St. Thomas, Ont., on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Although the team split after the 2007 season, he remained involved in the Spruce City Men's Fastball Association as a coach and scorekeeper/announcer, and was always in demand as a coach for teams traveling to native tournaments. As a hockey coach, he won more than 300 games in A-division native tournaments.
"He loved his ball and loved his hockey and he drove everywhere - he always wanted to be with the guys." said Randy Potskin. "Guys loved him and he was a player's coach. We went to California seven times [for the North American native fastball championship] and he drove every year. He'd be the guy leading the pack.
"He was a good athlete and quite a smart kid in school. I think that's why coaching was a natural for him. He'd watch the Cougars and Spruce Kings and rec hockey and he'd see things you'd never see."
Born in 1971 in Prince George, Len graduated from Duchess Park secondary school in 1989. As a group home worker, he was employed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development at the time of his death.
His childhood friend and teammate, Eddie Dent, said Len excelled in sports as a player and coach and also remembers his sense of humour. Standing along the basepath, he'd let his fielders know when to apply the squeeze play by using his hands to push his butt cheeks together.
"I played basketball and all-star baseball with him and considering his size, he was a very good athlete," Dent said. "I had the luxury of watching him play hockey and he scored a lot of goals.
"He loved to play jokes on his friends, he always liked to have fun. I remember being in a vehicle with him and pulling up to a light and from the passenger side he laid on the horn and ducked at the same time, so you could only see the driver. He was a funny guy."
Funeral arrangements will be announced later this week.
He leaves behind his wife Amanda and two young sons, Hunter, 6, and Hudson 2, his father Leonard, and his younger brothers Lance and Laurel. Len was predeceased a month ago by his mother Dalphine.
