The New Westminster Junior Salmonbellies Lacrosse Club announces the following changes to their Intermediate A coaching staff. Effective immediately, General Manager Doug Zack relieves Gord Fredrickson and his coaching staff of their duties and hires Don MacDonald as the new Head Coach. Gord will stay on with the Salmonbellies as a director as well as assisting Keith Catton as a ‘Scout’. The GM stated, “Gord has been a great asset to our organization and I respect not only his coaching ability but his loyalty and his friendship. There were many factors in 2009 that Gord had no control of and given the indubitable task of following the consecutive two-time Provincial Champs, did a very commendable job. I would like to personally thank Gord and Dave Cochrane for their unwavering time and effort they committed to the team”. “Although our disappointing season as well as my feeling that our players underachieved does factor in this decision, my overwhelming reason to go in another direction was to appoint a coach with a history and first hand experience coaching the midget aged players moving up to Intermediate”. Don MacDonald fits this profile. Don has been involved with the Langley Minor Lacrosse Association as a coach for thirteen years (1997-2009), coaching various levels from Tyke to the most recent Midget division. Don has also filled many Executive posts in Langley including President. The last two years have seen Don coaching the Midget boys teams, first with the Midget A2 team in 2008 and then this past season the Midget A1 team. Don’s coaching abilities impressed the Team BC Selection Committee, naming him the Head Coach for Team BC at the 2009 Canadian Midget National Championships, hosted by Brampton Ontario. After guiding the team to an impressive 6-3 record in the round robin play, the boys were able to beat Team Alberta in double OT for 3rd place and the Bronze Medal, capping off their best National tournament result for that age group. Don played all his minor and Junior lacrosse in New Westminster and was a part of the New West Junior A Salmonbellies that represented the West in the 1980 Minto Cup Championship. The next season the Vancouver Burrards of the WLA drafted Don 2nd overall into Senior A lacrosse. Eight years later, in a strange twist of fate, Don found himself again in Queens Park Arena, representing his team in the 1989 Mann Cup. Only this time Don was playing for the Brooklin Redman (East Champions), not the New Westminster Salmonbellies (Mann Cup Champions). Box lacrosse wasn’t the only game Don excelled at. Don also had a passion for Field Lacrosse, twice representing Western Canada in USA Field Lacrosse tournaments and was an invitee to the Canadian National Team training camp in 1986. Zack concluded “I feel having someone like Don enhances our chances to not only further the development of these players into quality Junior A prospects but to once again have our Intermediate A team challenge for the top honours this season and beyond”.