{{Short description|Canadian softball player (born 1992)}} {{About|Canadian softball player|the Bermudan-born travel writer|Victoria Hayward (journalist)}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Victoria Hayward | image = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|4|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | player_positions = Outfielder | current_title = Head coach | current_team = Nevada | current_conference = Mountain West | current_record = {{winpct|41|14|record=y}} | alma_mater = Washington | player_years1 = 2011–2014 | player_team1 = Washington | player_years2 = 2015–2016 | player_team2 = Pennsylvania Rebellion | player_years3 = 2019 | player_team3 = Canadian Wild | player_years4 = 2025 | player_team4 = Talons | coach_years1 = 2015 | coach_team1 = LSU (Graduate asst.) | coach_years2 = 2016–2017 | coach_team2 = Massachusetts (asst.) | coach_years3 = 2018 | coach_team3 = Maryland (asst.) | coach_years4 = 2022 | coach_team4 = San Diego State (asst.) | coach_years5 = 2023 | coach_team5 = San Diego State (AHC) | coach_years6 = 2024 | coach_team6 = Washington (asst.) | coach_years7 = 2025–present | coach_team7 = Nevada | overall_record = {{winpct|41|14|record=y}} | awards = * AUSL champion (2025) * All-NPF Team (2019) * Jennie Finch Award (2019) | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's softball }} {{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalBronze | 2020 Tokyo | Team}} {{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games }} {{MedalSilver | 2011 Guadalajara | }} {{MedalSilver | 2019 Lima | }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships }} {{MedalBronze | 2010 Caracas |}} {{MedalBronze | 2016 Surrey |}} {{MedalBronze | 2018 Chiba |}} }} '''Victoria Gran Hayward''' (born 11 April 1992) is a Canadian former professional softball player and the current head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack softball team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/category/ncaa-i?awarddivision=ncaa-i&awardtype=all-american&awardyear=2014 |title=2014 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams |website=NFCA.org |date= |accessdate=2021-07-11}}</ref> She played college softball at Washington from 2011 to 2014, professional softball with the National Pro Fastpitch league from 2015 to 2019 and most recently competed for the Talons of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://auprosports.com/read/cat-osterman-crowned-first-athletes-unlimited-champion/ |title=CAT OSTERMAN CROWNED FIRST ATHLETES UNLIMITED CHAMPION |website=Auprosports.com |date=2020-09-28 |accessdate=2020-11-04}}</ref> She has played for the Canadian Senior Women's softball team since June 2009 and was team captain when Canada won the bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.softball.ca/english/programs/national-teams/senior-womens-national-team/profiles/victoria-hayward.html |title=Profile at Softball Canada |access-date=26 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907001534/http://www.softball.ca/english/programs/national-teams/senior-womens-national-team/profiles/victoria-hayward.html |archive-date=7 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Early life== Born in Toronto, Victoria grew up in Mountain View, California and went to Mountain View High School (MVHS). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from the University of Washington and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts.
==Playing career== ===College=== She attended the University of Washington from 2011 to 2014 and played outfield for the Washington Huskies softball program. She was a 2014 All-American and a four-time All-Pac-12 selection. With the University of Washington, she won four NCAA Regional Championships and advanced to the 2013 Women's College World Series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ucfknights.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=34100&ATCLID=211768522 |title=Victoria Hayward Bio - UCFKnights.com {{!}} UCF Knights Athletics |website=ucfknights.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223221411/http://ucfknights.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=34100&ATCLID=211768522 |archive-date=2019-02-23}} </ref>
===Professional=== Hayward was drafted 19th overall by the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the 2014 NPF Draft. She played professionally for the Rebellion in 2015 and 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://softball.ca/player/victoria-hayward-1992-04-11.htm|title = Player Profile}}</ref> and joined the Canadian Wild in 2019. In 2020, she was the first athlete to sign with Athletes Unlimited, was named Chairperson of the Players Executive Committee for the first two years of the league's existence and currently competes in the Championship Series.
On January 29, 2025, Hayward was drafted forty-eighth overall by the Talons in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Chris |title=Nevada softball coaches Victoria Hayward, Delanie Wisz picked in Athletes Unlimited draft |url=https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/nevada-softball-coach-victoria-hayward-among-eligible-players-in-athletes-unlimited-draft |access-date=March 15, 2025 |work=Nevada Sports Net |date=January 29, 2025}}</ref> On June 11, 2025, Hayward announced she would retire following the 2025 AUSL season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.si.com/onsi/softball/pro/athletes-unlimited-inaugural-member-former-olympian-to-retire-after-2025-season |title=Athletes Unlimited Inaugural Member, Former Olympian to Retire After 2025 Season |website=SI.com |first=Allison |last=Smith |date=June 11, 2025 |access-date=June 11, 2025}}</ref> During the 2025 season, she hit .161 with five hits, one double, and five RBI, and helped the Talons win the inaugural AUSL championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Victoria Hayward - AUSL |url=https://theausl.com/talons/roster/victoria-hayward |website=theausl.com |access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theausl.com/talons/news/talons-claim-inaugural-ausl-championship-title |title=Talons claim Inaugural AUSL Championship Title |website=theausl.com |first=Cayla |last=Sweazie |date=July 27, 2025 |access-date=July 27, 2025}}</ref>
==National team== Hayward has played with the Canadian Women's Senior National Team since 2009 and at 16, was the youngest player to appear for the Canadian national team. She has won five medals competing for Canada - two Silver at the Pan American Games and three Bronze medals at the World Championships. She was named to the 2015 Pan American Games team that won Gold, but was unable to compete due to injury.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://softball.ca/player/victoria-hayward-1992-04-11.htm|title = Player Profile}}</ref> She represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she recorded six hits to hit .300, including two during the bronze medal game to defeat Team Mexico 3–2.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/schedule-and-results/box-score/6288 |title=MEX 2, CAN 3 |website=Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org |date=2021-07-26 |accessdate=2021-07-26 |archive-date=2021-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727060835/https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/schedule-and-results/box-score/6288 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/teams/CAN/players/74450 |title=Hayward |website=Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org |date=2021-07-26 |accessdate=2021-07-26 |archive-date=2021-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727070613/https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/teams/CAN/players/74450 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Coaching career== Upon completion of her college softball playing career, she joined LSU, which finished third at the 2015 Women's College World Series, as a graduate assistant. In 2016 and 2017, she was an assistant coach for the University of Massachusetts helping them to back-to-back winning seasons. In 2018, she was an assistant coach at Maryland and in 2019, joined UCF Knights softball team as Director of Operations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://softball.ca/player/victoria-hayward-1992-04-11.htm|title = Player Profile}}</ref>
On August 26, 2021, after competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Hayward was named an assistant coach for San Diego State.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goaztecs.com/news/2021/8/26/victoria-hayward-named-softball-assistant-coach.aspx |title=Victoria Hayward Named Softball Assistant Coach |website=goaztecs.com |date=August 26, 2021 |access-date=August 26, 2021}}</ref> The next season, Hayward was promoted to associate head coach as the Aztecs advanced to the super-regionals of the Woman's College World Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=78839 |title=Victoria Hayward Promoted to SDSU Softball Associate Head Coach |website=sdsu.edu |date=August 2, 2022 |access-date=August 2, 2022}}</ref> On June 12, 2023, she was named an assistant coach for Washington.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gohuskies.com/news/2023/6/12/huskies-add-gano-hayward-to-coaching-staff.aspx |title=Huskies Add Gano, Hayward To Coaching Staff |website=gohuskies.com |date=June 12, 2023 |access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref>
On May 22, 2024, Hayward was named head coach for Nevada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nevadawolfpack.com/news/2024/5/22/victoria-hayward-named-nevada-softball-head-coach.aspx |title=Victoria Hayward named Nevada Softball head coach |website=nevadawolfpack.com |date=May 22, 2024 |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref>
==Statistics== <ref>{{cite web |url=https://auprosports.com/softball/stats/ |title=Player Stats |website=Ausports.com |date= |accessdate=2021-07-11}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- align=center |+Athletes Unlimited Softball | '''YEAR''' | G | AB | R | H | BA | RBI | HR | 3B | 2B | TB | SLG | BB | SO | SB |- align=center | '''2020''' | 15 | 53 | 2 | 21 | .396 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 31 | .585% | 7 | 5 | 7 |- align=center | '''2021''' | 15 | 48 | 8 | 17 | .354 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | .437% | 4 | 4 | 7 |- align=center | '''TOTAL''' | '''30''' | '''101''' | '''10''' | '''38''' | '''.376''' | '''13''' | '''2''' | '''1''' | '''6''' | '''52''' | '''.515%''' | '''11''' | '''9''' | '''14''' |}
==Head coaching record== ===College=== {{CBB yearly record start | type =coach | conference = | postseason= }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Nevada Wolf Pack | conference = Mountain West Conference | startyear = 2025 | endyear = Present }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 2025 | name = Nevada | overall = 41–14 | conference = 18–4 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = }} {{CBB yearly record subtotal | name = Nevada | overall = {{winpct|41|14|record=y}} | confrecord = {{winpct|18|4|record=y}} }} {{CBB yearly record end | overall = {{winpct|41|14|record=y}} }}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{refbegin}} * {{Citation |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |title=Q&A with Victoria Hayward, a UW softball standout from Mountain View |first=John |last=Reid |date=April 14, 2014 |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_25567392/q-victoria-hayward-uw-softball-standout-from-mountain }} * {{Citation |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |title=Victoria Hayward hopes to help Canada climb champion's ladder; Playoff battles begin Saturday in Canadian Open tourney at Softball City |first=Gary |last=Kingston |date=July 19, 2013 |url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/Victoria+Hayward+hopes+help+Canada+climb+champion+ladder/8685188/story.html |access-date=January 27, 2019 |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702194239/http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Victoria+Hayward+hopes+help+Canada+climb+champion+ladder/8685188/story.html |url-status=dead }} * {{Citation |newspaper=The Canadian Press |title=Canada Sweeps Doubleheader, Will Play for Bronze at US World Cup of Softball VII |date=July 2, 2012 |publisher=}} * {{Citation |newspaper=The Canadian Press |title=US Beats Canada 9-1 in Softball Game Marking 40th Anniversary of Title IX |date=June 23, 2012 |publisher= }} {{refend}} {{Mountain West Conference softball coach navbox}} {{Canada softball roster 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, Victoria}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian softball players Category:Competitors at the 2022 World Games Category:Softball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:Washington Huskies softball players Category:Softball players from Toronto Category:Sportswomen from Ontario Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada in softball Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada in softball Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:Pennsylvania Rebellion players Category:Softball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic softball players for Canada Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Canada Category:Olympic medalists in softball Category:LSU Tigers softball coaches Category:UMass Minutewomen softball coaches Category:Maryland Terrapins softball coaches Category:Nevada Wolf Pack softball coaches Category:San Diego State Aztecs softball coaches Category:Washington Huskies softball coaches Category:Athletes Unlimited softball players