Marven Taylor
Marven Taylor, who grew up in Paradise, attended school there until the end of grade four when he went to Bridgetown. Entering junior high school at BRHS, Marven immediately got involved in school sports, playing soccer, badminton, volleyball and minor hockey. This love of sport continued into senior high school: in 1982, he was a member of the school’s provincial championship soccer team and senior men’s “B” soccer team. While still in high school, Marven also assisted Mike Stewart with senior girls’ soccer and badminton from 1985 to 1987.
After graduating from high school, Marven would attend Kingstec, Kentville, returning to Bridgetown in 1989 where he began employment with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board. In 2000, his coaching career took off. He began coaching under-four summer soccer when his daughter, Emma, began playing. He continued to coach her as well as his other two children, Meagan and Kyle, until 2014. During these years, he also coached minor hockey, grades 4, 5 and 6 girls’ basketball, junior girls’ and boys’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ track and field, senior girls’ hockey,
Western Valley hockey and junior boys’ hockey. His junior boys’ soccer team won two regional titles. His devotion to his children was reflected in the various coaching roles he accepted.
In 2002, Marven started coaching minor hockey, which he did for five years. He then coached in the Western Valley system for two years which included Pee Wee and Bantam teams from Digby to Berwick. He also helped coach the BRHS boys’ hockey team, from 2013 to 2015, winning the provincial title in 2015. He has helped coach senior girls’ hockey as well as coaching two years of shinny hockey in Lawrencetown.
Marven’s coaching was part of the success of many teams: 2012-13 junior boys’ hockey regional title and the junior boys’ soccer provincial bronze medal, 2013 under-16 boys’ summer soccer provincial silver medal, 2014 senior boys’ soccer provincial champions, 2016 senior boys’ soccer provincial champions and senior boys’ soccer regional title.
From 2014 to 2016, Marven coached senior boys’ soccer. Once again he was also part of the BRHS track and field coaching team. The 2009 junior girls and the 2012 junior boys were 4 x 400 metre relay bronze medal winners at provincials.
From 2007 to 2015 Marven has coached a sport in every month. To this day he continues to mentor athletes on an individual basis to develop their skills. As one of the five directors at the Bridgetown Trojan Sport Centre, he continues to demonstrate his interest in the community. For his interest and enthusiasm in pursuing a successful coaching career, we congratulate Marven Taylor as he is inducted into the Bridgetown and Area Sports Hall of Fame.