2006 Membership Soars Past 150,000 Mark... USSSA Announces Restructuring, Inducts Eleven More Hall of Famers at 39Th National Meeting
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2006 Membership Soars Past 150,000 Mark... USSSA Announces Restructuring, Inducts Eleven More Hall Of Famers At 39th National Meeting Scottsdale/Fountain Hills, AZ.--The United States Specialty Sports Assocation (USSSA) celebrated reaching the 150,000 team milestone at its 39th Annual National Meeting November 12-18 at the Radisson Ft. McDowell Resort and Casino in Scottsdale/Fountain Hills, Az., by announcing an exciting new partnership with the Houston Astros, the restructuring of two of its three largest sports programs, and inducting eleven new members into its Hall of Fame. The Association also passed twenty rule changes and six by-law changes at the convention, along with a constitution change to help streamline voting at its annual national meeting. The world’s largest multi-sports organization continued to bask in its exclusive partnership with Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports, popular website, and its phenomenal growth at the convention, where it announced that membership had reached 152,911 teams, a staggering increase of over 10,000 teams from 2005. “Year after year I have reported to you that we have exceeded our expectations in team registrations and tournament participation,” said USSSA CEO/Executive Director in his keynote address at the convention. “And this year is no different. In fact, it was without a doubt the most successful year in the 39-year history of this Association. “We experienced continued growth in ten sports and our membership has increased two and a half times in the last eight years,” said DeDonatis. “We are entering our fifth year with our Disney partnership, and we have doubled our commitment to Osceola County to bring in room nights to offset the costs of our Headquarters and Sports Hall of Fame,” added DeDonatis. “And we have also affiliated with Major League Baseball by entering into a partnership with the Houston Astros that has given us exposure on national TV.” DeDonatis also trumpeted the astounding success of the Assocation’s website, www.usssa.com. “This dynamic, real-time approach has taken us into the future of sports administration and given our directors the tools to give our teams the recognition they deserve,” said DeDonatis. “Our website will generate over 80 million page hits by year’s end.” DeDonatis urged USSSA Directors help the Association “take control of the competitive sports market. “We have established ourselves as the industry leader and set the standard for success,” he said. “We must remain aggressive and pursue our goals, stay creative and attentive to our customer needs, remain accessible and take pride in what we do.” DeDonatis also announced that USSSA would be opening up a travel office at its Headquarters, and had changed insurance brokers in order to take a “hands on approach to the insurance side of our business.” In addition, DeDonatis told convention attendees that its baseball and fast pitch programs were reorganizing due to their “overwhelming growth. “Over the last eight years, we have all witnessed the rebirth of this organization,” DeDonatis said in closing. “We set our sights firmly on the future, rose to the occasion, and met those challenges head on. Set your goals high and your standards even higher. Dare to dream - anything is possible.” Among the rule and by-law changes passed at its convention, the organization made dramatic changes in its pitching rule and mixed couples eligibility rules, initiated a new “Watch List,” and introduced tough new penalties against teams whose players are caught using altered bats. Pitchers will now be able to pitch from an area the width of the pitching rubber and up to six feet behind the pitcher’s plate. And in the mixed program, team classifications will no longer be affected by a player’s participation in the men’s or women’s program except for men’s players participating at the “Major” or “A” level. USSSA also put into effect a new “Watch List,” which prohibits players on the list from participating below class “B.” And now, under new legislation adopted pertaining to the use of illegal equipment, severe penalties will be imposed against managers, coaches and teams whose players are found to be using altered bats. Other rule and by-law changes of note included giving tournament directors the option of using 65’ or 70’ base paths in all programs; removing the requirement that participants in the Church program must be active participants since June 1st; requiring the top ten percent of the finishers in the Women’s “D” World to play at a higher classification the following year; removing penalties for teams forfeiting out of tournaments; and lowering the number of finishers in the Mixed ‘C” World that are required to play at a higher classification the following year from six to two. The USSSA inducted eleven new members into its Hall of Fame. They included Rusty Bumgardner (NC), Jeff Hall (NC) and Bob Louria (MI) in the male player category, Anna Clements (FL) in the female player category, Colleen Needham (OH) in the manager category, Rick Fortuna (KS) in the executive category, Tom Mattes (MI) and Dwight Gehring (KS) in the umpire category, Tom Kehoe (NY) in the sponsor category, and Hank Bassett (KY) and Tammy Totland (KS) in the special service category. The eleven were inducted during a Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Radisson. Ten new candidates were selected for induction in 2007. They were Doug Roberson (FL), Jeff Wallace (NY) and Brett Helmer (CT) in the male player category, Leslie Canter (FL) in the female player category, Tom Formosa (CA) in the manager category, John Usie (LA) in the umpire category, Dennis Helmig (OH) and Chuck Fischer in the special service category, Mark Linnemann (KY) in the executive category, and Bill Taylor (MA) in the sponsor category. The ten will be inducted during a Hall of Fame banquet at the USSSA National Meeting on November 11- 17 at the Hilton Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fl. Awards presented at the National Meeting included: Baseball Rookie Director of the Year: Jay Zetz, CA; Slow Pitch Rookie Director of the Year: Larry Green, MS; Fast Pitch Rookie Director of the Year: Jeff Castell, GA; Basketball Rookie Director of the Year: Ron Barris, ME; National Headquarters Award of Excellence: Don Mason, SC; USSSA-deBeer–Richard Pollak Memorial – Player Category: Reenie Fitzgerald, OH; USSSA-deBeer–Richard Pollak Memorial – Non-Player Category; the late Randy Smith, TN; Dwight Hall Spark Plug of the Year Award - Slow Pitch (West) - Dale McGregor, WA; Slow Pitch (East) - Rich Carlyle, VA; Dwight Hall Spark Plug of the Year - Basketball: Delaney Rudd, NC; Dwight Hall Spark Plug of the Year - Baseball: Don Mason, SC; Dwight Hall Spark Plug of the Year - Fast Pitch: Eddie Small, VA; Complex of the Year: Big League Dreams (various locations); Adair Park, Jackson County Missouri, Independence, MO; USSSA Official of the Year – Chuck Beckwell, MI; Director of the Year - Fast Pitch – Brenda Paulson, IL; Director of the Year - Taekwondo – Guy Laplant, VT; Director of the Year - Baseball – Wally Fortuna, KS; Director of the Year - Basketball – Jeff Foss, FL; Director of the Year - Slow Pitch – Gerry Turnberg; USSSA Award of Merit: Miken Sports and Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club, Kissimmee, FL; USSSA Distinguished Service Award: Mike McCarron, Dudley Sports and Michelle Fisher, Florida Hotels; Assistant Executive Director’s Award - Non-Slow Pitch Category: Don DeDonatis III, MI; Slow Pitch Category, Scott Cameron, CA; MI; E. A. Ramsey/CEO Award: Kelly Burke, MD and Steve Celuch, FL. The 2008 USSSA National Meeting will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Daytona Beach, FL November 11- 17. Ten Elected To USSSA National Hall Of Fame; Induction Ceremonies Slated For November 12-16, 2007 In Daytona Beach, Fl.. Scottsdale, Az.-A four time USSSA World Series All-Tournament team selection, a nine team member of the USSSA Women’s World Series All-Tournament team, a sponsor and manager in the USSSA program for over twenty years, a 39-year veteran of the USSSA umpire program, a longtime sporting goods executive, a USSSA Executive VP, and a USSSA State Director, are among ten individuals who have been selected for induction into the USSSA Hall of Fame in 2007. Elected at the USSSA National Meeting November 13-17 in Scottsdale, Az. were Doug Roberson (FL), Jeff Wallace (NY), Brett Helmer (CT), Leslie Canter (FL), Tom Formosa (CA), John Usie (LA), Dennis Helmig (OH), Mark Linnemann (KY), Bill Taylor (MA), and Chuck Fischer (KY). The ten will be inducted during a Hall of Fame banquet at the USSSA National Meeting on November 12- 16 at the Hilton Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fl. Doug Roberson captured USSSA World Series championships with Superior-Apollo, Ritch’s Superior, and Team TPS, and was a four-time USSSA All-World Series selection. He was the Series home run leader in 1987. Leslie Canter won five USSSA Women’s World Series championships while competing with teams like Steele’s Sports, Canton Softball Center, Lady Blue, UPI and the Shooters. She was a six-time All-World Series pick, was named to 45 All-Tournament teams, and claimed 21 Outstanding Defensive Awards. She compiled a career batting average of .585. Tom Formosa sponsored and managed the Classic Glass softball team for over twenty years. His teams competed in five Men’s B World Tournaments and two Men’s A. In 1998 he piloted Classic Glass to the USSSA Men’s B World Championship and was named manager of the year. Classic Glass has also won numerous other NIT, state and regional championships. John Usie remains an active umpire to this day with 42 years of experience, including 39 with USSSA.