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THE VII ISF SENIOR WORLD CUP

SALEM, VIRGINIA - Women's and Men's senior teams will get to experience first hand the wonderful southern hospitality and expert tournament management provided by the combined staff working the softball venues in the Roanoke Valley come June 20-22 this year. This year the ISF Senior World Cup will be held at the City of Champions, a designation afforded the City of Salem after many years of hosting National Tournament events. 2008 marks the first year that senior teams have been invited to the City.

Entry forms, roster forms (rosters do not have to accompany the entry but must be submitted 30 days prior to the event) and other tournament information can be copied from the ISSA website at www.seniorsoftball.org. The host City will be providing dinner for two representatives from each team at the Managers Meeting to be held Thursday night at the Salem Civic Center. And competition will get underway on Friday morning, June 20.

RB Thomas, Jr., ISF Director of Senior Softball has been meeting with the local organizers and is very impressed with the commitment being made by the jurisdictions to make this one a great event for the senior players. "The city of Salem and the entire Roanoke Valley is a sports-minded community. They have an unmatched record of hosting amateur championship sports events and they are excited to have the ISF Senior World Cup coming to their town. They have some superior facilities (dugouts even have restrooms) and they will be staffed throughout the tournament to prepare the infields between each game and provide official scorekeepers with electronic scoreboards in use. This is a new location for the senior teams and those that enter this year will experience a quality senior tournament. We will have our staff there that have organized the first six ISF senior events and together we can assure the teams a rewarding experience."

And when not on the softball field, players will get a chance to visit the National Park Service's facility with the greatest number of visitors, the Blue Ridge Parkway.The Parkway follows the ridge line high above the Roanoke Valley and provides the visitor with some beautiful vistas of the world's most beautiful mountains and valleys below. With abundant wildlife and striking mountain fauna, the drive will create some long lasting memories.

THE SENIOR SOFTBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA - Teams going to the 14th ISSA World Championsips at Manassas, Virginia this year will be part of a milestone event. The tournament will be the 20th world-class senior softball event held in Prince William County which gave rise to the area becoming known internationally as the Senior Softball Capital of the World. Teams from throughout the United States (and sometimes international locations) find this event to be a preferred destination to compete in senior softball. With excellent softball facilities surrounded by many historical sites that were significant to the growth and development of the Country, some players schedule in additional days to visit area attractions including our Nation's Capitol. So why not explore our nation's heritage and learn more about the people, the times and the decisions that made America while in Manassas for the ISSA World Championships this year.

Competition has been programmed for senior women beginning at age 40 and senior men at age 50. Again this year the World Championships will also include Masters Divisions for 35+, 40+ and 45+ men's teams. The Prince William County/Manassas CVB has mailed tournament packets to all teams that have previously expressed an interest in participating. Others may request a tournament packet from the ISSA Office or copy the needed forms and information from the ISSA website.

ASA SENIOR NATIONALS RETURN TO BURLINGTON, NC

BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA - Twenty years ago in nearby Greensboro, the first senior softball national tournament was held for players exclusively over the age of fifty and up. The event was organized by Ken Maas who was joined by Bob Mitchell from the west coast to create a true National Tournament which they called the Senior Softball World Series. This year as they have for the previous three years, the Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body for the sport, will invite the senior players to return to their roots and compete for the Senior National Championship in North Carolina.

Tony Laws and his staff look forward to serving as the "official host" for the tournament again this year The Burlington Recreation & Parks Department is proud to be hosting the 2008 ASA Men's Senior Nationals Softball Tournament August 29- Sept.1. As the previous host in 2005, 2006 and 2007, this event has a proven track record with the senior teams who enjoy the North Carolina hospitality. Mark Cryan, City Athletic Director will serve as Tournament Director and is very excited to have the seniors coming back to Burlington and looks forward to a great senior tournament.

Teams will find the tournament information for this event on the Burlington website at www.burlingtonnc.gov, "Tournament Information.". There will be no charge for spectators this year and souvenirs and food concessions will be available at each venue. Also, the format will be the same as last year; two pool games on Friday with double elimination starting on Saturday. Tournament officials plan to finish on Sunday and only use Monday as a make-up day for bad weather or overflow of teams.

Hotel reservations may be made through the Alamance County Convention & Visitors Bureau web site at www.burlington-area-nc.org or by calling1-800-637-3804. Teams should make their reservations early since nearby Elon University has an early start this year and the tournament weekend overlaps with the University’s move-in day!

The Amateur Softball Association which sanctions this event was founded in 1933, and is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 240,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. The ISSA has been an Allied Member of ASA since 1996. For more information on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com.

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THE ISSA WINTER NATIONALS

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA – This October senior players will get to Experience the Fun at Virginia Beach, on and off the field. City officials, the ASA Tidewater District staff and the ISSA staff have teamed up to host the first ISSA Winter National event which is planned for October 3-5. This world-class resort city recently completed a new 8-field state-of-the-art softball complex which will supplement other nearby quality fields to accommodate the Senior and Masters teams expected to participate.

Competition will be held for Senior women’s teams from 40 and Over to 65 and Over. All age classifications and skill level divisions will be included for the Senior men’s teams. Men’s Masters competition will be scheduled for 35 and Over, 40 and Over and 45 and Over. And a new division of play for ISSA will be a 35+ Coed Division. The Winter Nationals will permit players who are eligible for an age division in 2009 to compete in this October tournament. Teams can use this tournament to begin the process of putting their tournament team together for 2009, a concept that many senior teams find helpful.

Also, this event will be a great opportunity for all of Jay Smith's friends and former teammates to drop by wish him well. Jay will be retiring as the Athletic Director for Virginia Beach at the end of the year.

 

OLYMPIC SOFTBALL, FILLING THE BLEACHERS

Back Softball, the campaign to get softball reinstated on the Olympic program in 2016, received a significant boost recently with news that attendance at the softball games this August at the Summer Games in Beijing should be at or near capacity. The International Softball Federation, the world governing body for the sport, has learned that tickets for all four of the medal round games are sold out, and those for the 28 round robin games are 90% sold.

Fans around the world still wishing to purchase tickets for softball games at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing are being encouraged to do so now while there is still availability for the round robin portion of the tournament. Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, the Netherlands, USA, and Venezuela are set to compete from August 12-21.

For more information contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or +1 813 864 0100.

STEVE DIMITRY, A WALKING SOFTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA

NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA - Ever try to remember the year that a certain team won a National Tournament? Just check with Steve Dimitry from Norristown, PA, he will tell you. By day, Steve is a software engineer for Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia, Pa. By night, he's a slow pitch player who also spends a "couple hours" each week updating his website,"Steve Dimitry's Slow Pitch Softball History Page, which is comparable to browsing a softball encyclopedia, acknowledged Bill Plummer with the ASA Hall of Fame. Steve's website is: www.angelfire.com/sd/slopitch. "It's the most comprehensive, all-embracing, all-inclusive and extensive treatment of the game since its inception" once wrote Mark Linnemann, editor of Cincinnati SOFTBALL News. Steve's website has information on slow pitch as well as fast pitch and from college to pro softball. There is a section on legends of the game (slow pitch) complete with stats and photos."All the information you ever wanted to know about slow pitch softball is in here," says the introduction. The site covers all national championships of all the softball organizations, past and present, and from men's and women's to seniors.

A 1982 graduate of West Chester State, Steve started his website in 1998 after finding out informationwasn't available about some of the softball greats his Dad, James, had played against during his softballcareer playing fast pitch and slow pitch for Grumman. People like Jim Galloway, Bert Smith and H.T. Waller. A frequent visitor to the Dimitry home when Steve was growing up was Hall of Fame fast pitch pitcher Roy Stephenson. "I looked on the internet and couldn't find anything about them," said Steve.''Then I checked some old copies of Balls and Strikes. (ASA's official publication)."

Dimitry eventually met the late Jerome Earnest, former softball historian and writer who chronicled slow pitch softball for more than two decades before his untimely death April 9th, 2000.''He had a lot of information," Dimitry said.''I realized then that my Dad wasn't pulling my leg and had played against these guys." Steve went as far to call some of the Hall of Famers, requesting information from them, including Myron Reinhardt, a member of the ASA National Hall of Fame who was instrumental in helping establish slow pitch's identity on America's softball fields when it was added to the ASA championship program in 1953.

"I was kinda like a detective in trying to find his name in the phone book," Dimitry said.''I eventuallyfound him in Alexandria, Kentucky and he sent me a pile of stuff. And what a nice person."Steve has since continued to contact ball players and has appreciated their "help and cooperation" in making his website as accurate and complete as possible. "I enjoy doing it," Dimitry said."And I still enjoy playing slow pitch. I started out as an outfielder but I've slowed down a bit so I've switched to catching and DH. I really look forward to joining the senior ranks next year when I turn 50."

As a player rep for District 14 of the Pennsylvania ASA, Steve was instrumental in upgrading the Pennsylvania website, and was honored with the ASA of PA Media Award in 2003. "I got to know him (Steve) through the Pennsylvania ASA," said Guy DeMaio.''Steve's been a tireless worker and put a lot of effort in locating information and putting it all together." Dimitry has gone above and beyond in providing a valuable service to softball afficionados that otherwise wouldn't exist. Everyone should be thankful Dimitry cares that much for a thankless task that is time consuming, yet rewarding and satisfying. THANK YOU, STEVE.

THE SOFTBALL TODAY SHOW IS UP AND RUNNING

PLANT CITY, FLORIDA - Hey Softball Fans tune in to the newest Internet Radio show as West Central Florida ASA's Softball Today Show coming to you every Sunday evening at 7 pm Eastern Time. Go to www.playasa.org and then click on Webcast on the top right hand corner and then Today's Broadcast. They will be giving you the updates in the Softball World including the Senior Division. If you would like to be a part of the show send in an email of what's happening in your softball world. If you miss a show you can listen to the archive broadcast later.

Tune in you might like it, if you do let Carlton Benton know at cb@playasa.org

WEST COAST HISTORY IN THE MAKING

WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA - Manager Gary Tryhorn of the Old A's 60 Major Plus senior team carries the torch today for a team with a rich and very successful history that began 25 years ago. Prior to the 1985 season, Jerry Matteri and Ed Menosse got together and decided to put together a 40 year old softball team to compete locally and nationally. They came up with the name Old A's, as both were from Richmond, California, and were Oakland Athletics fans.

Menosse had been a long time friend of the then manager of the A's Billy Martin. Billy told Ed to talk to his equipment manager about getting some uniforms. The Oakland A's equipment manager came through with shirts, hats, and jackets at wholesale prices.

This first Old A's team consisted of some of the old Campbell Carpet players, the Bay Area Merchant players, and some of the areas best over 40 players in the area. This team competed all around the country until it was turned into a 50 team in 1989 when Bob Mitchell introduced a 50 program nationally. About 1993 Dan Smith took over sponsorship of the Old A's team and renamed it the Dan Smith Plastering team. This team competed as a 50 major team with Ed Menosse as its manager. This team played about 130 games a year, and traveled all over the country to compete.

In 1997 the Old A's name was revived as a 55 major team with Joe Peach as it's manager. Most of the team was made up of ex-Old A's 50 players. The team competed during 1997 and 1998.

1999 was a banner year for the Old A's. It's manager, Tom French, took the team to two national championships, the World Series in Tallahassee, and the World Championships in Phoenix, and won both.

In 2000, Gary Tryhorn took over as manager of the Old A's. Acquiring Sky Trek Aviation, of Modesto, California, as a major sponsor, has enabled the team to travel to many tournaments that are not local. During the year the team competed in 20 tournaments across the nation. Highlights of the year included winning the NSA Western World Championships in Modesto, California, winning the Senior Softball World Series in Detroit, winning the Senior Softball World Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, placing second in the USSSA Championships in Salem, Oregon, and second in the ISA World Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada. These tournaments included the best 55 Major teams in the nation. 2001 again saw the team compete in about 20 tournaments throughout the year. Most notable was the NCSSA Championships held in Carson City, Nevada, placing first. The NSA Western World from Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale was won by the team going away. Denver was host to the USSSA Championships and the Sky Trek Old A's placed 2nd to a combo team from Florida and Georgia. Off to Detroit and the Senior Softball World Series saw the team win the championship over a determined team from New Jersey. Next was a second place finish at the World Championships in Las Vegas, and on to Plano, Texas for the SPA World Finals. After being behind 19-3 in the championship game, the team rallied to defeat the team from Virginia and take the title. Our worst finish of the year, 3rd, was next at the ISA World Championships in Las Vegas.

During the 2002 campaign, the Sky Trek Old A's competed in, and won, the following National Championships; USSSA in Salem, Oregon, ISSA in Manassas, Virginia, World Series in Des Moines, Iowa, ISA in Ft. Myers, Florida, World Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Huntsman World Games in St. George, Utah. The team also took a couple of third places, at the SPA in Plano, Texas, and the LVSSA in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2003, the Old A's/Miken team competed in 6 National Championships, finishing first at the USSSA in Blaine, Minnesota, first at the LVSSA in Las Vegas, first at the SSWC in Mobile, Alabama, and first at the SSWS in Des Moines, Iowa. Completing the year with a fourth at the ISSA in Manassas, Virginia, and second at the SPA in Plano, Texas.

In 2004, the Old A's/Miken team became a 60 year old team, and changed their name to the Ca Bandits. This in order for the 55 Old A's team to form an identity. During this year the 60 year old team won the USSSA championship in Panama City Beach, Florida, the World Series in Des Moines, Iowa, the SPA in Plano, Texas, the World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah. They came in second at the ASA in Salem, Oregon.

Also in 2004, the 55 Old A's team competed in and won the following national championships. The World Series in Des Moines, Iowa, the ASA in Salem, Oregon, the LVSSA in Las Vegas, Nevada, the World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah. They also came in fourth in the SPA in Plano, Texas.

In 2005, the 60 year old team, renamed the Old A's/Miken, won the SPA in Plano, Texas, the USSSA in Hutchinson, Kansas, the World Series in Des Moines, Iowa, the LVSSA in Las Vegas, Nevada, the World Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, and came in second at the ASA in Burlington, North Carolina. 2006 saw the Old A's/Miken team winning the NSA National Championship in Las Vegas, the USSSA National Championship in Salem, Oregon, the World Championships in Seattle, Washington, the LVSSA National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah. The team also garnered a second place finish at the World Series in Palm Springs, California, and a third place at the SPA National Championships in Plano, Texas. The Old A's have 14 active players that have been inducted into the Senior Softball Hall of Fame, and another 4 players that have qualified and are awaiting the vote for induction.

2007 was a pivotal year for the Old A's/Miken team. It was the fourth year that the team has competed in the 60 Major Plus division, and it became obvious that the team needed to infuse younger players into its ranks. The team started out with a fourth place at the SPA Championships in Kansas City. The Old A's then won the USSSA National Championships in Milwaukee Wisconsin, the World Series in Mankato, Minnesota, and the NSA Western World Series in Modesto, California. The team than came in third at the LVSSA in Las Vegas, and then won the Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah, and the World Championships in Phoenix, Arizona.

The grand total so far for the Old A's/Miken team since 1999 is 37 National Championships out of 52 attended. The breakdown includes 6 2nd place finishes, 6 3rd place finishes, and 3 4th place finishes. For 2008 the Old A's have added six new players to the team in an attempt to be competitive in the ever expanding 60 Major Plus division.

APRIL'S FINEST, A FINE EVENT

NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - One of senior softball's finest early tournaments is in fact, April's Finest. This year was the 12th annual senior tournament hosted by the North Charleston Recreation Department under the able direction of Cindy Dambaugh. The games are played at both the Westvaco Park in North Charleston and the Gahagan Complex in nearby Summerville and are sanctioned by the Softball Players Association.

The event kicks off on Thursday night with a barbecue or fish fry prepared by the City to welcome the players and guests and prepare them for a great tournament. During their stay, the players also find time to enjoy some very fine Charleston area "low country" cuisine in some fabulous restaurants. At this event even the concession stand food is hard to beat.

On the field, teams can count on playing senior teams from a wide geographic area as the warm climate and a reputation for quality attracts teams from throughout the eastern United States. After the preliminary games the teams are generally divided into Gold and Silver divisions to compete for the handsome award packages provided by the host City. Division winners are presented with a set of jackets, uniform shirts and hats in addition to the championship plaque.

Cindy and her staff do a great job for the senior teams and this is one tournament they look forward to each year. All senior teams are invited to participate and if your team is over 50 or older, you should experience North Charleston in April, nothing could be finer than a trip to South Carolina. The following senior teams captured the division championships for 2008:

• 55+ GOLD - Carolina All-Stars - Raleigh NC
• 60+ GOLD - Brix and Stix - The Villages, FL
• 60+ SILVER - VA Cavaliers - Fairfax, VA
• 65+ GOLD - Thomas Engineering - Manassas, VA
• 65+ SILVER - Kittrell Properties - Knoxville, TN
• 70+ GOLD - Southern Pride - Pensacola, FL
• 70+ SILVER - Mid GA Seniors - Columbus, GA

FROM THE DESK OF RB THOMAS, JR.

A WORD OF THANKS - This month I thought that I would use this space to thank all those senior players and friends from all over who have communicated their well wishes and held up my wife, Ann in prayer over the past 16 months. Many also advised that Ann was on their Church's Prayer List. Ann always appreciates everyone's concern and support and it was comforting for her to know that so many people in the sport of softball cared about her well being and were praying for her.

In March Ann had another setback and was hospitalized in our local hospital for a week with a very serious blood infection then had to be moved to a large teaching hospital to seek further treatment from one on the Nation's leading vascular surgeons. She was examined that night by the surgeon and his team of doctors and the conclusion was she needed emergency surgery which was scheduled for the next day. The medical experts assured us that the only resolution was to undergo surgery to remove a graft where the blood infection had settled. That evening on the one-hour drive home late at night I spent the time talking to God and prayed that he would abide with her and give her the strength and will to continue the brave fight she had been having for over a year as she battled multiple medical issues. I felt confident in the physicians but was really worried for how long Ann could stay mentally strong to cope with her issues. You see, the operation the next day would return her to where she started almost a year earlier and then after four operations which had left her with only partial use of her hands, she would be worse off than when she started. God heard our prayers.

The next morning Ann awoke to find her arm healed. The swelling the size of a tennis ball was gone, the bright red color was gone and the high temperature was gone. It was a miracle from God. In just a few short hours the area of her arm where a graft had been inserted two months earlier looked normal again, the medical team was surprised when they came to ready her for the operation and decided to postpone the surgery until the following day. The next day it looked even better and the following day she was released from the hospital. Today Ann is using the graft for dialysis and looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks again for all your prayers.