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00:00:00So this year's Slow Pitch Complex of the Year Award is going to go out to a complex.
00:00:05I had a very good year, but let's go back a year.
00:00:08March 30th, 2023, this park completed a renovation for the 2023 season.
00:00:15March 31st, 2023, the park was leveled by an EF3 tornado.
00:00:21The park was originally opened in the 1970s.
00:00:26The city, with a tremendous effort from the Parks and Rec Department, rebuilt the park,
00:00:32ground up for Manhattan's first tournament, December 9th, 2023.
00:00:36The rebuild included lightning, lighting, fences, backstops, concession stands, reconditioned
00:00:42fields.
00:00:43In 2024, it hosted 38 events, 634 tournament teams, six benefit tournaments, leagues for
00:00:51slow pitch, fast pitch, kickball, flag football, baseball, and youth soccer.
00:00:56With over 130 registrations for these sports.
00:01:01The park is made up of one baseball, six softball, two football, soccer, one cricket field.
00:01:06Other amenities, dog park, disc, golf, skate park, and a BMX bike park, started hosting
00:01:13UAAA events in the year 2000.
00:01:16This year's recipient of the Park of the Year, on top of winning this award, also won
00:01:21the Cornhole Protest last night, goes to Dupree Park in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
00:01:58Thank you for this award.
00:02:04Those cornhole bags in question definitely didn't help us out, as we were beat by Andy
00:02:10and them.
00:02:13Dupree's always been the place where everybody started playing slow pitch.
00:02:20When it was taken out by the tornado, it was huge to get it back.
00:02:26The vision of Kevin House, and his hard work, the maintenance crew in Jacksonville, they
00:02:32got it back running in about five months, and it was a lot of hard work.
00:02:39We appreciate that, and also want to just thank UAAA for their support, and Dupree Park
00:02:52has been UAAA Park from 2000 on.
00:02:55It was one of the very first in Arkansas to join them, and we just appreciate UAAA.
00:03:12We have two Spark Plug of the Year awards in slow pitch this year.
00:03:16This individual asked to work in an area where UAAA had completely fallen off the map.
00:03:21He put in many hours selling himself and our program to local teams not familiar with
00:03:25us.
00:03:26This resulted with several quality events, state championships, and new teams coming
00:03:31to Viera for Worlds and our Challenge Cup.
00:03:34This individual, also being involved in the fast pitch, has plans to continue growing
00:03:38slow pitch in Wisconsin and the region in general.
00:03:42For his efforts, we want to recognize this year's Spark Plug of the Year to Victor Canales.
00:03:50Victor had a takeoff last night, so we'll make sure that he does get his award.
00:03:59Our second Spark Plug of the Year goes to the director who continues to evolve.
00:04:04He's a business-minded professional that connects with his athletes on a personal level.
00:04:10He's willing to go above and beyond to assist surrounding state directors and directors
00:04:16themselves.
00:04:18The last three years has traveled to several surrounding states, assuring the teams have
00:04:23a professional program to play.
00:04:27Continues to announce the second Spark Plug of the Year goes to Kelly Romano of Oregon.
00:04:57Oh boy, I wasn't expecting that, that's for sure.
00:05:08This year's been a blast.
00:05:09I just want to say thank you to Sean and everyone else.
00:05:15I mean, wow, I'm shocked.
00:05:18Yeah, three, what, I did four World Tournaments this year, Oregon, I worked with Idaho, worked
00:05:25with Washington, oh boy, thank you.
00:05:41This award goes to an outstanding director who bleeds orange like I do, and has dedicated
00:05:47his career towards the growth of slow-pitch softball in his state.
00:05:51He currently has the second largest GSL program in the country.
00:05:56The state director is never seeking recognition or acknowledgement for the hard work he puts
00:06:01in on a daily basis.
00:06:03Hard work is his nature.
00:06:06He often refers to me as a company man and just kind of stick it to me once in a while,
00:06:12but deep down inside, he's a company man too.
00:06:16He is a person I can always count on and bounce ideas off of.
00:06:21Our peers and his customers have a ton of respect for everything he's done, giving players
00:06:25the best product in his state.
00:06:282024 GSL director of the year goes to, from the state of Arizona, Bob Fuller.
00:06:54I'm short and sweet here, guy.
00:06:57First off, I've got to recognize a couple guys that gave me this opportunity.
00:07:03Without them kind of handing over their baby to me, I wouldn't have made all this possible.
00:07:08So Doug Stark, Elliott Clark, I owe you guys a lot.
00:07:12Fast forward to today, I've got to give a shout out to my staff, my umpires, we wouldn't
00:07:17be anything without you guys, you guys are rock stars.
00:07:20A bunch of years ago, I made a promise to my teams that I'd bring them the best competition
00:07:26and the best product possible.
00:07:29We're doing a pretty good job of it so far.
00:07:30So I bleed orange at the end of the day.
00:07:33Thanks guys.
00:07:42This year's recipient of the USSSA Slow Pitch Director of the Year will be going to the
00:07:45Challenge Cup Committee, which consists of the following members.
00:07:50Committee chair is Stro and Kenneson.
00:07:52Members are Jim Pilla, Tim Yamashita, Kirsten Zarm, Clay Dickey, Vic Rivera, Kelly McLemore,
00:08:00and Juan Martinez.
00:08:02The Challenge Cup Committee has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in enhancing
00:08:06the USSSA program.
00:08:08The committee has introduced several key initiatives aimed at improving player experience and the
00:08:12overall success.
00:08:15The committee's dedication to continuous improvement is evident in their regular strategy sessions
00:08:21where they brainstorm and develop innovative ideas to keep the program fresh and engaging.
00:08:26Their commitment to excellence not only enhances the Challenge Cup program, but also has set
00:08:30a benchmark for other events.
00:08:33Stro would like to ask you to come up and accept this award on behalf of the committee.
00:09:05The real thank you goes to the directors.
00:09:09We just had a meeting on the Challenge Cup.
00:09:12This isn't possible without our directors believing in the vision.
00:09:19It's the Olympics of softball.
00:09:21It's not for everybody.
00:09:23Thank you to USSSA for the opportunity to start this event to begin with.
00:09:29Where it's going, we're not even close to finish, so thank you.
00:09:40Before I hand this off to baseball, I just want to say thank you to all the slow pitch
00:09:43folks this week.
00:09:44We had a great series of meetings.
00:09:46We're excited for the continuous growth that we're seeing in the program and really excited
00:09:51to see how 2025 goes and see everybody this time next year.
00:09:55At this point, I'll hand this over to Steve and Frank.
00:10:14These lights are bright.
00:10:17Our first award will be the Complex of the Year.
00:10:20This facility is a city-owned and operated facility.
00:10:24They have been extremely loyal to USSSA.
00:10:26They host their own events and all our baseball events are sanctioned with USSSA.
00:10:31They've been a member of USSSA for 20 years.
00:10:36Extremely good partners, extremely loyal partners, running quality events.
00:10:41The facility has run over 1,650 teams in 2024, including state events, NITs, qualifiers,
00:10:48and global qualifiers.
00:10:51This individual that runs this event is the foundation of our West Tennessee area.
00:10:56Their facility has just been a perfect fit for USSSA and extremely loyal to USSSA throughout
00:11:04the years.
00:11:05At this time, I'd like to invite Ryan Blake up from West Tennessee Health Care Sports
00:11:09Complex to accept the Complex of the Year award.
00:11:33On behalf of the West Tennessee Health Care Sports Complex, I'm deeply honored to accept
00:11:35the U-Triple-A National Complex of the Year award.
00:11:38First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire Sportsplex
00:11:41staff.
00:11:43Their dedication and creativity ensure that every player, coach, and family who steps
00:11:46onto our field has a first-class experience.
00:11:48I also want to thank the City of Jackson groundskeeping team.
00:11:52Their commitment to excellence in maintaining our 17 fields across 70 acres ensures that
00:11:56our complex is always game-ready.
00:11:59To our UIC Mike Woods and our umpires, thank you for managing our games with professionalism
00:12:03and integrity.
00:12:05To Mayor Scott Conger and the City of Jackson, thank you for believing in our vision of the
00:12:09Sportsplex and supporting us in every step of the way.
00:12:20Your investment in the facility has positioned us as a destination for thousands of teams
00:12:24across our region.
00:12:25A special thank you goes to our naming rights partner, West Tennessee Health Care.
00:12:29Your partnership with us from the very beginning has been instrumental in helping us grow and
00:12:34provide exceptional opportunities for athletes and their families.
00:12:37Finally, to our community and our countless visitors who choose to come to Jackson, Tennessee,
00:12:42thank you for your continued support.
00:12:44This award belongs to everyone that has contributed to the success of the Sportsplex since its
00:12:48opening in 2006, and it's a reflection of what can be achieved with hard work, collaboration,
00:12:53and a shared vision that comes together.
00:12:55Thank you to USSSA for this incredible honor.
00:12:58We are proud to represent our city, our partners, and the broader sports community.
00:13:02Here's to many more years of success and service.
00:13:15Our next award is our Spark Plug of the Year award.
00:13:19This award is going to go to an individual in a state that has been very, very challenging
00:13:22for USSSA baseball.
00:13:25This individual came into a market that has traditionally been very difficult to host
00:13:30events.
00:13:31This individual has taken the state from one event a year max to seven events in 2024 in
00:13:35his first year.
00:13:36By 2025, he already has 13 events posted, of which four have already happened that have
00:13:41been extremely successful.
00:13:47We are extremely pleased and proud of the work that this person has put in and can't
00:13:50wait to see where it goes from here.
00:13:52This individual was running non-sanctioned events, Lane Petrie from our office started
00:13:57making phone calls and tracked this individual down.
00:14:01It was one of the best phone calls that I think Lane's made because we have really,
00:14:04really struggled as a state.
00:14:05From the great state of Utah, I'd like to invite Will Hanson up here from Better Baseball
00:14:09to accept the Spark Plug of the Year award.
00:14:21Yeah, I don't know what to say.
00:14:45I feel super welcome.
00:14:48I never really won anything before, so anyway, yeah, appreciate you guys.
00:14:54Looking forward to it.
00:14:55I'm going to apologize on this next one because I'm going to run through some numbers first.
00:15:17This next award is our Director of the Year award.
00:15:20We had some interesting discussions about this because where we're giving this award
00:15:25this year, these people typically don't like to be recognized and there was a little bit
00:15:30of an argument.
00:15:31I'd say an argument.
00:15:32I was like, hey, I already turned it in, I'm sorry, so don't be mad at me.
00:15:39Team registered in 2024, number one in the organization with 3,041, which was up from
00:15:462,457.
00:15:48Number of events ran in 2024, number one was 212, up from 183.
00:15:53Number of total teams and tournaments was number one, 11,844, which was up from 9,338.
00:16:00Teams paid online, number one, 10,342, up from 7,598.
00:16:06Total number of post-season entries, number two, 223, up from 199.
00:16:11Those numbers are from our Florida State Office.
00:16:14These individuals and Darrell Hanasek, Roger Miller, and Scott Rutherford worked tirelessly
00:16:18to help our program across the country and in the state of Florida.
00:16:22Told Steve that this is the group that needed to be recognized because we always, a lot
00:16:26of times, we don't want to recognize people that work day in and day out.
00:16:31These guys truly, truly, truly run the best state office in the country in terms of numbers
00:16:37for U-Triple-C Baseball.
00:16:38It's with great honor that our Director of the Year Award goes to the Florida State Office,
00:16:42and I'd like to invite Darrell Hanasek, Roger Miller, and Scott Rutherford up here to accept
00:16:46their awards.
00:17:15Much appreciated.
00:17:16And like Frank says, we're an office, we're a team, it wasn't just one of us doing this.
00:17:21We all have our part.
00:17:22Unfortunately, Scott's not here to share in the honor, and certainly Steve shouldn't go
00:17:27unnoticed in this either.
00:17:30We're just in a great state with lots of teams, and we've been fortunate to have a good staff.
00:17:35It's growing, we've got the boys over here now, and looking forward to more success in
00:17:40the future.
00:17:50So I'll step in for Daryl, like I said, I've got to thank these guys.
00:17:54When I was offered the position as the National Baseball Director, there was no way I could
00:17:57have accepted that to lead baseball without these guys.
00:18:00When we decided to partner up, it really changed our business.
00:18:03It allowed me to take a step back, work more in the national role, and our company hasn't
00:18:07missed a beat.
00:18:08Again, when we decided to do this, it was an interesting dynamic, putting four guys
00:18:12in one office and partnering up.
00:18:14Sometimes it's like a WWE cage match, and sometimes it works great, but I love you guys
00:18:18and I appreciate it, thanks.
00:18:27We have one more award to present.
00:18:29It's a Community Service Award.
00:18:30This is an award that we look at within a program and in all of our sports, and it's
00:18:36a new award that the national office decided was very merited, and I agree.
00:18:46I was honored to be able to introduce this individual.
00:18:50This individual started an event for St. Jude's Benefit Tournament in 2019 in memory of his
00:18:55daughter Kaylee, and donates approximately $30,000 to $40,000 a year every year from
00:19:00this event.
00:19:01Kaylee was a patient at St. Jude after being diagnosed with soft tissue cancer in her sinuses
00:19:07at a very young age.
00:19:08She would have been 25 years old this year.
00:19:13This individual is passionate about the cause and has been championing for St. Jude's fundraising
00:19:17for years to help families.
00:19:18If you've ever been to his events, they're amazing, and it is really all about the cause
00:19:23for St. Jude.
00:19:25Unfortunately, this individual couldn't make it here.
00:19:28He had some emergency things that came up with construction and renovations in his full-time
00:19:32job and did not know that he was receiving this award, still does not know he's receiving
00:19:37this award, so hopefully when he sees this, he'll be excited.
00:19:40This award goes to Jimmy Greer from the state of Louisiana.
00:19:42At this time, I'd like to call Cindy Hall, our Fast Pitch State Director, to accept Jimmy's
00:19:50award on his behalf.
00:20:10I know Jimmy is going to be extremely excited about this because this is very special to
00:20:15his heart.
00:20:16It's more about the event for him.
00:20:19It's about keeping his daughter's name alive, so this is going to mean a lot to him.
00:20:24All right, that's it for baseball.
00:20:31I want to thank all the baseball directors that came.
00:20:33I hope you guys had a great convention.
00:20:34I think we covered a lot of great topics.
00:20:36I'm really excited about the future and where we're heading.
00:20:38To all the directors of all sports, again, thank you for attending.
00:20:41I hope you guys all accomplished all your goals, and I look forward to it.
00:20:43We're going to turn it over to Fast Pitch now, Ryan Heifel.
00:20:49All right, the first award for us in Fast Pitch is the Complex of the Year.
00:21:02Since 2009, USSS Fast Pitch has been hosting the national championships along Alabama's
00:21:08Gulf Coast at the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Foley Sportsplexes.
00:21:13Over the 15 years of hosting the championship, there have been challenges, such as an oil
00:21:16spill, a hurricane, and a national pandemic, but these challenges did not stand in the
00:21:22way of the USSS Fast Pitch national championships.
00:21:27Every national championship during those 15 years was completed, and a winner was declared
00:21:30at the tournament's close.
00:21:33City and its staff members go above and beyond to ensure that all the details are handled
00:21:37from pre-event to showtime coordination and execution of opening ceremonies.
00:21:41Coaches' meetings and skills competitions are just a few of the things that we depend
00:21:45on them for, and they make our national championship unique.
00:21:49It's a great example of a multi-city partnership with USSS, a partnership committed to creating
00:21:55a great experience for everyone.
00:21:57I'm proud to present the Complex of the Year award in Fast Pitch to Gulf Coast Sports Commission,
00:22:03Gulf Shores, Alabama.
00:22:05Here to accept this award is Michelle Russ.
00:22:31What an honor to be here to accept this on behalf of our cities and their facilities,
00:22:36but the real honor is to be able to work with James Baker, David, and their team to
00:22:42make a difference in young athletes' lives, but not only making a difference in their
00:22:47lives, making a difference in a local economy.
00:22:50What you all do matters, not just to those young athletes, but to the destinations where
00:22:55you bring your events.
00:22:56When we started in 2009, we started with one championship.
00:23:01We logged 700 rim nights.
00:23:03That was a big deal in 2009.
00:23:05In 2024, we hosted four USSS Fast Pitch championships, generated 22,000 rim nights from those events,
00:23:14and added $17 million economic impact to our local economy.
00:23:19That local economy, our business owners, families, tax dollars that help our cities run, so every
00:23:26one of you that run events across the country, you do make a difference to a lot of people.
00:23:31I'm proud to be a partner with USSS, and thank you again.
00:23:45The next award up for us is the Spark Plug Award.
00:23:48Really excited to present this award this year.
00:23:51It's going to an individual who's got a tremendous passion for all things USSS Fast Pitch, but
00:23:57particularly our All-American Games program.
00:24:00In just a few short years, she's taken that program to new heights, reaching record breaking
00:24:07numbers this past year in tryouts, and having over 1,200 athletes at our Summer All-American
00:24:13Games program this past summer.
00:24:16She's got great energy and a love for what we do on a day-to-day basis, and she's slowly
00:24:21becoming a pretty good tournament scheduler, too.
00:24:25It's my honor to present the Spark Plug of the Year Award to Kim Hatcher.
00:24:32Well, I didn't expect that.
00:24:50I just want to big thank you to Ryan for giving a chance on what I felt like I was
00:24:55just a kid, and giving me a program, and really just making it grow.
00:24:59Thank you to Jen for being there every step of the way, to all my directors for letting
00:25:04me come in and just run a program and disappear in like six hours, so we have a great time.
00:25:10We're excited for the future and making it better for the kids, so thank you, guys.
00:25:20The next award is the Director of the Year Award.
00:25:27It's always a tough one for us in fast pitch to decide upon, because we've got so many
00:25:32great directors out there that do a great job year in and year out, but this director,
00:25:38over the course of the last couple years, has gone above and beyond in any way possible
00:25:42to help us out.
00:25:44She's cultivating our program in new areas, assisting with our national programs, serving
00:25:49on subcommittees, and helping with user acceptance testing.
00:25:53Always just there to chip in and do anything when asked, and all that in addition to running
00:26:00a fantastic state program.
00:26:03It's a state program that this past year grew by over 500 teams and tournaments, so really
00:26:08happy to present this year's Director of the Year Award to Cindy Hall from Louisiana.
00:26:38Okay, so I don't have notes, because I didn't expect this, but I tell Ryan and Andy and
00:26:46others this.
00:26:47I think in this business, you cannot be successful as an individual all on your own.
00:26:54It's not a one-man show, so from the day that I decided to come from an organization where
00:27:02you were out on a limb, by yourself, and it was sink or swim, I came to USSSA.
00:27:09Frank Griffin, the baseball group in Louisiana, immediately stepped in to help me.
00:27:15Through the years after that, whether it's Ryan, Andy, other regions, Darren Durack,
00:27:23Gordon Patterson, Julie, Lori, Tim, Eddie, a number of people are all there for a phone
00:27:31call and to help if I had a question, once you're having to handle anything, and then
00:27:36I have been totally blessed to have the absolute best people within my own state in each area
00:27:44to build their programs, run things flawlessly.
00:27:48My girls, Dina and Nikki, that work with me in the state office are phenomenal.
00:27:53They're my right and left hand, couldn't do it without them, so I appreciate this very
00:27:58much.
00:27:59It's all a team effort, but the recognition that directors don't always get, it's nice
00:28:04to get sometimes, so thank you.
00:28:08The last award I'll be presenting this morning is a new award.
00:28:20It's the National Headquarters Director of the Year Award.
00:28:23The National Headquarters Director of the Year Award is a new award.
00:28:26The idea behind this award is to honor someone within the organization that represents all
00:28:32three of the diamond sports with excellence.
00:28:35This person definitely does this.
00:28:37A quote from one of her slow pitch directors in her area, she's always willing to help
00:28:41whenever there's a question, especially IT related.
00:28:45She's a person of tremendous character, honesty, and integrity, and from baseball, willing
00:28:51to work with other divisions in USSSA to promote and open events and areas that she
00:28:56worked in and had a presence in for the benefit of USSSA, not just for fast pitch.
00:29:01She's a true team player.
00:29:04I can speak directly from a fast pitch perspective, obviously, and in all the years that I've
00:29:08known this person, I don't think there's ever been an interaction I've had with her where
00:29:13she doesn't have a smile on her face and a positive attitude, and that goes a long way
00:29:18in being successful in what we do.
00:29:21So I'm super proud to present the first ever National HQ Director of the Year Award to
00:29:28Julie Rodriguez from New Mexico.
00:30:02I'm like Cindy, I'm going to cry.
00:30:05I did not expect this.
00:30:08I'm so blessed to have been given this opportunity, and there's so many people to thank.
00:30:16I treasure the relationship that I do have with all three sports, but it takes everybody
00:30:25behind us to make this successful, so I want to thank Kevin for believing in me and giving
00:30:31me the opportunity many, many, many years ago.
00:30:37He says he's not fast pitch, but he lies.
00:30:41He walked that road with me for a whole year.
00:30:45Ryan, Andy, thank you for your support, and the region, the south region, it's amazing.
00:30:52Vic, Tommy, Bert, slow pitch, couldn't do what we do without you guys.
00:30:59Thank you to all of you.
00:31:01It's the best organization there is, and I bleed red.
00:31:14In closing, just on behalf of fast pitch, like Sean and Steve mentioned, I want to thank
00:31:18all of our fast pitch directors for a great week.
00:31:21Appreciate all that you guys do.
00:31:23Awesome work this week, and excited to see what 2025 brings.
00:31:27Have a great holidays, and we'll definitely look forward to a fantastic 2025.
00:31:32With that, I'll turn it back over to Rick Fortuna.
00:31:44At this time, I'd ask for BJ Larson to come up here and give his presentation of the UTSA
00:31:50Award of Recognition for Supporting Director.
00:31:52BJ.
00:31:57Good morning.
00:32:03Thank you, Rick.
00:32:05In 2022, I asked our leadership if we could create a new award to highlight the efforts
00:32:10of some of our potentially unsung heroes.
00:32:12With the evolution of our association over the years, we are no longer a group of individual
00:32:16tournament directors going out there battling alone on a weekend.
00:32:19We've grown in number with directors that work in support of our state program, whether
00:32:23they be through tournament companies, assistant state directors, area directors, and such.
00:32:28These individuals dedicate themselves and display great passion and abilities to work
00:32:32every day to grow USSSA.
00:32:35This award is a recognition of those individuals and their contribution that may go unrecognized
00:32:39outside of their immediate areas.
00:32:41In fact, we have two individuals that have received this award as the supporting directors
00:32:46that have gone on to be named state directors almost immediately afterwards.
00:32:50It is my pleasure to be able to have this opportunity to recognize these individuals
00:32:54for their contributions and dedication to their USSSA program and sport.
00:32:58I've got an award in each of the sports.
00:33:02First, we'll go through fast pitch.
00:33:04These two individuals have been with USSSA since 2017.
00:33:08Both serve as tournament directors in support of the Louisiana State Office and are very
00:33:13instrumental in their all-state program, state championships, and other large state events.
00:33:18They also have been very willing to help out at the national and regional level in
00:33:22support of their USSSA fast pitch program at events such as the Road to the Show in
00:33:26Oklahoma, the Southern Nationals in Texas, and the AAG at the Space Coast Complex.
00:33:32These two are a great addition to their state and their association.
00:33:35Please help me recognize Nikki Rivers and Deanna Woldridge of Louisiana.
00:34:07I was really, really not expecting this.
00:34:09She's not the speaker, so I'll speak.
00:34:12I just want to say thank you all for all the opportunities.
00:34:15We've got to work with some really great people on all different levels.
00:34:19For Cindy Hall for being a great boss and a great mom.
00:34:39All right.
00:34:41Now to baseball.
00:34:43This individual has been with the USSSA since 2021.
00:34:45Beginning as a site director, he was immediately hired after the season to a full-time position
00:34:51in the Central Iowa Sports Office and given the title of Special Events Coordinator for
00:34:57CIS and the Iowa State Office.
00:35:00Since becoming a full-time employee, he has created and grown many new events within his
00:35:04state.
00:35:05He created an event called the Sandlot Games, which was the first individual registration
00:35:10event that allowed them to bring players in individually, draft them on the teams, and
00:35:15provide more opportunities to participate for kids in their area.
00:35:19He's also implemented a home-run derby circuit for both baseball and fast pitch within his
00:35:25state.
00:35:26This consists of multiple individual events that lead into one grand season-ending event
00:35:31allowing kids to participate and compete in a fun and enjoyable event.
00:35:36Another major point of emphasis for this individual was the All-State Program.
00:35:40He was tasked with growing and enhancing the All-State Showcase and MVP Games in his state.
00:35:45In 24, he organized and ran the All-State Showcase with more than 3,000 total athletes
00:35:50and an MVP Games with over 2,000 athletes participating in those contests.
00:35:55Additionally, he's worked at the national level to promote and advance the All-American
00:35:59Games.
00:36:00And in 2024, he was able to send, from their state, the four smooth athletes to the event
00:36:06in Kansas City.
00:36:08His passion and dedication to growing these events in Iowa has been an integral part of
00:36:11the overall success of USSSA baseball and fast pitch softball in those areas.
00:36:15I've had the pleasure to work with him myself, and I can attest to his efforts and professionalism.
00:36:22The individual has a bright future, and so please help me recognize Austin Gilbert of
00:36:28Iowa for his outstanding contributions.
00:36:32Yeah, like everyone else up here, this was a big shock, so I want to just give a big
00:36:58thank you to my office, Central Iowa Sports, and the leadership.
00:37:02I've been exposed to several great leaders in this industry, and I just want to say a
00:37:07big thank you to them and to all the directors out here.
00:37:10Invest in the next generation.
00:37:12It's going to make a lot of difference, and I hope that's a big takeaway that this
00:37:17award is something that I truly appreciate it.
00:37:20So thank you all.
00:37:34All right.
00:37:35Wrap this up.
00:37:36For slow pitch.
00:37:37This individual joined USSSA in 2021, and for anyone that has had the pleasure to work
00:37:42or interact with him can easily understand how he is one of the few that has actually
00:37:46already risen to the position of slow pitch director for his state of Georgia in just
00:37:51two short years.
00:37:52His dedication to a customer first motto has served him and USSSA very well.
00:37:57He is always willing to travel to nearby states and help fellow directors execute their events
00:38:02and has proven himself a very valuable asset for the Southwest region.
00:38:06We've had the pleasure to have him involved in many conference USSSA events and various
00:38:10world events throughout the region and the nation.
00:38:13It is for these reasons that I would like to have you help me recognize Derek Stubbs
00:38:17of Georgia for his outstanding contributions to USSSA.
00:38:51To God be the glory.
00:38:54Appreciate it.
00:39:05Thank you, B.J.
00:39:07And now I would ask Dave Morey to come up and give his presentations of the Official
00:39:11of the Year awards.
00:39:12Dave.
00:39:34First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who participated last night in our fundraiser
00:39:38for St. Jude's.
00:39:40We raised last night when we left $3,020.
00:39:44$3,020 in three hours.
00:39:51That exceeded our goal from last year, but I wasn't satisfied.
00:39:57So I went to Kirsten last night and I said, can I do a split the pot tomorrow to raise
00:40:03some more money?
00:40:04I want to try and get to $3,500.
00:40:07Well, Wendy was standing next to us and Kirsten didn't know the answer, so she looked at Wendy
00:40:12and said, can we do that?
00:40:15Wendy said, how much are you wanting to raise?
00:40:17I said, I'd like to raise another $500.
00:40:20And Wendy said, how about I just write the check for $500?
00:40:24So now our total is $3,520.
00:40:30Thank you, Wendy.
00:40:33If I would have known she was going to write a check, I would have asked for $1,000, but
00:40:37that's okay.
00:40:42To hand out our first awards this year for Fast Pitch, Umpire of the Year, and UIC of
00:40:47the Year is our national UIC, David Borges.
00:40:53First of all, congratulations, John.
00:41:18Next year, Hall of Famer.
00:41:20All right.
00:41:23The 2024 season saw the largest change of how we as U-TRIP conduct our officiating program.
00:41:35The introduction of three new major programs that the majority of you embraced, the Inaugural
00:41:41National Umpire Camp, the Gypsy Team, and Video Replay, has created a new wave of national
00:41:47interest to be part of a U-TRIP officiating team.
00:41:52We would like to recognize the following umpires from each region for their commitment and
00:41:58their body of work that made our program stride in 2024.
00:42:03From the Great Lakes, Indiana, Benji Spears.
00:42:06Midwest, Missouri, Cameron Estes.
00:42:09From the West, Oregon, McKenna Dunn.
00:42:13From the South, New Mexico, Rick Crespin.
00:42:17Northeast, Pennsylvania, David Laurie.
00:42:21And from the Southeast, Scott Anderson, Mississippi.
00:42:28Our 2024 UIC of the Year, brought up by his father through the U-TRIP officiating program,
00:42:34he has created a new culture of excellence that will propel his team as one of the best.
00:42:40He was given the opportunity to participate in multiple national events, and he took the
00:42:46task without fear.
00:42:48He even took, on the expense of flying across the nation, to cover an assignment that someone
00:42:55he recommended was unable to attend.
00:42:59It is with great honor to announce that the 2024 award will be staying right here in Texas.
00:43:05Oscar Ross.
00:43:37Okay, I'm just asking, do I have to speak?
00:43:41Because just like everybody else, hey, this is, I'm blessed.
00:43:45And I'm truly, truly blessed.
00:43:47I'm humbled.
00:43:49Thank y'all very much.
00:43:51Don, Vic, who, Darren DeRocque, plus my team, everyone who's been up here before, they said
00:43:59it, without the people that's been behind me, I would not have been able to do this.
00:44:06I'm going to keep pushing forward.
00:44:08I'm going to keep trying to do the best job that I can.
00:44:11And thank y'all very much.
00:44:23Second award, 2024 Umpire of the Year.
00:44:27Always striving for perfection, this umpire embraced the 2024 season like perhaps no one
00:44:33else has ever done.
00:44:35Covering over 800 games and participating in but not limited to 2 Power 50s, the All
00:44:42State Games, the U-Trip World Series, Road to the Beach Nationals, Tennessee Nationals,
00:44:48Indiana Nationals, Iowa Nationals, WFSC in Kansas, Northeast Nationals, All-American
00:44:57Games, where several umpires that went down due to the 110 heat, this umpire kept on jumping
00:45:03in and helping out.
00:45:06Also participated as an official in the WBSC Women's Championship in Canada.
00:45:13It was a great honor to announce the 2024 Umpire of the Year from Kissimmee, Florida,
00:45:18Maggie Bias.
00:45:26Maggie Bias is working for us at this very time, accepting the award for her newly inducted
00:45:32Hall of Famer, Gordon Patterson.
00:46:02Yeah, they're no more brighter than they were last night.
00:46:06I'm going to steal this away for just a second.
00:46:09Oscar, congratulations.
00:46:11I remember I worked with your dad, I roomed with your dad, and I remember when I said
00:46:15Oscar's going to be at this World Series, and Oscar, then I saw him, I said, man, you
00:46:20look a lot younger.
00:46:22Now I know why.
00:46:25Also, Mr. Murray, I'm going to challenge people, I'm going to get you another $500.
00:46:32I'm going to donate $50 to the St. Jude's.
00:46:37I'm going to challenge nine other people to come up with $50, or ten to come up with $25,
00:46:42whatever.
00:46:43Let's get that up to, what was that, $45,000?
00:46:46$4,000.
00:46:47Let's do it for St. Jude's.
00:46:49Okay?
00:46:50Now, this is Maggie's moment.
00:46:52I've worked with Maggie for several years as a site director, tournament director, state
00:46:57director, regional director.
00:46:59You know, it's not very often you get compliments about umpires.
00:47:02It's usually complaints.
00:47:05Every single tournament I work at, I get at least one, if not two or three compliments
00:47:10about her efforts.
00:47:12She's tough, and she knows the rules.
00:47:15Some people don't like her because she's tough, but she's damn good.
00:47:19Congratulations, Maggie.
00:47:21You deserve this.
00:47:22I'm glad to take this and take it home with you, or you're going to take it, someone's
00:47:26going to take it, but she deserves this very much.
00:47:42Last, I'd like to thank everybody for giving us the opportunity to move into a new direction
00:47:47with a fast-pitch officiating team.
00:47:50Andy, thank you so much.
00:47:53Ryan, great supporter.
00:47:55Guys, 2025 is going to be brighter than ever, and our officiating team is second to none.
00:48:10I think he's been hanging around with Don Briscoe too much because I keep telling him
00:48:16to keep it short and short, and he always wants one more word, one more word.
00:48:21Speaking of Don Briscoe, for those that don't know, he is home and recovering.
00:48:26He was on video chat with us several times this week, and he can't wait to get back
00:48:31out in the field after the first of the year.
00:48:34This next award is our GSL Slow-Pitch Umpire of the Year.
00:48:39It's my honor to present this to a man that started five or six years ago just working
00:48:44leagues and weekend tournaments, and he's moved up the ranks, and now he's driving
00:48:49all over the country working all of our national events for both U-Trip and GSL.
00:48:54He works conference events.
00:48:56He's probably put more miles on his vehicle this year than Dave Borges has, and he couldn't
00:49:05be here this weekend.
00:49:06He's an asset to our program.
00:49:09GSL Slow-Pitch Umpire of the Year goes to Lou Ross out of Ohio.
00:49:14To accept his award is the state UIC Eric Slim Rice.
00:49:44On behalf of Lou, I just want to thank everybody.
00:49:57The next award goes to our U-Triple-SA Slow-Pitch Umpire of the Year, someone who I've gotten
00:50:02to know very well, someone who takes his job very professionally.
00:50:07He works fast pitch and slow pitch, both for U-Triple-SA.
00:50:11He works high school sports.
00:50:13He'll do anything I ask him to do.
00:50:16He's the life of the party in the locker room whenever we need a joke or something
00:50:21to laugh at.
00:50:22He's from the great state of Georgia.
00:50:25He couldn't be here this weekend.
00:50:27My friend, Steve Malani.
00:50:29We'll make sure that he gets this award.
00:50:32The Umpire-in-Chief Award this year goes to a gentleman I met about six years ago.
00:50:39He's also quickly climbed the ladder.
00:50:43He handles all of our logistical things for all our world tournaments, for our conference
00:50:51events.
00:50:52He's made my job a lot easier.
00:50:55dealing with all the hotel, the flights, getting the umpires to and from where they
00:50:59need to be.
00:51:02He's from Illinois.
00:51:05My friend, Marshall Grissom.
00:51:09He's from Illinois.
00:51:12My friend, Marshall Grissom.
00:51:39What a shock.
00:51:59First, I want to say thank you to Dave Morey, Slim, Eric Rice for giving me the opportunity
00:52:05to advance myself from a regular umpire.
00:52:10I want to say thank you to all of the other umpires I work with.
00:52:14They make my job so much easier, easy to work with.
00:52:17The tournament directors from the conference, all of them, including all the surrounding
00:52:23state directors in the Midwest, make things so easy for me to do my job and to help in
00:52:29any way possible.
00:52:31Thank you again.
00:52:38We have two awards left.
00:52:40Here to present the National Service Award for Baseball is our National Chair, Frank
00:52:45Griffin.
00:53:01This year we had a very interesting process.
00:53:06I said, let's send out information to our directors and let's see what nominations we
00:53:11have.
00:53:12When I got them back and I was going through all of our nominations, I looked at this one
00:53:17individual and he just really, really stood out.
00:53:21This person started his umpiring career in 1997.
00:53:24He's worked at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels.
00:53:27After getting started as a volunteer umpire, he advanced as a member of his local UAAA
00:53:32umpire chapter.
00:53:33He's been recognized by his peers as a top umpire and has over 20 years of experience
00:53:39as a UAAA umpire.
00:53:41His passion for umpire is unmatched.
00:53:43He is currently responsible for recruitment and training of his UAAA Umpire Association
00:53:47and his state, which comprises of more than 600 umpires.
00:53:51With this, I would like to call up JP Richardson from the great state of Iowa to receive this
00:53:56recognition as our Baseball Umpire of the Year.
00:53:58Receive this recognition as our Baseball Umpire of the Year.
00:54:28Wow.
00:54:33First of all, it's hard when umpires, at the end of the day, they just want to go home
00:54:38and not be remembered, because that's the best compliment we can get, right?
00:54:42So Bob, I want to thank you for your vision.
00:54:45I've been working with Bob.
00:54:46I was one of the 10 original umpires that he and Danny back in the day called and asked
00:54:51when he got started in Iowa if I'd come over and help out.
00:54:55And I didn't hesitate.
00:54:57And I'm glad I did.
00:54:59And I just want to share two things, two greatest things that happened this year because of
00:55:04recruitment, was I got to tell an umpire too that we didn't need to use him that weekend
00:55:11because we had some good recruitment coming in.
00:55:15And the other thing was not a college game, not a high school game, but was when a young
00:55:21man asked me to work a double header with him for the first time.
00:55:26And I got to strap on the gear and go work a 12-year-old game again and help out this
00:55:31young, eager umpire that went through our training process.
00:55:34So keep up the vision, everybody.
00:55:36The umpire's going up through the roof with you.
00:55:38Triple S-A.
00:55:47One last award that we started a couple years ago to recognize that umpire among all three
00:55:54sports who has dedicated his career to U-Triple S-A with the longevity and things that he's
00:56:00done.
00:56:01And here to present this year's award is Strojan Kenison.
00:56:25Before I present this award, I'd like to recognize anybody that's in this association that's
00:56:32been here more than 30 years.
00:56:34Could you please stand up?
00:56:36Please stand up.
00:56:3830 years.
00:56:40Anybody that's been around 30 years or more?
00:56:4430 years or more?
00:56:49That right there is the foundation that's been built out in this room.
00:56:54Let's give them a round of applause.
00:57:03You also know that you've been around a while when you're standing up here giving an award out.
00:57:07This one here is humbling and is very personal to me.
00:57:13This gentleman has had an incredible impact on the U-Triple S-A community and has dedicated
00:57:19his life to the sport of softball, baseball, and fast pitch developments of umpires.
00:57:25From his early days in the 1980s to his impressive tenure as an assistant national UIC and a
00:57:31National Hall of Fame member, his contributions have shaped the standards and professionalism
00:57:37in umpiring.
00:57:39His commitment to excellence, leadership during tournaments, and his ability to build a
00:57:44respected, experienced crew truly exemplified the qualities of a remarkable mentor.
00:57:53The bond from former players, coaches, and fellow umpires being affectionately calling
00:58:01him dad, speaks volumes about the character and the respect he commands.
00:58:09In 2021, he decided to step away from the game.
00:58:13He turned his focus onto his health as he took on the battle of cancer.
00:58:19His outlook was not good and the expectations of longevity was not good at all.
00:58:27In all honesty, it is by the grace of God I am standing here introducing and presenting
00:58:34this award to him.
00:58:37As he has made a full recovery, cancer-free, drinking lots of Bud Light, and his loyalty
00:58:43to this association is second to none, and has adapted to a mentor and a historian to
00:58:50our U-Triple S-A members.
00:58:52His legacy will undoubtedly inspire many in the world of softball, baseball, and fast
00:58:57pitch.
00:58:58His journey is a testament to the resilience and supportive community he has fostered within
00:59:02the organization.
00:59:04He is now aged into being called Grandpa.
00:59:08Congratulations, Dale McGregor, on this well-deserved recognition.
00:59:42Wow, this is really unexpected since I retired years ago, should I say tried, but there's
00:59:59only one way to ever get to where I am right now, and that's having great people around
01:00:05you.
01:00:06And we learned this back in the early 80s and built a great tradition.
01:00:13I'm sitting over there with 160 years between us coming to conventions of four people, so
01:00:20it's a lot of dedication to U-Triple S-A, and that's what it takes is they have the
01:00:25heart.
01:00:26I appreciate that.
01:00:35Thank you very much.
01:00:44Thank you, Dave.
01:00:45I finally get to raise the microphone when I come to the stand instead of lower it.
01:00:51I appreciate that.
01:00:53And now I would like to ask Stacey Hobbs to come up and give the presentation of the National
01:00:59Headquarters Award of Excellence and also hand out the Years of Service pins.
01:01:05Stacey?
01:01:18How about that Dale McGregor?
01:01:19Man, that guy's, how old are you, Dale?
01:01:2182?
01:01:22Good Lord, I hope I'm getting along with you when I'm 82.
01:01:26Man, that's impressive.
01:01:27I guess Bud Light's a real good preservative.
01:01:31Anyway, good afternoon everybody.
01:01:37Welcome to the final day of the convention.
01:01:39We made it!
01:01:42It is my distinct honor to stand before you today as we recognize an individual who has
01:01:47exemplified the highest standards of excellence.
01:01:51Excellence is not merely about achieving goals, it's about going above and beyond.
01:01:56Showing dedication and inspiring those around you to do the same.
01:02:00This recipient has shown exceptional skill, unwavering commitment, and remarkable leadership
01:02:06in her state and beyond.
01:02:08Over the course of her time with USSS, she has consistently gone above and beyond expectations
01:02:13and is creating a legacy in her state.
01:02:17Whether it's the attention to detail or overcoming obstacles, our recipient consistently demonstrates
01:02:22qualities of a true leader.
01:02:24She is someone who not only meets the highest standards, but helps set those standards for
01:02:29everyone around her.
01:02:31Also, on a side note, she's the kindest person I know.
01:02:36It gives me great pleasure to present the National Office Award of Excellence to someone
01:02:41who has truly set the standard for us all, Miss Julie Rodriguez.
01:03:17Oh my gosh.
01:03:20Wow.
01:03:22This is such an honor.
01:03:24Again, thank you Stacey.
01:03:27Thank you for this opportunity.
01:03:30And like I said, we by far, we are blessed to have each other and to have this organization.
01:03:40So thank you.
01:03:47Kevin, you mad bro?
01:03:52That's a joke.
01:03:54Y'all come see me after the meeting.
01:03:55I'll tell you about it.
01:03:56It's pretty funny.
01:03:57Kevin does not think it's funny.
01:04:00All right.
01:04:05I have this.
01:04:06Service of pins.
01:04:07This is going to go really quick.
01:04:09Craig's going to hand them out.
01:04:10We only have two.
01:04:11It's kind of a weird year, right?
01:04:14Let's see.
01:04:16The first one.
01:04:19Actually, it is the first one.
01:04:21We have no 5s, no 10s, no 15s, no 20s, no 25s.
01:04:25Nope.
01:04:26We do have 125.
01:04:27And that is John Brandt.
01:04:30John Brandt?
01:04:32I know he was here earlier.
01:04:33Is he still here?
01:04:34Okay.
01:04:35All right.
01:04:36I think he's going to grab it for him.
01:04:39And then this one's so cool.
01:04:4335 years of service.
01:04:44Dale McGregor.
01:04:59Somebody buy him a Bud Light, please.
01:05:03Make sure he stays preserved.
01:05:07All right, you guys.
01:05:08That's it.
01:05:09Thank you so much.
01:05:10And now I'd like to call Craig Scrivins to the podium.
01:05:30So we're working on getting back to announcing the
01:05:33convention for next year, 2025.
01:05:36We're not currently there yet.
01:05:39We hope to announce it by the end of the year.
01:05:41And as we go forward, like I said, this time next year,
01:05:44we'll be able to announce the 2026.
01:05:46But one thing that we're looking at is leaving a
01:05:50footprint and a legacy when we look at cities to take
01:05:54our convention to.
01:05:55So, like I said, we'll be communicating that by the
01:05:58end of the year.
01:05:59I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all
01:06:02for making it a great week.
01:06:05Thank you to our national staff who keep us running
01:06:08this week in our regular operations as well as taking
01:06:12on this mammoth task.
01:06:14So thank you very much.
01:06:16I'd like to recognize Kirsten, Stephanie, and Alexa.
01:06:20You pulled up your sleeves and went to work in August
01:06:23on this convention.
01:06:24I know you created a committee, and I'm not sure
01:06:29who's on that committee, but I know you guys took calls
01:06:32and I want to thank you for doing a fabulous job.
01:06:35Your vision and execution has made this convention
01:06:38what it is today.
01:06:40So, Stephanie, Alexa, Kirsten, please stand up
01:06:44to be recognized.
01:06:45Finally, to my fellow board member, mentor, and friend.
01:06:49My dad said you could count your close friends
01:06:53on one hand.
01:06:54Maybe it's due to everything we've been through.
01:06:56Maybe it's because we share the same sleep schedule,
01:07:00but I want you to know you made that hand.
01:07:02Everyone in this room will continue to work hard
01:07:05as you've done in your 27 years.
01:07:07I want to thank you for your commitment to the
01:07:09community, your commitment to the students,
01:07:11your commitment to the faculty, your commitment
01:07:13to the faculty, and your commitment to the
01:07:15community.
01:07:17We will make sure USSS remains the leader
01:07:19in amateur sports.
01:07:20I know it's not the last time we will see you here,
01:07:22but it's my honor to welcome you back to the
01:07:24podium for your final adjournment.
01:07:26Please help me acknowledge our chairman of the
01:07:28board for his contribution to USSS
01:07:30and the legacy he's created, Rick Fortuna.
01:07:32Come back up.
01:07:33Rick Fortuna.
01:07:34Come back up.
01:07:35Rick Fortuna.
01:07:36Come back up.
01:07:37Rick Fortuna.
01:07:38Rick Fortuna.
01:07:39Rick Fortuna.
01:07:40Rick Fortuna.
01:07:41Rick Fortuna.
01:07:42Rick Fortuna.
01:07:43Rick Fortuna.
01:07:44Thank you, everyone.
01:07:59Thank you so much.
01:08:00I know you all will continue to keep your head down, fight the future so bright where
01:08:04it is headed.
01:08:06And as the very last time as your chairman, meeting adjourned.
01:08:44So we've got a hype video going behind us, if you want to say apologies, look at a video
01:11:32.
01:11:33.
01:11:34.
01:11:35.