USA Softball Region 9

Born & raised in Klamath Falls. Played Basketball & Baseball. Has coached on the High School level at North Medford High School and at the College Level at Southern Oregon University. Has retired and then asked to come back more times than most of us can remember. 

40 years of playing, coaching, umpiring and administration within the Oregon ASA organization. 

Larry's accomplishments as a high school coach are well documented. One of the most successful runs in Oregon Fastpitch History. Total Dominance of the Southern Oregon Conference; State Titles; numerous All State Players from his high school squads and a National Coach of the year award. 

I think those are well documented, but I would like to share with you comments from a letter from Bill Welch - Former Athletic Director - Roseburg High School. 

"Larry was the first coach in the Southern part of the State to recognize the value of building not only his own program, but the fast pitch game as well. He used ASA Softball as his foundation. By moving athletics into ASA from less competitive programs he began to upgrade his players. With Larry's success, other high school programs began looking at the ASA in order to compete with him. Those that hesitated fell behind. As athletic director in a SOC conference school, I watched our program grow and develop. Larry's "Git it done" approach was for all 

girls wanting to play softball and not just his. Many of our girls played for Larry during the ASA summer months. Players returning after the summer months, said that not only did Larry help them develop their skills, but he help them build lifetime friendships and they not only played the game, but had fun at doing it". 

Larry's Accomplishments are many and we cannot cover them all in the short time we have, but here a just a few: 

Player – 29 Years (1967-1995) 

First baseman, outfielder: Jackson County Softball Association. Batting Champion 1968. League All Star 6 times - 3 times all state - All Northwest Region in 1990. Played in 5 National Tournaments with the Blitz MFP Team in the A Classification. Oswego, NY – 2nd Place 1980; Redding, CA – 5th Place - 1981; Olympia, WA - 3rd Place – 1986; Las Vegas, NV - 4th place – 1990. Larry actually brought the short game and slapping to the Northwest. At the National Tournament, in Redding, Larry picked up the slapping game and starting teaching his players. His short game was well known in coaching circles and he won with it. 

Umpire – (1975 to 1982): 

MEP, WFP (And an occasional slowpitch when he had to) Umpired 2 State Fastpitch and one Regional Fastpitch Tournaments. 

AŞA Coaching – (1983 to 2000): 

His teams were State Champions - 1989, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999. Regional Champions in 1995, 1997, 1999. National Tournament Appearances in 1989 - Sioux Falls, 1993 - Chattanooga, 1995 - Broken Arrow, 1997 - Rockford, IL. 

North Medford HS: 

Regional & National Coach of the year – 1998. State Coach of the year 5 times. Conference coach of the year 6 times. Four State championships, 16 times SOC Champions. 20 year coaching record of 471 wins and 103 losses with believe it or not, 1 tie for the State Championship. An overall winning percentage of 88%. 

ASA Administrator: 

Served as President of the Jackson County Softball Association from 1986 to 1995. 

Served as ASA Softball Junior Olympic District 12 Commissioner from 1987 to 2000 where he lost in a close re-election bid to the current District 12 AŞA Commissioner Curt Gould. Larry said that he did not mind losing, but losing to Curt. Larry said that is probably the reason 

that Curt nominated me for this honor, he has felt guilty over all these years. Does he forgive him, ah yes!!! Actually Larry retired and recommended Curt for the position, but he likes to give Curt the benefit of doubt!! 

To let you know how dominate Larry was in Southern Oregon; we held up a Regional Tournament Game for 30 minutes, in Bend one year, as one of the North Medford ASA coaches swore that Larry had found a loophole in the ASA Playing Rules pertaining to courtesy runners and they had been using it all year. Even after the UIC had pulled out the rule book and read the coach the rule, he still did not believe it he said Larry had God on his side and would never allow something to happen if it was not right. Actually the coach had misinterpreted the rule, but he swore that it was a loophole Larry had found!! 

Larry has done so much for the game of softball and for the girls that play our great game. His teams never had to pay to play as he obtained sponsors and helped all of those that needed help. 

After his retirement, Larry spent hours working individually with players. When the USA Junior Men's National Team came through on a tour stop, in Medford, Larry went to work with the renovation and preparation of Fagone Field, once the highlight of the Men's Fastpitch League in Medford. Warren Jones said that the tour stop was one of the highlights of the Junior Men's National Team tour stops.