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If you talk to most people in the International Softball Congress
they will tell you that fastpitch softball found them. Either they
were invited to play on someone’s team or the opportunity fell
in their lap through whom they knew or where they lived. It is not
very often that someone went out of his or her way to find the
ISC. But that is exactly the case with Larry Fisher.
Larry started
playing fastpitch when he was stationed in Japan at the Itazuke
Air Force Base. When he returned home to Findlay, Ohio he picked
up where he left off playing for a number of teams around or in
Findlay. But it wasn’t ISC. As Larry puts it, “the ASA was the
only game in Ohio.” In
1979 Larry wrote a letter to Caroll Forbes requesting information
on the ISC. They kept in touch for a period of time when Forbes
called to say that he would be traveling through Ohio on his
annual cross-country trip |
and wanted to meet with Larry. They met in the
parking lot of K-Mart in Findlay and had a soda in the “ISC Mobile
Office.” Larry was greatly impressed by Forbes and liked the plans he
had for the game. What made the greatest impression was the fact that
Forbes went out of his way to meet with Larry. Forbes challenged Larry to
see what he could do to start the ISC in Ohio and Larry obviously agreed.
Because the ASA was very popular in Ohio the ISC was not readily accepted,
but a number of “brave managers like Larry Fox, Bob Davidson and Tom
Zappone agreed to enter their teams in the first Ohio ISC Area Tournament
and the rest is history.”
Larry played the game until
1985 and started managing in 1979 until 1997. Larry positioned himself at
shortstop, second base and third base, but “when [he] was too slow to
play anywhere else’ he moved to catcher. Larry took his Jac and Do’s
teams to four ISC World Tournaments and six ASA Major National
Tournaments. Larry currently serves as the Ohio Area Commissioner, Eastern
Vice President and Chairman of the World Tournament Committee.
Larry spent two years in
school while serving in the United States Air Force, “but was more
interested in balls than books.” He now designs commercial kitchens and
sells food service equipment. He likes to read and listen to music, but
finds most of his spare time being occupied by his niece and nephews who
range in age from 11 to 16. Larry’s niece, Amanda, actually talked him
into coaching her girl’s fastpitch team. Larry has a son, 21-year-old
Nicholas, who lives at home with him and a “wonderful and very
supportive family.” Larry recounts a time when 21 members of his family
were present when he was inducted into the ISC Hall-of-Fame in Sioux City,
Iowa in 1995. It was “one
of the proudest and most memorable days of [his] fastpitch career.”
Larry Fisher has been a
pioneer for the ISC and leader in his own right. As he continues to
promote the game, Larry wants to “do whatever [he] can to try and help
keep the game of fastpitch alive and try to help keep the ISC World
Tournament the ‘premier’ event in fastpitch.” He must also see some
potential in his niece because he wants to teach her how to throw a “mean
drop ball.”
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