| I.S.C. From The Ballpark |
|
Stars of the ISC - January 2004 - Mike Groves
STARS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL CONGRESS
(A Tribute to Past, Present and Emerging Stars of the ISC)
January, 2004 Star - - Mike Groves
Groves uses his "jack of-all-trades skills" and natural passion for the fastpitch game as sponsor, player and manager for the Fedlock Falcons (Washington, D.C.). Not one to settle for mediocrity, Groves pursues improvement of ISC fastpitch softball by sharing his insights and suggestions for improvement on the web site heavily visited (http://www.escribe.com/sports/alsfastball/) by players, coaches and fans around the world. "Everyone looks forward to reading his reviews of tournaments", said Kyle Beane of the Midland (MI.) Explorers. "Whether they get praised or criticized, it's in the spirit of making improvements. He's not someone who talks about the game without doing anything. Whether it's getting youth involved, attempting to make the USA National Team, helping the ISC be a greater organization, or building a top-level Major Men's team, Mike is relentless in his pursuits", Beane added.
His career in ISC fastball started in 1992 when Groves formed his own team in 1992, the Fedlock Falcons. He is co-owner (with his brother) of Federal Lock and Safe of Washington, D.C. He is a leader in the game of ISC fastpitch softball and, as one player said recently, "he puts his money where his mouth is." Groves says "I coached, managed, arranged travel, hotels, cars, everything. In the early years our team was composed of primarily African-American athletes, which was very unusual for fastball," Groves explained. This unusual circumstance was anything but unusual for Groves, who sees people only as potential friends and teammates. "I see teammates as potential lifetime friends. That's very important to me," Groves said.
Groves was a catcher for the team. In Fedlock's second year they qualified for the ISC World Tournament in Kimberly, WI. "I didn't realize what the World Tournament was, but I assumed it was a good tournament. We lost to County Concrete (Eric Wilson) 3-2 in the first game on Friday afternoon in front of 5,000 County fans, and then lost to the Clearwater (FL) Bombers (Dave Fenimore and Murray Britt) 5-0 on Monday morning. I headed home stunned by the excellent quality of play at the ISC World Tournament," Groves added.
In 1995, the career of Mike Groves then took a negative turn. "By 1995, the team had changed and we had more players from outside my region. I grew disenchanted with sponsoring what I considered selfish athletes and decided this would be my final year in ISC fastpitch softball," Groves explained. The Fedlock Falcons did not qualify for the ISC World Tournament for 1995 and the team was shut down by Groves in September of 1995.
In 1996, the "retired" Groves re-entered the game of ISC Fastpitch Softball again, but this time only as a player. "I missed the game and I especially missed the ease of just being a ballplayer as opposed to running the entire program. I missed the travel and the camaraderie of the players," Groves said. "I played for the Class Walls - Sunners team of Reading, PA that year, and caught Jim Cowdrey, Reno Lato, and a very young Rob Schweyer. Groves was picked up by the New Jersey Gators and played once again in the ISC World Tournament. "I played very little in the WT and we finished 0-2 as a team," Groves said.
Groves was recruited to play catcher for the Heflin Builders (Ballston Lake, N. Y.) in 1997 and the team finished ninth in the ISC World Tournament in Victoria, B.C. "I hit .400 with two home runs but my biggest sense of accomplishment was working with the pitchers Terrence Hibbert, Tim Macumber, and Darren Rea to win ballgames," Groves recalled. Groves' career continued for another partial season with Heflin Builders in 1998, which was not a year with happy memories for Groves. "The 1998 experience soured me a bit, and I again retired from the game in July, 1999," Groves concluded.
End of his career? Not a chance. After taking 1999 off, Groves restarted the Fedlock Falcons and his career was ignited again. In 2000, Groves' impact on the team was evident. The Falcons qualified for the St. Joe's ISC World Tournament and, finished about 24th. "In 2001 we kept the nucleus of the good teammates such as Kenny Coles and Ace Sauer, and brought in better athletes and quality people like Darren Davies and Gareth Cook. We won the MAFTL ISC with a perfect record (14-0) and finished 3-2 in the ISC World Tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin," Groves recalled. In 2002, Groves built a stronger team by adding Jody Hennigar and several other key players and finished 3rd in the ASA Major Nationals. "It was our highest finish ever. Our team had five All Americans and Jody Hennigar was stupendous as MV Pitcher," Groves said proudly.
Enjoying some success at the game, off the field Groves was named ISC Eastern Region Player Representative and elected Vice President of MAFTL. "I was just one piece of a great League management team of Russ Lloyd, Bob Nydick, Eric Fogel, and Bill Howell. It was the first year in 10 years that the League was in the black - we actually had a surplus - after many years of no one knowing where any of the League monies went," Groves said proudly. Once again, Groves' leadership achieves results. 2002 was a big year for Groves and his team as they competed in the Dominican Republic against their National Team and went 2-4. His team would make a return trip in 2003. Groves continued his leadership role when he was elected President of the ISC MAFTL for 2003.
When Groves isn't performing player representative duties or managing his team he finds time to help the sport in other ways. "When I began producing audio web casts of live game coverage from the ISC World Tournament, Mike committed Fedlock to be a sponsoring company, and helped make the web cast possible. This gesture helped assure that over 10,000 listeners from around the world to get exposed to the great sport of elite Men's Fastpitch," former teammate Dave Blackburn said.
Despite his increased involvement in the game, Groves returned again to manage the Fedlock Falcons in 2003. "I really did not want to manage again for several reasons. I have so much on my plate already that I thought someone else could do a better
job of it," said Groves, "but my veterans helped me become a better manager - I will never forget the quiet assistance that I received from guys like Paul Walford, Jody Hennigar, Gareth Cook, and Ken Coles."
Groves' impact was felt again as his team finished 4th in the ASA Majors, 10th in the ISC World Tournament in Kimberly, Wisconsin. "We were one game away from finishing in the top four of the ISC World Tournament, but injuries to Hennigar and DeBelleval really hurt us," Groves explained.
Groves has been instrumental in communicating improvements that could be made to the game. "The fastball community is scattered, but the Internet, particularly Al Doran's site, unites the game electronically. It's a beautiful game. It's elegant, yet intense," Groves said with passion in his voice. The ISC is fortunate to have Mike Groves in their corner. He is a person of integrity that expects the same from others, stating "I appreciate high- quality people, which is one of the best parts of the game for me. I also love the game and I am willing to speak up for what I believe. Someone once said, if you're going to be wrong, be wrong with conviction. I'm willing to take the bullets when they come my way," Groves said candidly, "but communication is the essence of solving any issue."
Asked what he thought when he was named December, 2003 "Star of the Month", Groves said "It was a mix of pleasure and shock. I don't see myself as a star," he said. Groves has added much to the sport over the years and credits his father, saying "My father instilled principles in me and I've come to realize he was right about everything." Groves' wife, Solange, has also been a supportive partner for Groves. "She is a professional actress, singer and dancer, so she knows passion. She supports me in my passion of fastball," Groves explained. Groves' wife is so accomplished at her passion that she was recently a star in the Broadway play "West Side Story", which took place at La Scala in Italy recently. "She's one of the few that can make a living at it," Groves said. That's a lot of passion in one home. Groves, 44, and his wife have no children. They share professional passion at work and at play and support one another equally. "Solange loves FedLock fastball and gets quite into the games when she watches it," Groves shared.
Groves spoke of others within fastball that have influenced him to be the person he is today, saying "Darren Davies, Ken Hackmeister, Ken Coles, Tim Lyon, Alfred Williams and Bob Tomlinson have all influenced me positively over the years. Also, many of the ISC's veterans have taught me so much," Groves explained. "I always say, pick the right people and work hard at getting along with them. It's so important to have the right people, not just the good athletes. That reminds me of the word synergy. FedLock may not be seen as having the best talent, but we have the chemistry, on-field and off-field. We all have to work well to achieve a common goal. I do that with my business and I try to do it in my personal life," Grove said. Tomlinson took the time early in Groves' career to send a letter to him explaining all about the ISC. "It meant a lot to me and I still have the letter," Groves said.
Groves's impact on the Game of ISC fastpitch softball is being felt. He continues to show the way for others so improvements can be achieved. He is an important advocate for the game. Groves stated, "I love the game and I want to see it do well. I want to return to the game what I am getting from it, which is great joy and terrific relationships. The wonderful thing about the current leadership in the ISC is that they will listen to constructive critiques, and that is huge. It is important to point out the things that are in need of improvement, but I always mention possible solutions - it's crucial to come forward with answers and not just complaints." That's where the passion comes in for Groves. He expects great things, but is also willing to work hard to achieve it. His dedication to the game is evident.
His enjoyment of playing and managing is real. "Managing and playing alongside people of integrity, who become good friends, is very important to me. When I'm driving down the road in the middle of winter and my thoughts turn to fastball, I think of the upcoming season and my teammates. They are like family to me," Groves said. His teammates are fortunate to have a person of such conviction and integrity on their team. (Midland, MI.) player Kyle Beane agreed, saying, "He's extremely important and unique. He's one of the few people to go out on a limb and give his honest opinions about the state of the game, the way it's run, and the issues that arise. He also gives suggestions on how to improve the sport."
Mike Groves has contributed much to the ISC and has done it with passion. Each season Groves prepares his team and continues his advocacy of ISC fastball. His unique mix of positive involvement in the game is having a positive affect on the future of the game. He has tried his hand at many aspects of the game and succeeded. According to one former teammate, he's got another talent coming to the forefront.
"Not a lot of people know that Mike has been working on his pitching for the last decade or so, honing his craft in the DC Area City leagues. I predict that he will see some pitching action in an ISC World Tournament game before he hangs up his spikes," former teammate and current ISC Commissioner (Streaming and Broadcasting) Dave Blackburn added.
And why not? It's just another challenge to pursue for a man passionate about what he does.
By: Jeff Reich - - - Freelance Writer, Midland, Michigan