OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. ---- The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announced today Jack Lazartic of Wilmington, Del. as the newly appointed Delaware ASA Commissioner effective immediately. Lazartic, a 12-year Delaware player representative, takes over the reigns from Barbara Thornton who stepped down in early November due to health reasons.
Ive been involved in softball for a long time, said the postal serviceman of 35 years. And when you become involved in the administration of anything you should always want to strive to be at the top. So this is really an honor for me to have this happen and the timing is awesome as I close out my postal career. I owe a lot to Barbara and Rocke (Izzo). I have learned an awful lot from the both of them.
As a commissioner, I want to work towards getting the youth more involved in softball in our area, Lazartic added. The best part about softball is adults are bringing their sons and daughters to the leagues to play so that is helping our adult program, but we need to improve our youth program. Bruce Weaver (JO Deputy Commissioner) is leaving us and did a really good job, but we need to continue to build on the foundation he started. Softball has its ups and downs and we need to get it back up to where it should be.
Lazartics first experience with softball was when he was stationed in the U.S. Army at Ft Lee, Virginia in 1971. He played fast pitch and slow pitch pick-up games during the spring and later in the year was transferred to the Canal Zone where he played year round. After being discharged from the service, he joined teams in the New Castle County Parks & Recreation Slow Pitch program. In 1974, he was hired by the Postal Service so he formed a team of fellow employees so they could play in the NCC Industrial League. The postal team went on to play together for seven years and in 1980 won the Mens Class B Industrial State title.
From 1982 through 1988, he managed and played on several different Class D Mens Slow Pitch teams. In 1986, his team finished fourth out of 64 teams that played in the States and qualified for the Central Atlantic ASA Regional Tournament that was hosted by Tidewater, Virginia. Unfortunately the entire tournament was washed out. In 1982, he also got involved in the administration as president of two leagues that played in the NCC Parks & Recreation Softball Program (New Castle and Masters Leagues).
In 1988, he formed and sponsored a 35 & Over Masters Slow Pitch team that played in the New Castle County Program and was fortunate enough to win two Recreation Division Championships during their tenure. In 1990, Lazartic was asked to join the New Castle County Sports Office staff as a softball coordinator and still holds this position today. Since joining the softball staff as a seasonal worker, it evolved into a year round volunteer position with the addition of flag football, volleyball and 3-on-3 basketball.
In 1996, Thornton asked Lazartic to join her ASA staff as the Delaware ASA player representative and he has been involved ever since. The postal employee has attended seven ASA Annual Council meetings, hosted a 64 team Regional Mens D Slow Pitch Tournament as Tournament Director, served as an ASA tournament representative and also umpired from 1990 through 1996. In 2000, he was elected Delaware ASA President, a position he still holds today.
Lazartic and his wife Joyce reside in Wilmington, Del. and he is the proud father of three adult children and three grandsons.
About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, 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 nations 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. For more information on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com.
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