3,000th ACE Coaches
2/15/2012
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today Brian Gorniak (Glen Carbon, Ill.) is the 3,000th certified ACE (Achieve, Certify, Educate) Coach and Katherine Egbert (Hillsborough, Calif.) is the 3,001st certified ACE Coach of the 2012 season. In an effort to thank and award those coaches who achieve an ACE Certification, the ASA has teamed up with sponsors Pocket Radar™ and Powerchalk™ to provide Gorniak and Egbert and future ACE coaches with a prize pack. Every time the ACE Program reaches a 1,000th milestone, ASA will award that coach with a Pocket Radar ($200 value) and the next coach with a custom Powerchalk account ($100 value).
Gorniak, an Illinois ASA participant, has been involved with softball as a coach since 2006; three years later, Gorniak began coaching his daughter’s travel team. In 2010, his daughters started playing with the Glen-Ed Sliders Girls’ Fast Pitch team, an organization which plays in ASA/USA Girls' 10, 12 and 14-Under divisions. Recently, he was selected as co-director of the organization.
“I enjoy the competitiveness and professionalism from the various teams who play ASA Softball,” said Gorniak. “On the field, we compete, but we all strive to get more female athletes involved in softball and are friendly before and after the game. Showing sportsmanship before and after games makes our coaching staff great role models for the players. Of all the benefits ASA offers, our organization utilizes the ACE certification program the most. ACE ensures that all our coaches are exposed to the same core values and skills for developing young female athletes. This year I want to develop our players to a level above their own expectations by creating a professional atmosphere for the organization and providing the proper coaching staff for each team. I also would like to see each age division in our organization reach the finals in the ASA Illinois State tournament.”
Egbert, a coach in the Northern California ASA, got involved with softball as a child. Starting at 6 years old, Egbert played in local recreational leagues until her middle school years. Once her daughter showed an interest in softball, Egbert sought every possible means to encourage her child, which ultimately led to a coaching position for her daughter’s 10-Under team.
“Softball teaches players so much more than the rules of a game ,” said Egbert. “You learn life lessons like how to win and lose gracefully, resiliency and how to play as a team. The ASA and ACE certification program are quite beneficial to our team. Not only has it refreshed my knowledge of the sport and safety techniques, but I have also utilized parts of the program with my daughter. This year, I want to make sure the kids I am coaching have so much fun that they want to continue playing softball in 2013.”
The ACE Certification program is online and you can access the tests by login at www.registerasa.com. More detailed instructions are located on the homepage.
Gorniak and Egbert bring the number of awarded ACE coaches to six. Previous recipients of the complimentary Pocket Radar and custom Powerchalk account are Rodney Holder (Magnolia, Tex.), Kimberly Moore (Oxford, Ga.), Amye Scrivener (Prince Frederick, Md.) and Dan Proffer (Grand Blanc, Mich.).
About Pocket Radar
Pocket Radar, Inc. designs and manufactures the world’s only pocket-sized speed radar gun which allows users to access real-time pitching, hitting and running speeds with the touch of a button. Using award-winning, patented new technology, the Pocket Radar™ provides industry leading accuracy and speed measurement in an affordable and convenient device that can discreetly measure performance without changing behavior. The Pocket Radar™ has changed the way top teams like Arizona State University, University of Florida, and University of Arizona coach and scout. Featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News, and CNBC, the Pocket Radar™ has more capabilities than a traditional radar gun wrapped up into an easy-to-use pocket-sized package. Learn more at www.PocketRadar.com.
About Powerchalk
PowerChalk, LLC is a North Carolina based company offering the world's first and only cloud based video analysis system, and is currently being licensed by USA Baseball, USA Diving, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Southwest Section of the PGA. The PowerChalk™ system is being used by coaches and athletes in over fifteen sports across the globe. For more information about PowerChalk™ visit www.Powerchalk.com.
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 nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.