Wednesday March 27th, 2024
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An interview with Nordkap/Desert Falls/Easton's Mark Meersman

Mark Meersman

USSSA Sponsoring/Managing History

ASA Sponsoring/Managing History

Who are you managing/sponsoring in 2012?
Nordkap/Desert Falls/Easton

Why do you like the game of softball?
Love the game and friendships from the game.

Who is the best softball player you have ever seen?
I have seen a lot over the years but I would have to say Brett Helmer.

Where do you call home?
Salt Lake City

What do you do for a living?
Developer

What is your softball background as a player?
As a player only played as high as "C" ball.   On C-town/American Funding.   Coached and sponsored other teams.
    
How did you get your start in softball and how did you get to the upper level?

Playing with friends at work, Which led to me sponsoring and playing with C-town/American Funding.  Thanks Hoshaw.  Which we went from D ball up   to A ball over next 4 years.  Competing at every level.

What does your roster and schedule look like?

As of now, could add a few.  Playing Major as of now.
       Brett McCollum
       JD Genter
       Mike Bowlin
       Anthony Dress
       Chad Munger
       Joey Formosa
       Sal Formosa
       Travis Clark
       Brian Zirkle
       Josh Olson
       Tyson Steele
       Rob Olson
    
    Managers
       Mark Meersman
       Rick Olson

What is your teams goal for 2012?
To compete in every tournament we go to.

Where do you look for talent?
Out on the ball fields watching other teams play.

What is more important, talent or attitude?
I would say both talent and attitude.

How do you evaluate players?
By getting to know the player for his on the field talent and off the    field attitude.

What is your favorite sports team?
I love all sports.  Because of that I don’t really have one favorite.

What is your favorite sport other than softball?
Baseball

What is your most memorable softball moment?
Worlds with C-town in 2007 when we took second.  Greatest group of guys on and off the field.

Is slowpitch softball a sport or a game?
Softball is a sport and a game.

What is the best improvement upper level softball could make to bring in more sponsors?
Limit the amount of Major players per teams at all levels.

What is your favorite non-World tournament?
Heat Stroker St George Utah.  Best fields and a lot of teams.

What can be done to improve the Conference Championships?
Play it somewhere other than Florida.  Too many Florida tourneys in a row makes it hard on west coast teams to do.  Which hurts the sponsors.

Is the game better or worse with homerun limits and why?
Don’t care about homeruns

Who was the best team in softball history?

Really

What is the funniest thing you have ever seen on a softball field?

A guy is running to first and his shorts falling down.  Which he then fell down.


2 responses to “An interview with Nordkap/Desert Falls/Easton's Mark Meersman”

  1. Hello Mark,
    I am responding because we have so much in common. I listen to you as often as you are on KTFA conference calls and would really appreciate being on your site as well so if you can give me directions to do that.

    I attended a very small school in Indiana playing softball basketball and track. Enrollment was so small they actually began recruiting us into these sports in the lower grades. Enrollment was 204 in classes from 1rst to 12th graduating in 1958 with a class of 14 chuckle(ranked second in my class) and rarely took a book home championing foolishly that I did all homework in study hall. I was shocked when I enrolled at Indiana University realizing then, what a real effort was needed. But I digress

    At age 32 I was invited to a softball game which ignited my ivolvement in adult softball until I was age 53. At the time in 1972 there were classes of softball ‘a’ amd ‘b’. Only advanced players were allowed playing time.

    A short time after that an announcement was made hat class ‘c’ would be forming the following year. Not being a really talented person, I realized that if I had a chance to play I would have to have my own team. With a background in managememt as a retail manager for FW Woolworth, I visited all the dugouts of the upper class teams
    recruiting players. I gathered a few but had to recruit some that were not qualified unfortunately. It took a few years without a victory to retain and gain players that allowed a win. It took 3 years to win our first game.

    However, in 1986 we advance to the ‘C’state finals finishing 7th out of 200 plus teams.

    In a nutshell, I had a blast and as a player competed on a 55 and older team in 1989 which is am honor I hold highly also.

    So we have foreign currency and softball in common. Thank you for all you do!!
    In HIS grace,

    Roger DeKoker (topnotch on the KTFA board)

  2. Hi again Mark,
    ed
    I left a lengthy message yesterday 5/14/15 about my softball history and that we habe softball and ‘iqd’ in common.

    After I sent it I realized I had not left my contact information:
    Roger DeKoker
    812-279-2969
    cell 812-320-9070
    rdekoker1@gmail.com

    My latest desire is to gain access to to Frosties posts of your conference calls. If joining Pif is necessary, how do I join?

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