Alaska
Longtime Softball Coach Dave Massey to be Inducted in Alaska Hall of Fame
Longtime Juneau softball coach Dave Massey, proven watching Satuday’s JDHS Crimson Bears sport, shall be inducted into the ASAA Excessive Faculty Corridor of Fame on Sunday. (Klas Stolpe/KINY)
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – Longtime Juneau youth softball coach Dave Massey, 78, shall be inducted into the Alaska Faculty Actions Affiliation 2022 Alaska Excessive Faculty Corridor of Fame, Sunday (tonight) at 5:30 p.m., on the Alaska Airways Middle on the College of Anchorage campus.
“They despatched me a letter that I used to be to be inducted,” Massey mentioned Saturday night time. “I used to be attempting to determine what it was to begin with. It form of stunned me. I informed my spouse and we’re planning to attend… it feels good, and it feels good due to my spouse and household standing by me and all the great coaches and gamers we’ve had by way of the years. It’s a good pat on the again for everyone that helped make this doable.”
Massey was nominated for the dignity in November, 2021, by Juneau-Douglas Excessive Faculty: Yadaa.at Kalé coach Lexi Razor who wrote she had been impacted by Massey from her starting play in 5-6 yr outdated tee-ball, by way of highschool and school, and her return to Juneau.
Razor mentioned, “I nonetheless depend on Dave after I’m stumped with a drill or a talent or a difficulty on certainly one of my crew – he at all times has the knowledge and answer… the mission of the Alaska Corridor of Fame is to Educate, Honor and Encourage. I can not consider a person that lives by all three of these items greater than Dave…”
In his nomination Massey was famous for serving to begin the JDHS softball program in 1992 and he coached the Crimson Bears by way of the 2017 season. Below his tutelage they captured eight state championships – seven had been in Division I earlier than JDHS moved to DII – and runner-up 5 occasions – three earlier than switching to DII.
Massey has coached 55 all-state gamers and three Gatorade Gamers of the 12 months. In 2010 Massey honored because the West Area Coach of the 12 months by the Nationwide Fastpitch Coaches Affiliation.
Massey grew to become concerned in teaching Gastineau Channel Little League baseball when he moved to Juneau within the 70s after service within the army. He began the primary GCLL softball groups within the late 80s when he seen certainly one of his daughters was at all times put in proper area in little league video games. Subsequent he began the Midnight Suns Softball Program – he’s nonetheless board president – to additional enhance the talents and involvement of native gamers.
Ketchikan softball head coach Kale Allen wrote “Dave has been a pillar for the game… I used to be lucky to participate in each Midnight Suns and JDHS beneath his teaching instruction… he’s a wealth of information… final yr within the Southeast Convention for Alaska highschool softball each one of many groups had a coach that had been part of certainly one of his applications and beneath his teaching sooner or later…”
JDHS assistant coach Nicole Adair wrote “Dave is probably the most genuinely beneficiant individual I’ve ever met… whether or not it was supporting a journey program that was out of cash, shopping for cleats or a glove for a sort in want, praying for a camp for teenagers… his spouse will confirm, simply how beneficiant he’s…”
The ASAA shall be inducting 16 people within the ceremony, representing the lessons of 2020, 2021 and 2022 because the prior two years ceremonies had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Massey is certainly one of three to be inducted for 2022.
Massey was requested if he had a speech ready.
“The scary half is I don’t assume I’ve to,” Massey mentioned. “However I’ve this dream I’ve been having about ‘okay Dave, give us 15…’ and it’s like ‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.’ I’m enthusiastic about having my household go up and be there on the induction, however I’ll be more than pleased to have it over with.”
Not one to have the highlight placed on himself Massey mentioned the dignity is extra than simply his.
“I’ve had simply so many actually, actually, actually good assistant coaches,” Massey mentioned. “And all of us had been buddies and supportive, work out a strategy to do it and provides in to 1 coach on one factor and provides in to any individual else, and work collectively and discover a method to assist the ladies… and volunteers, you noticed that tonight, we had a pair dads exit and maintain the mound put collectively in the course of the sport… simply all these little issues come collectively… Lexi has it organized for announcers who do a great job when the youngsters come as much as bat… it’s lots of coordination to get lots of these things executed… if I didn’t have the assist of my household it simply wouldn’t have occurred.”
The ASAA Alaska Excessive Faculty Corridor of Fame induction ceremony could be seen dwell on the hyperlink under:
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/occasions/asaa/evt8eac4d6a9a