RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
One of the biggest off-season events in fastpitch softball takes place next week as the 2022 NFCA Convention—labelled as “The Greatest Softball Show on Earth”—officially will be held Wednesday, December 7th through Sunday, December 10th at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas.
*** To see each day’s schedule of events, click HERE.
Extra Inning Softball will be there and we look forward to catching up with old friends, making new ones and seeing and hearing the latest in the sport we all love—be it from a Who’s Who of list of coaches to an impressively large number of exhibitors (more than 100… see the complete list HERE).
The event specifically, as the NFCA describes it, “boasts expert speakers, drills sessions, networking opportunities, social events, business meetings, a can’t miss Exhibit Show, and much more.”
This year’s Keynote Speaker is Mike Candrea, the retired title-winning coach at Arizona, who will address the convention Wednesday the 7th at 5:30 pm.
*** To see all the speakers headed to San Antonio next week, click HERE.
The Convention, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year in its hosts backyard (Louisville), has an interesting history as the initial ones were combined with baseball and were basically coach meetings, rather than conventions.
The first stand-alone year was in 1984 and, in some years, there were two conventions including one where the ABCA combined with the ASA.
We caught up with NFCA’s Brian Stanley, the Director of Communications for the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) based in Louisville, Kentucky, to get some insights into this year’s gathering.
Brian will be part of his ninth NFCA Convention—the eighth in person, he points out—due to the 2020 event being held virtually because of COVID. He started in October of 2014 and had just weeks to hunker down for his first convention, which he admits “wasn’t easy!”
Here’s more from the congenial liaison who works with media folks like us…
*****
Extra Inning Softball: How many people are you expecting next week for the 2022 NFCA Convention?
Brian Stanley: Pre-COVID we were averaging about 1,600 people and with the Exhibition Hall included—we will have 110 companies this year—it can be several thousands. We will have approximately 1,500 coaches alone.
EIS: This year, we’re in Texas… where else has the Convention been held and how is it determined where it will be?
BS: The key is we have to have the space in a facility to meet the needs of the convention, ranging from enough speaker rooms to have sessions as well as space for all the companies to showcase their products or services.
We got to Las Vegas every four years and we have been all over the country, from Chicago in 2018 to Atlanta, Atlantic City, Nashville, New Orleans—from Arizona to Florida—and in 2014 we’ll be in Dallas after that city was cancelled because of COVID a few years ago.
Finalizing a location is a long process, it’s done years in advance, as many as five years ahead of the convention. You can learn more by going to the article The Team Behind the Team (click HERE to access).
EIS: It must take a lot of planning and integration to pull off the event every year! What is your role and who are some other key players who put it together?
BS: I do a lot pre- and post-event as well as take care of the app, the website, press releases and oversee DII info as well as All-American and Playing Rules Committee news. I’ll also help out in the Exhibition Hall and, generally, do what needs to be done. Michelle Vasquez is the Director of Events and Convention Coordinator and this is her baby, she does all the planning. Dr. Joanna Lane, the Senior Director of Education and Program Development, focuses on the education aspect and our Executive Director, Carol Bruggeman, works with the exhibitors; Director of Finance Jamie Hazel-White helps with registration and Marketing Manager Saralyn Campbell takes care of the exhibitors.
EIS: What are you most excited about for this year?
BS: Every year, the highlight is getting to see everybody—usually after dealing with them on the phone or on Zoom. What I love is getting to meet new people at each convention as well. I also look forward to the Hall of Fame Reception and Banquet, which this year is on Friday, but we also have some educational items and have added a “playing rules segment” where folks get to go over things such as instant replay and incorporate all aspects of the game including education segments. Travel ball and high school coaches will have a combined caucus meeting as well as separate ones. The educational element is geared towards everyone.
EIS: What’s been a favorite memory of yours from past conventions?
BS: It’s tough for me, as I’m moving around a lot making sure everything’s running smoothly, but some of the speeches have been powerful including ones by Deanna Gumpf (Notre Dame head coach), who in 2014 spoke about her daughter battling leukemia and Michael Lotief (former Louisiana-Lafayette head coach who also overcame cancer) were emotional and they stuck with me. Hall of Fame speeches are often powerful because you get to learn nuggets you didn’t know about someone successful in the sport. Those are the kind of things I remember.
I also remember my first convention—I was overwhelmed!—as I came in October and it was two months later at Harrah’s in Las Vegas. Just overall, the excitement that’s generated… you can feel it. The buzz, when the coaches are talking and all seeing each other, is a fun part walking through the sea of people. And I like how they all share with each other; you’ll see legendary coaches talking with high school coaches. The sharing is amazing as they’re all there to get better.
EIS: For those who haven’t gone before, what to expect and how to prepare?
BS: There’s something for everyone and some focus on business while others want to take in the education aspect. I like to tell people: “Be prepared to go, go, go!” For four days, everything is combined, and this year is at a resort and spa so everything is there for everybody, but for the first-time attendee there is a Rookie Orientation on Wednesday (Dec. 7) at 4 pm that I would highly recommend.
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
