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Club News: East Cobb Bullets Softball Honored Friday by Georgia House of Representatives

Greg Schnute (holding resolution) and members of the East Cobb Bullets organization were honored by the Georgia House of Representatives on Friday (March 25, 2022)

There’s an old saying that “sports and politics shouldn’t mix,” but on Friday they did, and it was a very good thing for the East Cobb Bullets softball travel ball organization.

The Georgia House of Representatives, led by House Majority Vice Chairman Micah Gravley, honored the successful softball program on Friday at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta with House Resolution 1030 recognizing the 26-year-old organization and its founder Greg Schnute while declaring March 25, 2022, as “EC Bullets Day” in the Peach State.

Here’s a short clip of the presentation:

Schnute, who still coaches the program’s premier 18U team, was presented a copy of the Resolution in person along with his wife, Margaret, and several other Bullets’ leaders and coaches including John Legere, Mike Bagarose, Kerry Holcomb, Richard Johnson, Jessica Bilz, Horace Heggood, Todd Walters and JD Heath.

“It was really awesome and showed how we are influencing youth athletics in the South and how this sport is growing very fast,” said Bagarose, part of the program’s leadership team.

Representative Gravley, who initiated the resolution, has a strong interest in the club organization himself and a unique perspective of its inner workings: he’s the Head Coach of a 14U team in the Bullets.

Wearing the multiple hats of politician, softball coach and dad, Gravley, who has three daughters including two playing softball—one on his team and another in the Atlanta Premier organization—is in his last year of working as a legislator and wanted to recognize both Schnute and the club program for all it’s done to help young athletes.

“I grew up in Cobb County (Georgia),” he begins, “and was always aware of the East Cobb baseball program as I played and knew how successful it was. When I had my daughters and they wanted to get into softball, I was all for it and began coaching a feeder ball team and helping with middle school softball.”

Greg Schnute (left) with Micah Gravley, the Georgia House of of Representatives Majority Vice President.

Gravley admits at the time he had no idea that the East Cobb baseball organization had a softball component as well but knew that “with the name, tradition and brand it had established, it was where I wanted to go.”

One day at the capitol building, he was talking with fellow representative Marcus Wiedower who asked why he was retiring.

“I told him I wanted to focus on my daughters and be more involved with them,” Gravley explains. “I said I wanted to coach and bring back the fun memories I had when my dad was coaching me in baseball.” He asked me, ‘Do you know who my father-in-law is?’ It’s Greg Schnute, the founder of the East Cobb Bullets!’”

Quickly, Representative Gravley connected with Schute and, he says, after six to eight months of talking back and forth: “He called me last July (2021) and said he wanted to be the first to welcome me to the Bullets organization.”

The Georgia legislator adds that, coming in as a rookie team, he appreciated the 25 years of success the Bullets had compiled, “for all the good that had been done, helping further careers, getting young athletes educations through softball and promoting family and friend relationships and the long tradition of success had by the organization.”

“I thought, ‘Let’s truly do this right to commend Greg for his leadership and the EC Bullets for the program they’ve created and the brand for all it stands for.’ There was no opposition and Representative Wiedower became a co-sponsor and several other representatives were very supportive from around the state, people who knew what this Resolution meant.”

Gravly continues:

“It was very supported yesterday at the Capitol and was a fun time. Greg got a softball signed by the legislators, or at least about 30 of the 180 of them, before we ran out of room on the ball!”

Part of the Resolution—the full text is included below—highlights the travel ball program’s success over the last quarter century in producing “over 500 Bullets softball players (who went on) to play at the collegiate level on athletic scholarships, with some competing on NCAA championship teams.”

“It was a fitting tribute to a man who’s done so much for the sport in our state,” Representative Gravly concludes, “and, although I won’t be there, every year my co-sponsors will be and there will be an order recognizing March 25th as ‘EC Bullets Day.’”

Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

*****

House Resolution 1030
Georgia House Resolution 1030 honoring the East Cobb Bullets travel ball organization

By: Representatives Gravley of the 67th, (Marcus) Wiedower of the 119th, (Trey) Rhodes of the 120th, (James) Burchett of the 176th, and (Jodi) Lott of the 122nd

Recognizing Coach Greg Schnute and the EC Bullets Fast Pitch Softball organization; and for other purposes

WHEREAS, Coach Greg Schnute grew up in Indiana with a love for baseball and received an athletic scholarship to play baseball at Florida State University. He started coaching softball in Birmingham, Alabama and moved to the Atlanta area in 1991; and

WHEREAS, Coach Schnute founded EC Bullets Fast Pitch Softball organization in 1996, putting the Peach State on the map as a top state for college recruits in one of the fastest growing sports in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Coach Schnute is recognized as one of the most influential coaches in Club fast pitch softball for having built one of the strongest programs in the nation, with teams ranging from 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U age groups and spanning eleven states to include Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia that compete in tournaments nationwide; and

WHEREAS, Coach Schnute is a remarkable man and a dedicated father of three daughters and one son, Kim, Kelly, Brandi, and Brock, all of whom participated in Division I collegiate athletics; he is also a grandfather to nine grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, EC Bullets Fast Pitch Softball organization has established and maintained a proud tradition of excellence and success by developing competitive softball players with equal emphasis on character and performance; and

WHEREAS, the organization has sent over 500 Bullets softball players to play at the collegiate level on athletic scholarships, with some competing on NCAA championship teams; and

WHEREAS, the phenomenal performance of this organization is a clear indication of the outstanding athletic ability, dedication, hard work, unity of purpose and spirit of each member of the organization, its superb offensive and defensive talents, and the astute direction of Coach Schnute; and

WHEREAS, as this magnificent organization has earned its well-deserved reputation for excellence, it is abundantly fitting for them to be recognized.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize Coach Greg Schnute and the EC Bullets Fast Pitch Softball organization.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Coach Greg Schnute and the EC Bullets Fast Pitch Softball organization.

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