Darren Zack

Last updated

Darren Zack (born 1960 in Garden River, Ontario, Canada), also known by his nickname "Z-MAN" is a fastpitch softball player. [1] Zack is an Ojibwa softball player and he has set records at every level, pitching the most wins, strikeouts and consecutive scoreless innings, and capturing three gold medals at the Pan Am Games. [1] [2] [3] Zack conducts pitching clinics throughout North America, encouraging community involvement in the sport. [1]

Contents

Zack currently lives in the Garden River First Nation Reserve with his wife Charlotte and their children. [3] [4] Zack has 5 children, Shawn, John, late William, Molli and Darren Junior. [5] Shawn has 2 sons and Jr has a son and daughter, thus Darren has four grandchildren. [5] Zack's culture and spirituality is important to him, specifically the teachings of the tobacco. [1]

Zack had a book released about him in 2010, called Z-Man Darren Zack, which chronicles his career. [6]

Early life

Zack was born during 1960 in Garden River, Ontario, Canada to John and Edith Zack and grew up on the Garden River First Nations Reserve near Sault Ste. Marie. [2] [3] He is a part of the Ojibwa tribe and remains a resident of the Garden River First Nation reserve. He has one sister Leslie and one brother Brenden. [5] While he was young he was taught many sports, including fishing, hunting, football, and softball, the latter of which was a family tradition. [2] Zack believes his family's love for Fastpitch and the fact they would throw the ball around with him as a child was instrumental to his career success. [1] He has also commented that as a child the mentors in his life had encouraged him to go as far as he could with the sport. [7] Specifically as a teenager, after consulting his grandfather with a dream about an eagle and playing for team Canada, his grandfather explained the eagle was the "highest bird" and symbolic of no one being able to break his records if he pursued fastpitch. [1] In 2003 Darren Zack ran to be elected on to the council of the Garden River First Nations band. He along with 44 other candidates ran for 12 available spots. [8]

Athletic career

Zack got his start in the game as a 14-year-old with the Garden River Braves in 1974. [9] [1] He began his fastball career at first and third base, but yearned to pitch. [1] When he was 19 years old his uncle did not show up for the game and he got his first chance to pitch. [1] [9] In 1983 the Boston Belmont Merchants came calling, and he played three seasons for teams in Boston and Connecticut, including Wellesley Trucking. [1] [9] In 1987 he joined Ashland ESS, and then had a stint with the Vancouver Magicians (1990-1992) of the Norwest League, while also spending two seasons pitching in New Zealand. [1] [9] Steve Frost, a sports reporter, said that Zack can routinely throw between 85 and 90 miles per hour. [10]

Zack competed in the International Softball Congress (ISC) World Tournament on several occasions. His first appearance in the tournament was in Saskatoon, 1987. [4] He won four ISC World Tournament Championships, that were 1993 and 1995 with the Toronto Gators, 1998 with the Tamper Smokers, and 2000 with Decatur Pride. [4] He has set records such as the second-best record for all-time consecutive game wins and third in ISC World Tournament victories. [4] In addition, he was named to the ISC All-World Team nine times between the years of 1992 and 2004. [4] A highlight of his career was pitching 150 strikeouts over the course of 69.66 consecutive scoreless innings and winning 10 games at the 1995 ISC World Tournament in Iowa. [2]

Zack played for the Canada national team from 1991 to 2004. [11] He has won several medals, including gold medals at the Pan-American Games and a silver medal at the 1996 World Softball Championships. [2] He won two consecutive gold medals at the Pan American games in 1991 1995. He was also the Canadian champion in 1991, 1993 and in 1995. [12] Zack has also played for several Canadian Native Fastball Championships (CNFC) teams including Garden River, Horse Lake Thunder, Sapotaweyak, and Invermere A's. [13]

In 2002 Zack was induced into Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame. [1] Usually, there is a three-year waiting period after an athlete retires to be induced, but based on Zack's success and ability to give Sault Ste. Marie National exposure, this waiting period was waived. [1]

Zack picked up a championship at the World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament in 2002, and a 3rd-place finish in 2006. In 2010, Zack was playing alongside his son Darren Zack Jr. with the Palermo Athletics, a Kitchener area club. [4] Zack has won 2 Ontario Masters Championships with the Toronto Gators and was named Top Pitcher in 2013. [14] Zack has also won the ISC Legends World Championship twice with the Cobourg Force and was named MV Pitcher in 2010 and 2012. [14] Additionally, Darren has competed in two NAFA Masters World Series, picking up one championship and has also competed at 3 ASA Masters Championships. [14]

Honours and awards

Records

Awards

Medals

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Softball</span> Team ball sport

Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field, with only underhand pitches permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slider (pitch)</span> Baseball pitch

In baseball, a slider is a breaking ball pitch that tails laterally and down through the batter's hitting zone. It is thrown at a speed that is lower than a fastball, but higher than the pitcher's curveball.

Auburn Sigurdson is a Canadian Olympian, former softball pitcher, and now works as a marketing and communications professional in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has attended Simon Fraser University where she studied communications, and subsequently attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, where she studied graphic design. She was a part of the Canadian Softball team who finished 5th at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and now works to give back to the sport of softball as a Master Pitching Instructor within Softball Canada's CanPitch Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Varsity Blues</span> Sports teams of the University of Toronto, Canada

The Toronto Varsity Blues are the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 43 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and U Sports. The Varsity Blues trace their founding to 1877, with the formation of the men's football team. Since 1908, Varsity Blues athletes have won numerous medals in Olympic and Paralympic Games and have also long competed in International University Sports Federation championships, Commonwealth Games, and Pan American Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monica Abbott</span> American softball player

Monica Cecilia Abbott is a retired American professional softball player. Abbott was an All-American pitcher for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in college before starting a professional career in the NPF and in the Japan Softball League. In international competition, she has played for Team USA from 2005 including the national softball team winning a silver medal at the 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics. Abbott is the NCAA Division I leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and innings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden River First Nation</span> Indian reserve in Ontario, Canada

Garden River First Nation, also known as Ketegaunseebee, is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River 14 near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Brakettes</span> Womens fastpitch softball team in the United States

The Connecticut Brakettes is a women's fastpitch softball team based in Stratford, Connecticut. The team has won many state, regional, national, and international tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastpitch softball</span> Form of softball

Fastpitch softball, also known as fastpitch or fastball, is a form of softball played by both women and men. While the teams are most often segregated by sex, coed fast-pitch leagues also exist.

Debra "Debbie" Ann Doom is an American, former collegiate All-American, retired professional right-handed softball pitcher originally from Tempe, Arizona. She played for the UCLA Bruins from 1982-1985 and the United States' national softball team just prior to the major boom in the sport's popularity both in America and worldwide. She was the singularly most dominant pitcher in softball during her career and was remarkable for her exceptional fastball and her height. She ranks currently in numerous softball records for the Bruins and in the NCAA Division I. Doom was named the Women's Professional Softball League's inaugural World Series MVP in 1997.

Haylea Petrie is a softball player from Australia, who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Amateur Softball Association</span>

The Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA), a member association of Softball Ontario. The OASA is the governing body for male competitive fast-pitch softball in Ontario. The association organizes qualifying tournaments and provincial championships. Each year the association inducts one or more members who have contributed to the development of amateur softball in Ontario into its Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in Ontario, Canada. The third-largest city in Northern Ontario after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, it is located on the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. To the southwest, across the river, is the United States and the Michigan city of the same name. The two cities are joined by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which connects Interstate 75 on the Michigan side and Huron Street on the Ontario side. Shipping traffic in the Great Lakes system bypasses the Saint Mary's Rapids via the American Soo Locks, the world's busiest canal in terms of tonnage that passes through it, while smaller recreational and tour boats use the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal.

Lauren Elizabeth Anna Haeger is a professional softball pitcher and first baseman with the Dallas Charge of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). After being named a member of the 2011 MaxPreps Softball All-American Team and earning a gold medal at the III Pan American (18-under) Games in 2010, Haegar played softball at the University of Florida.

Beverly "Bev" Beaver is a Mohawk Canadian athlete from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada, known for her performance in fastball, hockey, and bowling. Beaver was born to Reg and Norma Henhawk and had four siblings, Sidney Henhawk, Charlene Nuttycombe, Toni Johnson, and Justine Bomberry. Beaver's competed as a professional athlete from 1961 to 1994. She is known to have developed her athletic skills by playing sports with boys throughout her childhood, even becoming a prominent player on a boy's bantam hockey team at age 13. Beaver played exclusively on Native fastball teams; however, she has played on non-Native teams in other sports. Throughout her career she earned awards such as the Regional Tom Longboat Award for Southern Ontario (1967) and the National Tom Longboat Award (1980). Beaver is credited with earning other awards for performance in fastball, hockey, and bowling. Some of her hockey artifacts are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, in its diversity exhibit.

Kelly Katlyn Barnhill is an American, former collegiate All-American, professional softball pitcher. She played college softball for the Florida Gators from 2016 to 2019 and was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award and espnW Player of the Year in 2017. She is the career no hitters (7), strikeouts, strikeout ratio (10.5) and WHIP leader for the Gators. She also ranks in career strikeout ratio for both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Armando Castillo</span>

José Armando Castillo also known as El Mago(the magician), is a retired baseball and fastpitch softball pitcher of the Dominican Republic National Team. He has won several gold medals in softball in various Central American and Caribbean Games and has been a national trainer in softball. He has been selected as the Softball Player of the Century in the Dominican Republic as well as added to the Corridor of Athletes of Merit of Santiago by the Sports Press Association of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. In 2016, José Armando was inducted to the Hall of Fame of the Sports of Santiago.

Eujenna "Jenna" Afrodite Caira is a Canadian, former collegiate All-American, medal-winning Olympian, professional softball pitcher for the Canadian Wild of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). Caira was a starting pitcher for the Syracuse Orange from 2009–12 and holds the career records in wins, shutouts and innings pitched. Additionally, she is the Big East Conference career leader in strikeouts. She has been a member of the Canada women's national softball team since June 2009 and helped them win a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Kathy Arendsen is an American softball head coach and former professional player. Arendsen pitched for Holland Christian High School, where she won the state championship, before embarking on a successful collegiate and professional career. During her college years, Arendsen pitched for Texas Woman's University and California State University, Chico, where she led both teams to national championships. In recognition of her efforts, she received the 1978 Broderick Award as the nation's outstanding female athlete in softball. She was also selected to pitch for Team USA at the 1979 and 1983 Pan American Games, winning a gold and silver medal respectively.

Aleshia Ocasio is a professional American softball player. She played college softball at Florida. Ocasio most recently played in the Athletes Unlimited Softball, where she won the 2021 championship as the top individual points leader. She has been a member of the Puerto Rico women's national softball team since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Stead</span> Canadian baseball player

Ronald Duncan Stead was a Canadian baseball pitcher. He played briefly in Minor League Baseball, then went on to play for over a decade in the Intercounty Baseball League of Ontario, setting multiple league records. He was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he threw left-handed and batted right-handed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Chiefs and Champions Darren Zack. (2006). Vancouver, BC : Moving Images Distribution
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 King, C. Richard (2015-03-10). Native Americans in Sports. Routledge. ISBN   9781317464037
  3. 1 2 3 "Indspire | Darren Zack". indspire.ca. Retrieved 2017-02-14
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 nurun.com. "Zack's illustrious career rewarded with Hall nod". Sault Star. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  5. 1 2 3 "Z-Man - Darren Zack - a bio by Joe Corbiere".
  6. ↑ "Darren Zack guides Cobourg (Ont.) Force to ISC Legends title".
  7. ↑ "Darren Zack is fastball's true legend".
  8. ↑ "Darren Zack launches political pitch". SooToday.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Darren Zack enters the 2010 ISC Hall of Fame".
  10. ↑ "Congratulations to Darren Zack - Fastpitch Chronicle". www.alsfastball.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Z-Man inducted into Canada's Softball Hall of Fame".
  12. ↑ "Local Athletes". www.saulttourism.com. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  13. 1 2 "Canadian Native Fastball Championship". www.nativefastball.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-30
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Ontario Masters Fastball Hall of Fame - Class of 2014".
  15. ↑ Christie, James (November 10, 2000). "Morris on special mission". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Softball BC: Five Ontario Nominees will be Inducted to Softball Canada Hall of Fame". softball.bc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-30
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.