DONALD DEDONATIS

ELECTED: NOVEMBER, 1998

SAN DIEGO, CA

INDUCTED: NOVEMBER, 1999

SAVANNAH, GA

IN 1981 DON DEDONATIS COACHED A MEN’S “C” TEAM BY THE NAME OF MILLER HIGH LIFE. AFTER THREE YEARS HE HAD BUILT THIS TEAM UP TO WHERE IT QUALIFIED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE MEN’S MAJOR WORLD SERIES IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA IN 1984. HIS TEAM FINISHED FOURTH IN THAT EVENT. HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT BE AS A COACH THAT DON WOULD MAKE HIS IMPRINT ON THE USSSA.

IN 1979 HE WAS APPOINTED AS A USSSA AREA DIRECTOR IN HIS NATIVE STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN. FOUR YEARS LATER HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE USSSA MICHIGAN STATE DIRECTOR BY THE LATE FRED SCHLEUTER. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE A LITTLE OVER 500 TEAMS IN MICHIGAN PLAYING USSSA. IN 1997 DON’S LAST YEAR AS MICHIGAN STATE DIRECTOR, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN REGISTERED OVER 9500 TEAMS WITH USSSA. IN JUST HIS SECOND YEAR AS A STATE DIRECTOR HE WAS PRESENTED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS PRESIDENT’S AWARD AT THE NATIONAL CONVENTION IN 1984 AT EL PASO, TX.

IN 1988 HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GREAT LAKES DIVISION, THE LARGEST DIVISION IN THE COUNTRY. IN 1996 DON WAS ELECTED AND SERVED AS THE USSSA NATIONAL PRESIDENT FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER THE VOTE APPROVING THE REORGANIZATION OF THE USSSA AT THE NATIONAL MEETING IN 1997 AT MYRTLE BEACH, HE WAS APPOINTED AS ON THE THE THREE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF THIS ASSOCIATION. WITH THE PASSING OF AL RAMSEY IN 1998 HE WAS SELECTED TO LEAD THIS ORGANIZATION INTO THE NEXT MILLENIUM. HIS IDEAS AND DECISIONS IN JUST THE PAST FOURTEEN MONTHS WILL EFFECT THIS ASSOCIATION FOR THE BETTER FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.