The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. Shortly afterward the ASA was located in Newark, New Jersey. A world amateur softball tournament was held by the ASA at Chicago's Soldier Field that started on September 7, 1939. The ASA moved to Oklahoma City on January 1, 1966.
The National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum is operated by the ASA and is located at 2801 NE 50th Street in Oklahoma City.
Since 2005, they have run the World Cup of Softball. ASA Hall of Fame Stadium also hosts the NCAA Women's College World Series and the Big 12 Conference softball championship.
ASA now runs competitions in every state through a network of 87 state associations. It has a membership of over 230,000 teams, with more than 3 million players and 60,000 umpires.
Mike Candrea (born August 29, 1955) is the head softball coach at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He was also the head coach of the United States women's national softball team.
Candrea coached at the junior college level prior to arriving at UA.
Under Candrea, the Arizona softball team has become one of the top programs in the U.S. and a perennial powerhouse in the NCAA. Candrea has coached at Arizona since 1986, where he has garnered over 1100 NCAA wins, along with nine Pac-10 conference titles. Candrea also has ten Pac-10 coach of the year awards. The Arizona softball team has won eight NCAA Women's College World Series titles, in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, and 2007, all under Coach Candrea (NCAA Softball Championship). The team appeared in the NCAA Women's College World Series 16 consecutive years, from 1988 to 2003, and again from 2005 to 2010 - 22 appearances, all coming in the last 23 seasons. In addition, UA has appeared in 12 National Championship title games, including eight consecutive appearances, from 1991 and 1998 (NCAA Softball Championship). UA has most recently appeared in the 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2010 National Championship games. Under Candrea at UA, the number of National Championship title game appearances is second only to UCLA.
Stacey Nelson (born April 12, 1987) is an American former All-American pitcher for the Florida Gators softball team. Nelson is considered one of the best pitchers in NCAA softball history, earning 2008-2009 First-Team NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-American honors, 2008-2009 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors and led University of Florida to its first Women's College World Series berth in 2008 and a national runner-up appearance in the 2009 Women's College World Series. Nelson was also the 13th pick in the 2009 National Pro Fastpitch League senior draft by the Washington Glory. Nelson is now pitching for the United States women's national softball team.
Nelson was born in Los Alamitos, California. She attended Los Alamitos High School, and was coached during her high school softball career by Jim Dolan. She set school records for career shutouts and single season strikeouts, while her high school won the Sunset League title all four years of her career. Her team were 2003 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Quarterfinalists and 2004 CIF Runner-ups. She was named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2004 & 2005. Nelson was named to the All-Sunset League and All-County team twice and named 2005 Sunset League Pitcher of the Year and Los Alamitos High School's Female Athlete of the Year.