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West Geauga teacher named to softball hall of fame
(by Steve Novak - December 23, 2009)
West Geauga teacher named to softball hall of fame
By STEVE NOVAK
Michelle Thompson does not like to talk about her accolades on the softball field. But lately it has become a difficult thing do for the West Geauga Middle School physical education teacher.
That's because she recently was inducted into the U.S. Specialty Sports Association Hall of Fame in Kissimmee, Fla. USSSA originally stood for U.S. Slo-pitch Softball Association, but was changed in 1998 when it expanded to govern other sports.
Thompson, who grew up in Euclid and resides in Mentor, was a standout for more than a decade in the Women's Open League, a collection of some of the best travel teams in the country. Thompson, a left fielder, played for three different teams in the Women's Open League, each of which won at least one national championship.
She won USSSA world championships with Lady Blue in Texas in 1991, 1992 and 1993 and UPI in Texas in 1995 and 1998. She was selected to the all-world teams in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2001. During an 18-year playing career from 1983 through 2001, she was named to 81 all-tournament teams and was the most valuable player of the 1993 World Series.
Thompson, who coached the West Geauga softball team from 1994 to 1997 and has been a teacher in the district for more than years, was one of 10 players and coaches inducted this year.
The part of her induction that she remembers most fondly occurred a few minutes after her acceptance speech. She said her children, Tyler, 12, and Reagan, 9, both ran up to congratulate her.
"My son gave me a big hug and said he was proud of me," she said. "Now, I know that when I tell them something about baseball, they'll believe that I know what I'm talking about."
Thompson started out playing for Lady Blue. Later, she played for UPI and then Diamond Queens, another Texas team. Games were played on weekends, so she was able to live in the area.
To give some idea of the caliber of this team, consider that it was assembled by Al Campbell, who organized the barn-storming Steele's Sporting Goods softball team, of Lorain County, which was the dominant team in the 1980s.
Thompson was 20 years old when she was recruited to play for Lady Blue. She had just finished her sophomore season playing for Kent State University's softball team. During that season, the Lady Golden Flashes advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I College World Series.
She decided to give the Lady Blue team a try. Thompson said she was younger than all of her teammates when she began playing for Lady Blue in 1990.
"I was 20 years old, the youngest player on the team," she said. "The next oldest player was 27 years old. Some were in their 30s."
Thompson, who still plays today on a co-ed team, said she always batted leadoff.
"I don't like to talk about myself like this," she said. "But I was a pretty good hitter. You could put a cone anywhere on the field and I could hit the ball and hit it (the cone). I could hit to the right side or to the left side."
Thompson was nominated for the USSSA Hall of Fame by Steve Leisure, one of the coaches of Lady Blue. Her nomination was approved by the voting body of the league and she was informed nearly a year ago that she would be voted into the Hall of Fame.
Thompson's husband, Steve, is head coach of the Mentor High School varsity girls' basketball team. That's the reason, she said, she gave up coaching the Lady Wolverines, but has never stopped loving the game.
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