FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2003

STEVE MONSON NAMED DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL


Steve Monson

Steve Monson of Riverside, California (USA) has been named as the International Softball Federation's (ISF) Deputy Secretary General, effective immediately. ISF President Don Porter made the announcement, filling a position that had been vacant.

"Steve Monson will be a welcomed addition to the ISF Secretariat leadership," Mr. Porter said. "His background and experience will be very helpful both to our Secretary General (Andrew Loechner) and myself as the need for administrative support increases as our sport continues to grow and expand worldwide."

In this role, Monson will be charged with assisting the ISF Secretary General, which includes - among other areas - financing, pre-site inspections, and negotiating contracts for World Championships.

Monson brings a broad knowledge base to the ISF with his current role practicing trial law (since 1979) as well as serving as Vice Chairman on the ASA (Amateur Softball Association of America) Oversight Committee and as the ASA Legislative Committee Chairperson. Presently the ASA Commissioner for Southern California, Monson is also the Regional Director of Pacific Coast Region 14. A former softball player, coach, and manager, he is also Vice Chair of two other ASA Committees (Equipment Standards and Insurance). Monson received his Juris Doctor from Northrop University in Los Angeles, California.

The ISF President has also appointed Monson as Chairman of the ISF's Legislative/Technical Commission, a role he previously served in at the ISF Congress in 2001. The next Congress comes this September in Nanjing, China, with Monson and the other Commission members convening there. That group reviews and discusses the amendments proposed to the ISF Code and ISF Procedural Code (as provided in Article 7). The Commission is also charged with seeing that the amendments are properly and constitutionally submitted and prepared in accordance with the ISF Code. The Commission is required to provide a report to the ISF Congress prior to the deliberation of the amendments, setting out the viewpoints and recommendations of the Commission. They are also responsible for reviewing the technical rules as set out in the ISF Technical and Procedural Code, and making such recommendations that would improve and enhance the technical and procedural rules used in ISF competition.

The International Softball Federation is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 124 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.

For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.