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A life-long East Peorian was recently inducted to the National Softball Hall of Fame.
Dan Cunningham, who manages EastSide Centre, received the meritorious award in November for work he has done to contribute to the sport.
“I actually found out about it one year ago at the National Softball Association Convention in Panama City,” Cunningham said. “When they elect their hall of fame, they do it a year in advance. So I was actually approved in 2010, but it didn’t become official until Nov. 2 of this year.”
On that date, Cunningham attended a dinner at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Louisville, Ky., where he was honored with a plaque and a Hall of Fame ring.
Cunningham said the acknowledgment was “a pleasant surprise” and not something he was expecting, although he has worked with the NSA in some capacity for the past 12 years.
“I was just kind of taken aback by it,” he said of learning he would be inducted. “It’s quite an honor. There have only been about 50 people in the history of the organization who have been inducted, so that made me feel pretty good.”
Cunningham said inductees must be nominated. Hugh Cantrell, president and CEO of the NSA, and Bill Horton, the North/Central Zone vice president of the NSA, were each involved in his nomination.
“I’ve been involved in sports since I was a kid,” Cunningham said. “I grew up playing all through the East Peoria Community Baseball League. I was an All Conference baseball player for East Peoria back in the late 1960s and I played baseball in college as well at Lakeland College.”
Despite his past, Cunningham said he never thought the sport he loved would become a career.
Prior to Cunningham’s 12 years at EastSide Centre, he worked at Caterpillar for 11 years and SVI Systems for 15 years. He and wife, Janice, have a son, Chad, who introduced his father at the induction ceremony.
“It was kind of even a better honor that way,” Cunningham said. “I’m happy to receive it and hope I live up to it.”
A life-long East Peorian was recently inducted to the National Softball Hall of Fame.
Dan Cunningham, who manages EastSide Centre, received the meritorious award in November for work he has done to contribute to the sport.
“I actually found out about it one year ago at the National Softball Association Convention in Panama City,” Cunningham said. “When they elect their hall of fame, they do it a year in advance. So I was actually approved in 2010, but it didn’t become official until Nov. 2 of this year.”
On that date, Cunningham attended a dinner at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Louisville, Ky., where he was honored with a plaque and a Hall of Fame ring.
Cunningham said the acknowledgment was “a pleasant surprise” and not something he was expecting, although he has worked with the NSA in some capacity for the past 12 years.
“I was just kind of taken aback by it,” he said of learning he would be inducted. “It’s quite an honor. There have only been about 50 people in the history of the organization who have been inducted, so that made me feel pretty good.”
Cunningham said inductees must be nominated. Hugh Cantrell, president and CEO of the NSA, and Bill Horton, the North/Central Zone vice president of the NSA, were each involved in his nomination.
“I’ve been involved in sports since I was a kid,” Cunningham said. “I grew up playing all through the East Peoria Community Baseball League. I was an All Conference baseball player for East Peoria back in the late 1960s and I played baseball in college as well at Lakeland College.”
Despite his past, Cunningham said he never thought the sport he loved would become a career.
Prior to Cunningham’s 12 years at EastSide Centre, he worked at Caterpillar for 11 years and SVI Systems for 15 years. He and wife, Janice, have a son, Chad, who introduced his father at the induction ceremony.
“It was kind of even a better honor that way,” Cunningham said. “I’m happy to receive it and hope I live up to it.”
