A National Fastpitch Coaches Association record 1,205 attended the Thursday’s second day of the 2007 national convention in Las Vegas. 

Among the highlights of Thursday’s activities, a number of individual membership groups discussed issues in their caucus meetings. 

The Easton Victory Club saw nearly 100 coaches receive awards for reaching coaching milestones in the 2007 season. The highlight was Arizona head coach Mike Candrea receiving the award for 1,300 wins that he accumulated at the Division I and junior college levels. 

Iowa’s Gayle Blevins and LSU’s Yvette Girouard each claimed their 1,100th win awards, while Chris Bellotto of Florida Southern and Robert Maglione of Sacramento City College were awarded for reaching the 1,000-win plateau last season. 

Candrea and the Arizona coaching staff, which earned NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year accolades, kicked off an outstanding line-up of speakers which included Team USA pitchers Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman and Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy and his staff. 

Thursday’s festivities also included the opening day of the exhibit show where over 100 companies were on-hand to display their products to attendees. 

Friday’s slate continues with the high school and travel ball caucuses, as well as presentations from UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez and former Bruins head coach Sue Enquist; DePaul head coach Eugene Lenti; two-time Olympic gold medalist Michele Smith; Texas Tech head coach Teresa Wilson, international pitching consultant Bill Hillhouse; Northwestern pitching coach Tori Nyberg; and Greg Riddoch of the Eugene Emeralds. 

The highlight of Friday’s busy day comes at 7 p.m. MST when the three newest members of the NFCA Hall of Fame are inducted. Henry Christowski of Simpson College, American International head coach Judy Groff and Central College head coach George Wares become the 39th, 40th, and 41st inductees into the annals of NFCA history.