From the Melfort Journal
By Michael Oleksyn, The Journal
Former Melfort resident Dean Holoien was inducted into the International Softball Hall of Fame over the weekend in South Bend, Indiana. Holoien recognizes the sacrifice it takes to become a member of a International Softball Congress (ISC) Hall of Fame.
“It’s a lot of years, it’s a lot of sacrificing with work, with family, with pretty much everything life in general when you’re playing the ISC at that level. You are going 10 or 12 weekends a summer for 20 some years. To get the recognition after the fact is pretty nice,” Holoien said.
The Hall of Fame is part of the 2015 ISC Men’s Fastball World Tournament each year, which began on August 8 and will run until August 15.
The inductions were held at the World Tournament on Sunday, August 9. Holoien retired from the Canadian National Team in 2009 and from the ISC level at 2013, he took 2013 off from competitive ball and played last year with the New York Gremlins before completing his career with the Scarborough Force this season.
Growing up in Melfort in a family that played fastpitch is something he will always remember. The oldest son of Doug and Maxine Holoien there were at least nine Holoien family members that would pitch for Melfort teams and another half dozen that played other positions.
“For as long as I can remember we were playing softball, we never ever did any baseball. I have to do that before I get too old and decrepit and I actually see what it feels like,” he explained. Click here to continue reading at the Melfort Journal.