By Chris Laclair
EAGLE TIMES SPORTS EDITOR
Welcome to the weekly column to spotlight deserving coaches, players, support staff or fans in our area. We want to bring you the best in profiles on people making a difference in the lives of our children, their athletic programs and build even stronger sports community. If you have someone in your area you would like to see featured, please call Chris LaClair at 603-372-2684 or email at [email protected].
David Theetge Jr. is a Windsor, Vt., Recreation Department assistant who has worked hard over the years to build and develop the adult and youth sports community. A Windsor resident, he graduated from Windsor High School. He turned his passion of softball into hosting tournaments to raise money for field maintenance while honoring a fallen friend. He also started a tournament to raise tuition for youth summer camp.
Question: What has the sport of softball done for your life?
Answer: The sport of softball has helped me make many new connections. It has helped me gain confidence which has allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone. I can talk to more people that I wouldn’t have had the courage to talk to before.
Q: What are you most proud of in your softball career?
A: I am most proud of the growth I’ve had as a player and as a coach. I’ve gained more confidence in myself as an athlete, a team captain and a mentor to the children on my teams.
Q: What is your vision for the growth in softball in this area going forward?
A: My vision for softball going forward is to continue to put money back into our softball fields to keep them pristine. We also need to encourage people, both children and adults of all ages, to continue to keep playing.
Q: What tournaments have you hosted and where?
A: I started organizing and running softball tournaments in 2020. I started off with the Rudy Hanecak Memorial Softball Tournament to raise money for a friend who passed away at a young age. This year, the tournament celebrated its fourth successful event. I also started the “For the Kids” tournament, hosted each October, which was a combination of ideas from my wife, Jackie Thurston, and I. The money that is raised from that tournament is used for sponsoring kids for the recreational department’s summer camp.
Q: Outside of softball, how do you contribute to sports in the community?
A: I work for the Windsor Recreation Department in Windsor, Vt. I do a wide variety of kids’ sports. I help run practices and games for basketball, soccer as well as being an umpire for baseball and softball.
Q: What is your favorite high school sports memory in Windsor and why?
A: My favorite high school memory was when the boys’ basketball team won the state championship in 2008. The starting point guard on the roster was Sean Buckner, who grew up down the road from me. We played basketball together almost daily starting in fourth grade all the way up through high school.
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