# 3815. Go to the ISC Hall of Fame in Kimberly

Until I met the hubby, I never knew what ISC was. Sure I was a sports fan. I followed the Brewers, Badgers, and Packers. I understood football, baseball, basketball, and softball...or so I thought. I quickly learned that softball went beyond just high school, college, and Olympic teams. It was more than the co-ed leagues that the park and rec departments offered. ISC (International Softball Congress) , along with NAFA (North America Fastpitch Association), are Fast Pitch Softball Organizations and are usually Men's Teams.

Before the recession hit, ISC was bigger, especially around here, than it is now. Teams would pay guys from South America, Australia, and New Zealand to come here for the summer and pitch. These guys could really hurl the ball. The hubby would have about 2 seconds to call the pitch from the time it left the pitcher's hand and hit the catcher's glove. These teams were hard core. I remember the hubby calling a game off at 2:00 AM because it was so foggy that you couldn't see the ball and the guys were upset. Some teams were very good (The Farm) and others were not so good. It is a very interesting game to watch and I wish the hubby still umped it.

Like most sports, there is a Hall of Fame for Men's Fastpitch Softball and it's located in Kimberly, WI. The International Softball Congress Hall of Fame is located in the Kimberly Village Hall. It is a very small Hall of Fame. Neenah High School has more trophy cases.

Because I actually have watched Men's Fastpitch, the ISC Hall of Fame is something I like to visit when I stop at the Kimberly Library just to look at the memorabilia.  On my most recent visit, the hubby and Grandma also checked out the Hall of Fame. Grandma has never seen the Hall of Fame. It was neat to see what draw her attention (like the old catcher's equipment). The hubby played tour guide and explained how the balls were made entirely of cork and how they hurt.

Most of the items in the Hall of Fame are team pictures of whoever won the championship that year plus random memorabilia from various games, signed balls. I personally like the jacket from the longest game ever.. 34 innings.

I will keep checking out the Hall of Fame whenever the fancy strikes when I'm at the library. If you ever get to the Kimberly Village Hall, you should take 5-10 minutes to get a glimpse of this unique sport.  It is nothing fancy. It doesn't cost anything to visit. You might learn something or recognize someone who know that is enshrined a Hall of Fame.