1/01/2000
Head
Coach Gary Wardein
Gary Wardein, along with his wife Kathy, formed
the Firecrackers in 1990. Prior to that, Gary
coached the California Cruisers softball club
under the Cruisers' manager, Mickey Smith.
Since the 1991-1992 season, Firecracker teams
coached by Gary have competed in 8 consecutive
ASA National Championship tournaments, with 5
top ten finishes and 3 top five finishes including
claiming the 1994 ASA National Championship. No
Firecracker team coached by Wardein has finished
below 17th place. Gary's teams have won 40
tournament championships while compiling a
won-loss record of 861-290-51.
In 1997, Gary and ASA Metro Phoenix Commissioner
Rick Beach formed the Phoenix Firestorm Women's
Major division team. The team, comprised of players
from the Firecracker organization and select
players from the state of Arizona have competed in
3 consecutive ASA Women's Major NAtional Championship
tournaments, finishing ninth, fifth and fifth,
respectively.
Gary is a Vice President with Merrill Lynch in
La Jolla, California. Gary and Kathy were married
in 1975, have three children and live in San Diego
You can send Gary a note at:
Gary
Wardein, Firecrackers
Coach Tony Rico
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Coach Steve Fesperman
Steve has been coaching girl's softball teams for
11 years; one year of recreation level softball,
10 years of club level softball and five years of
high school softball. Steve has also given outfield
and catching lessons over the last 8 years.
The first major level club team Steve worked for was
the Southern California Outlaws, managed by George
Kierstead and coached by Cary Crouch, Doug Williams
and Steve. Over the six year period that the team
palyed together, from 12 and under through 18 and
under, the Outlaws won two national titles, finished
second twice, third once and fifth once.
Steve's five year high school tenure at Laguna Hills
High School, resulted in four Pacific Coast League
titles and one California Interscholastic Federation
title.
The past three years, Steve has worked for the Southern
California Firecrackers, managed by Gary Wardein and
coached by Tony Rico. As with the Outlaws, the Firecrackers
is an organization designed to prepare athletes for the
challenges of the game of softball and for life. The
premise is to develop athletes for the highest levels of
softball by giving them the techniques and mental aspects
necessary to thrive st the college level.
Steve continues to coach by the advice that Cary Crouch and
Doug Williams gave him at the end of his Outlaw tenure;
"Never assume that they know anything, teach them everything",
and, "Teach them until you can't teach them any more, then
teach them some more".
Coach John Dakes
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