Ronnie Board

Elected : USSSA New York Hall Of Fame in 2006
Inducted : March 2007, Rochester, NY

Ronnie grew up and graduated from Hilton High School while Jackie grew up in the city of Rochester and graduated from Mercy High School. They met shortly after Ronnie was finished serving in the US Navy and Jackie was a medical student at U of Rochester. Ronnie and Jackie Board began their Softball Career shortly after their marriage in March of 1966. Ronnie's Suburban Inn gave them their first endeavor into softball. They organized a local league named The Southside Tavern League. Ronnie recalls, 'You played for 3 cases of beer to drink at the winning teams bar. We paid the umpires $8.00 and they drank with us.'

In travel to over 30+ states with their teams, Ronnie and Jackie quickly became known in the USSSA world. Their teams were well respected when they built their first ballpark out of a cornfield in Pavilion, NY. Bubba's Inn on RT 20A became a stomping ground for many Rochester & USSSA teams. A local area director, R.L. 'Moose' Grey, began his tutoring with Ronnie and Jackie prepping them to become the NY State Directors they are being honored for tonight.

In 1986 John and Denny Warren, operators of the Dugout in Scottsville, NY, approached Ronnie and Jackie with their 2nd ballpark and Ronnie's Ballpark began. As owners of the 3 fields in Scottsville and 2 in Pavilion, 'Moose' Grey gave them the Area Director title. From there, their history was made. They hosted numerous Area, State and Divisional Tournaments working together with other area ballparks such as Art Bernicker in Wadsworth and Frank and Al Ciaccia from Ridgewood. Ronnie's Ballpark made its mark on the map when USSSA's President, Marty Manigo, appointed Ronnie and Jackie District Directors, a title they retired with from USSSA in 2000.

Ronnie and Jackie's time together with the ballplayers, managers, sponsors and umpires are some of the best memories Ronnie has of Jackie. Jackie passed away November 10, 2005 after a 2 year battle with cancer. Anyone who knows The Boards knew Jackie was the driving force of the scheduling and paperwork. Their 5 children; Maggie, Mollie, Myndie, Mickie and Ronnie Jr., who were all born and raised around softball, always say, 'Softball will always be our Dads Diamond to Mom."