Australian Open Men’s Head Coach Bob Harrow has played a major role in the development of elite level softball in both the ACT and Australia. Bob has been the ACT Open Men’s Head Coach for a decade, and has led the team to victory at the National Championships five times. He has also coached the ACT Open Women’s at the National Championships several times and come away with outstanding results. His coaching achievements at the International level are also to be rivalled with. In 2001, in his first year as Australian Open Men’s Team coach, the team defeated the New Zealand World Champion Team for the first time ever. In 2004, the team took third place at the World Championships, which is their best result ever. On top of his outstanding coaching success, Bob has also played a hand in the administration of softball and the development of the elite game within the ACT.
Bob was the President of Softball Canberra from 1999-2004, making him the longest serving president of softball administration within the ACT. Bob has also been instrumental in providing elite ACT men and women softballers with a high standard competition in which to compete, by developing the National Fastpitch Softball League. Bob also established the nationally important Canberra Classic Men’s competition in the late 1980s, and developed it into an event attracting the best Australian players and also numerous players from top ranking countries such as Canada and New Zealand. Bob is undoubtedly one of the best softball coaches in Australia, and is an excellent representative for his sport, in the ACT and Australia.
SOFTBALL
Born: 27 June 1945
Inducted: 2005
Deceased: 21 July 2022
Associate Member