OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. --- The Amateur Softball Association (ASA), the National Governing Body of softball in the United States, announced today that Carlton Benton of Lakeland, Fla., has been named the Florida ASA commissioner. Benton has been serving as commissioner of the West Central Florida ASA since 1999 and will begin his new position immediately.
Carlton has been a real innovator as the commissioner of the West Central Florida ASA, especially with the creation of two highly successful programs the Field of Dreams Tournament Series for adult slow pitch and the Future Stars League for youth, ASA Executive Director Ron Radigonda said. We are confident that he will bring the same creativity and enthusiasm to his new role as Florida ASA commissioner. We are excited to see how the association thrives under his leadership.
In September, the ASA Board of Directors combined the five associations in Florida Central Florida ASA, Floridas First Coast ASA, North Florida ASA, South Florida ASA and West Central Florida ASA into one association that will serve the entire state.
It is very exciting to be named the commissioner of the new Florida ASA, Benton said. I think it is going to be great for Florida to have the state unified with one association. It is a major undertaking but there are a lot of great people involved with this process. I think that we have nothing but great things ahead and Im excited to be a part of it.
Benton first took a leadership role with the ASA when he became the sub-district commissioner of Florida ASA in 1975. From 1983-87, he served as the district III commissioner before moving on to work with Metro Tampa, where he assisted with tournaments from 1988-98. He was the director of eight ASA national championships for the City of Lakeland from 1998-2001 and in 2002, he began assisting his daughter Natalie, who directed tournaments for the City of Auburndale.
One of the most exciting moments in my ASA career was when the 2008 Olympic Team came to Plant City with the Bound for Beijing Tour, he said. My granddaughter Harli, all dressed up in her Jennie Finch gear, threw out the first pitch and Jennie was catching. It was a really special moment. Professionally, I am really proud of the ASA adult slow pitch Field of Dreams Tournament Series and the Plant City Future Stars League for our youth program.
Field of Dreams, which has tripled in participation since its debut in 2008, has given adult teams the opportunity to play on Tropicana Field following a Tampa Bay Rays professional baseball game. The Plant City Future Stars League is January-April and for players between 8-14. After starting with 16 teams in the first year, Future Stars now has 55 teams.
Benton received his Bachelor of Science in recreation and leisure services from Florida Southern College in 1988. Heavily involved in parks and recreation throughout his life, he currently serves as the recreation superintendent of the City of Plant City Recreations and Parks Department, a position he has held since 2005.
About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation's largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com.
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