Darren Zack facts for kids

Darren Zack (born in 1960) is a famous fastpitch softball player from Garden River, Ontario, Canada. People often call him "Z-MAN." He is an Ojibwa athlete who has achieved amazing things in softball.

Darren Zack holds many records, like pitching the most wins and strikeouts. He also pitched for many innings without letting the other team score. He won three gold medals at the Pan Am Games. Today, Zack teaches pitching clinics across North America. He encourages young people to get involved in sports.

Zack lives in the Garden River First Nation Reserve with his wife, Charlotte, and their children. He has five children and four grandchildren. His culture and spirituality are very important to him, especially the teachings about tobacco. In 2010, a book about his career called Z-Man Darren Zack was released.

Early Life and Dreams

Darren Zack was born in 1960 in Garden River, Ontario. He grew up on the Garden River First Nations Reserve near Sault Ste. Marie. He is part of the Ojibwa tribe and still lives on the reserve. He has one sister, Leslie, and one brother, Brenden.

As a child, Darren learned many sports, like fishing, hunting, football, and softball. Softball was a family tradition. He believes his family's love for fastpitch helped him succeed. They would often throw the ball around with him. His mentors also encouraged him to go far in the sport.

When he was a teenager, Darren had a dream about an eagle and playing for Team Canada. He asked his grandfather about it. His grandfather told him the eagle was the "highest bird." This meant no one would break his records if he worked hard at fastpitch.

Amazing Athletic Career

Darren Zack started playing softball in 1974 when he was 14. He played for the Garden River Braves. He first played at first and third base. But he really wanted to pitch. When he was 19, he got his first chance to pitch because his uncle didn't show up for a game.

In 1983, he joined the Boston Belmont Merchants. He played for teams in Boston and Connecticut for three seasons. Later, he played for the Vancouver Magicians from 1990 to 1992. He also spent two seasons pitching in New Zealand. A sports reporter named Steve Frost said Zack could throw the ball very fast, between 85 and 90 miles per hour!

World Tournament Success

Zack played in the International Softball Congress (ISC) World Tournament many times. His first time was in Saskatoon in 1987. He won four ISC World Tournament Championships:

• 1993 and 1995 with the Toronto Gators
• 1998 with the Tampa Smokers
• 2000 with Decatur Pride

He set amazing records at these tournaments. He has the second-best record for winning games in a row. He is also third in total ISC World Tournament victories. From 1992 to 2004, he was named to the ISC All-World Team nine times. A big moment in his career was in 1995. He pitched 150 strikeouts and won 10 games at the ISC World Tournament in Iowa. He also pitched for almost 70 innings without letting the other team score!

Playing for Canada

Darren Zack played for the Canada national team from 1991 to 2004. He won several medals for his country. He earned gold medals at the Pan-American Games in 1991 and 1995. He also won a silver medal at the 1996 World Softball Championships. He was the Canadian champion in 1991, 1993, and 1995. Zack also played for many Canadian Native Fastball Championships (CNFC) teams.

In 2002, Darren Zack was inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame. Usually, athletes have to wait three years after retiring. But Zack's success was so great, and he brought so much attention to Sault Ste. Marie, that they made an exception.

Zack continued to play and win championships. In 2010, he even played alongside his son, Darren Zack Jr., for the Palermo Athletics. He won two Ontario Masters Championships with the Toronto Gators. He was named Top Pitcher in 2013. He also won the ISC Legends World Championship twice.

Honours and Awards

Darren Zack has received many honours and awards throughout his career.

Impressive Records

• Third all-time in tournament wins (54 wins; 29 shutouts)
• Second in most victories in a single ISC tournament (10 wins in 1993)
• Second best all-time for consecutive wins in ISC competition
• ISC tournament record for consecutive innings without allowing a run (10 games; 69 2/3 innings)

Key Awards

• Outstanding Pitcher and All-World Player for various teams (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004)
• H.P. Broughton Award (1995)
• National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1997, for his sports career)
• Tom Longboat Award (1999, for Canada's most outstanding male Indigenous athlete)
• Sault's Walk of Fame (2007)
• Softball Canada Hall of Fame (2009)
• ISC Hall of Fame (2010)
• MV Pitcher Ontario Masters Fastball (2010, 2012)
• Top Pitcher Ontario Masters Fastball (2013)
• Ontario Masters Fastball Hall of Fame (2014)

Medals Won

• 1991 Pan-American Games (gold)
• 1992 ISF World Championships (gold)
• 1993 ISC World Tournament (gold; Toronto Gators)
• 1995 ISC World Tournament (gold; Toronto Gators)
• 1995 Pan-American Games (gold)
• 1996 ISF World Championships (silver)
• 1998 ISC World Tournament (gold; Tampa Smokers)
• 1999 Pan-American Games (gold)
• 2000 ISC World Tournament (gold; Decatur Pride)
• 2004 ISF World Championships (silver)
• 2013 World Masters Games (gold)