NSA Hall of Fame: Kathie Horton (2011)
CATEGORY: Director
YEAR INDUCTED: 2011
AWARDS WON:
- 2001 110% Award
- 2003 Presidential Award of Excellence
- 2005 110% Award
- 2006 Presidential Award of Excellence
- 2007 Presidential Award of Excellence
- 2010 Mary Conner Youth Fastpitch Outstanding Achievement Award
- 2014 110% Award
- 2015 State Director of the Year
Kathie Horton began her career with the NSA in 1991, working with her NSA Hall of Fame husband Bill Horton, who was the State Director of Michigan. Under the guidance of Bill, Kathie learned the procedures of the NSA and began to develop her own style and methods that would put her “brand” on not only the state of Michigan, but the whole country.
In 1998 Kathie was appointed to the position of Youth Fast Pitch Sate Director for the state of Michigan. Over the years, the program has developed into one of the strongest in the Northern Zone and one of the best in the country. Kathie promotes the NSA and built a very reputable program that now has 120+ teams playing in the state tournaments.
In 1998 Kathie joined the committee that put together the Youth Fast Pitch World Series held in Columbus, Ohio and continued to do so in 1998, 2000 and 2004. The 2000 event was the largest Fast Pitch World Series in the history of the NSA. In 2003, Kathie assisted with the Hall of Fame Fast Pitch World held in Schaumburg, Illinois. From 2001 through 2006 Kathie was a major part of the NSA Youth Fast Pitch “Super” World Series events, and from 2006 thru 2012 has been a part of the NSA North Zone “B” World Series.
Kathie has also traveled to the Western Zone to assist in running the West Zone Youth Fast Pitch World Series; to the Eastern Zone to assist in running the Eastern Zone Fast Pitch World Series and with their Zone Meetings conducting training seminars for the NSA on-line system. Kathie also played a major role in the development of the national on-line system and continues to be an instructor in that area during the North Zone meetings as well as at the National Softball Association’s National Convention.
In both 2001 and 2005, Kathie was awarded the NSA’s 110% Award at the National Convention which is the NSA’s 2nd highest award given annually during the Convention. Kathie has also won NSA’s highest honor, the Presidential Award of Excellence, on three separate occasions in 2003, 2006, and 2007.
Very few, if any, have reached the milestones and accomplishments that Kathleen “Kathie” Horton has reached. For those milestones and accomplishments, in November of 2011 Kathleen “Kathie” Horton became the 18th Director – and first female in the Director Category – to be inducted into the NSA Sports Hall of Fame.
