Zack attack hits Garden River

"His neck is so large it should have its own government," one sportswriter has written about Garden River's Darren Zack.

"A Hell's Angel could park a motorcycle on Zack's shoulders," scribbles the same scribe.

In more ways than one, Darren Zack is The Big Man of Canadian Softball.

Depending on which newspaper report you choose to believe, his height is somewhere between 6'4" and 6'7".

He weighs between 275 and 285 pounds, we're told, depending on whether he had a beer or two last night.

Zack, whose rise ball is rumoured to almost scuff the dirt before ascending to the top of the strike zone, pitched the Toronto Gators to two International Softball Congress Championship victories, in 1993 and 1995.

He also pitched for two national teams that won gold medals for softball in the Pan-American Games.

Garden River to host national native fastball event

This is fastpitch softball, so you've never seen Darren Zack on a Nike poster or a Wheaties box.

But Zack is a Canadian sports legend and SooToday.com received word today that he'll be toeing the rubber in Garden River in August, as the First Nation hosts the 2003 Canadian Native Fastball Association Championships.

"I'm looking forward to playing in the championship games along with fellow Aboriginal players, right here, in my own community" says Zack.

"I'm proud to show everyone where it all first began for me."

It's the first time that Ontario hosted the event, which last year had 44 teams competing from across Canada: 16 Men's A division teams, 16 Men’s B division teams, and 12 Women’s teams.

Junior teams added this year

This year, for the first time, junior teams will also compete.

"Fastball has long been a part of this community," says Glen Chiblow, president of the Garden River First Nation Fastball Association President.

"We welcome everyone to come and experience the thrill of these games here with us," Chiblow said.

For additional information about the championships, please click here.