2022 Pioneer Player: Ron “Rondo” Havelka

Ron “Rondo” Havelka, Westmont, IL

My first experience playing softball came at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb in the spring of 1969. Some friends and I put together a very talented group of players and won the 16 inch university championship.

After college, I played both 16 inch and 12 inch softball. I played 16 inch for the Beercats out of Downers Grove and Kam’s bar (Hinsdale), one of the top 16 inch softball teams in the Chicago suburbs. I also played for Ligon Engineering in the state’s premier and most competitive league at Crowther Field in Romeoville.

Nevertheless, it was the Bank of Westmont 12 inch team that was the highlight of my playing career. I joined the Bank in 1972 and that was the beginning of many years of incredible success and great experiences. We pretty much dominated the local leagues, so we tried to expand and entered tournaments in Kankakee, Joliet, and Rockford.

The Bank entered tournaments practically every weekend. One particular tournament I remember was traveling to Anaheim, California for the USSSA Class A World in 1984. Out Bank team was considered a B team, but we played extremely well and finished ninth out of 105 teams. Another tournament was when we played in the 1985 16 inch USSSA state tournament. Although we were a 12 inch team with a few players that had 16 inch experience, we won the state tournament and I was named Most Valuable Player. We qualified for the divisional in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Perhaps the tournament that most tested our endurance and toughness was at the USSSA World tournament in Pevely, Missouri, over Labor Day weekend in 1983. The temperatures were over 100 degrees and it was stifling humid. We came back out of the losers bracket by playing 7 games on Labor Day and finished in fifth place.

The Bank of Westmont team was very fortunate to have one of the greatest sponsors. Bank president Marcel Levesque, a member of the USSSA Hall of Fame, was one of the kindest and most generous men I have ever met. He would accompany us on many weekend tournaments throughout the years and stayed and supported us the entire weekends.

For many years we played well over 100 games including a fall league schedule. The Bank was comprised of many different personalities. We all had different occupations and interests outside of softball. Yet, when it came to playing softball, we were a closely knit team that played with passion and played together. Our players played the game hard, were dedicated, and always respected and played the game the right way. As a team, we always had high expectations and felt we could compete with anyone.

The relationships and friends I made on my softball journey are too numerous to mention but still remain friends to this day. Our memories will live on. Softball has been a life-long passion of mine. In 1987 I coached a 14 year old USSSA girls team with my old teammates Jim Duffy and John Yena. We won the state championship and played in the nationals in Marietta, Georgia. In 1988, we played in the nationals in Fort Worth, Texas.

After I retired from the Bank, I was the head varsity softball coach at Downers Grove South High School for 24 years. My assistant was Jim Cushing, another USSSA Hall of Famer and great friend. We were able to build one of the most respected and successful high school softball programs in Illinois.

I would like to thank all of my teammates, players I competed against, and umpires for all their dedication to this great game. In addition, I would like to recognize Brenda Paulson who has done so much for USSSA softball in Illinois. Her efforts have made the USSSA what it is. I would also like to thank the Hall of Fame committee for bestowing this honor upon me. I am deeply grateful and honored to be entering the USSSA Hall of Fame.