Joe Rossi Hall of Fame

2000 Hall of Fame Inductee Frank Messenger – Fort Collins Frank Messenger has umpired from Tobacco Road to South Boulder Road, and in his 27 years as an umpire he has served on more committees than a senior member of Congress. Among the more interesting accomplishments of Frank's career is the fact that he has umpired high school playoff games for seven straight years, in both North Carolina and Colorado. He has been an advisor to the top umpire groups in the Denver Metro area having served as President of the Rocky Mountain Umpires Association, and sat on the board of directors of the Rocky Mountain Sports Officials Association. He was also a member of the Colorado Baseball Umpires Association Executive Committee. When not tied up in committee meetings, Frank also has seen action on the softball diamond. As a member of the Amateur Softball Association, he has worked nine state tournaments and four regional tournaments. The Denver Recreation Department also tabbed Frank to conduct umpire training clinics. When Frank retired from active umpiring, his involvement in athletics didn't end. Many veteran umpires remember Frank coaching at several schools in the Metro League. He guided his girls basketball teams to two state tournaments, and was named Metropolitan League Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991, as well as Denver Post Coach of the Year in 1990. As a baseball coach, Frank was Metropolitan League Coach of the Year in 1995. The crowning achievement of his coaching career was his election into the Metropolitan League Hall of Fame. Frank has been very active with youth outside of his duties as a teacher and a coach having worked as a camp counselor and recreation director. He graduated from Regis High School and received his degree from Regis College (BA Sociology/PE). He holds a Colorado Teaching Certificate with endorsements in elementary education and junior high mathematics. Frank is currently teaching and coaching at Elbert High School and makes his home in Elbert, Colorado with his wife, Nancy.