Pueblo softball icon Alan Colglazier to be honored with special day by the city
BY JEFF LETOFSKY | The Pueblo Chieftain | MAY 25, 2021
One of Pueblo's most recognizable athletes and coaches will have a day named after him in Pueblo.
Alan Colglazier, born and raised in Pueblo, will be honored by the City of Pueblo on Friday with "Alan Colglazier Day" in recognition for his outstanding sports career and service to the youth of Colorado and nationally.
Colglazier, who currently lives and coaches in Castle Rock, turns 70 on Friday.
Colglaizer is proud of his professional sports career but what he is most proud of is working, coach and /mentoring kids, many of whom are now grown up, still in the sport, and still calling him for advice.
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Colglazier was stunned when he received word from the Pueblo City Council and Mayor Nick Gradisar about the proclamation.
"I was totally overwhelmed," Colglazier said. "I don't know how this came about. I'm very humbled and extremely grateful."
Although Colglazier rarely gets back to Pueblo these days, he said: "I call Pueblo my home even though I've lived in a ton of places. I'm heading down there (Monday) to spend the afternoon and evening."
Colglazier has yet to retire and says he will continue to instruct and teach until he's unable.
"People say, 'Alan, when are you going to retire?' I'll quit what I'm doing until I can't do it," he said. "The sport of softball has been very good to me. I'll continue to help girls get better, help in any way and continue to do that. Like the old saying goes, 'I don't do it for the income but do it for the outcome.'"
Colglazier feels he can help young players achieve.
"The rewards and purpose for what I do is to help these young ladies and continue to move forward and become better pitchers and people," he said. "I like to think I teach them to learn life skills to help them down the road in their lives."
Colglazier teaches pitching lessons at a facility in Castle Rock and enjoys the freedom of his work schedule.
"I've turned down a couple college positions in recent years and I enjoy what I'm doing," he said. "I can plan my own schedule and am not completely tied up. The good Lord willing, I'll continue to do what I do as long as I keep healthy."
Here are Colglazier's career highlights:
Pitcher and pitching coach for the 1980 International Softball Congress World Champions
Played for the United States in the 1982 Pan-Am Games
Pitcher and Pitching Coach for the 1983 Canadian National Champions
All-ISC World 1980, 1983, 1985 and 1986
ASA All-American pitcher 7 times
1994 Inductee to the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame
1997 Inductee to the Colorado Softball Hall of Fame
2009 Inductee to Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame
2011 inductee to the Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame
Organized, conducted and directed softball clinics in Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the United States
Division 1 pitching coach for Mississippi State
Inventor of the patented softball retrieval tool “The Shagster”
Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by