SPOTLIGHT CLINICIAN OF THE MONTH!
This is the first in a series of profiles of frequent presenters at ISG clinics.
This is the first in a series of profiles of frequent presenters at ISG clinics.
MARK FULLER
Cumberland (WI) High School
Fuller watches action at a UW-Whitewater game from his perch in the 1st Base dugout at James B. Miller Stadium.
A longtime fixture in Wisconsin baseball, former Cumberland High School coach Mark Fuller has served as a presenter at over a dozen ISG clinics since 2008 usually joining board member John Vodenlich at seminars in Eastern Europe. The soft-spoken Fuller loves preaching the craft of coaching to neophyte and experienced coaches alike.
When not speaking at them, Mark loves to conduct clinics as well. He plans the clinic agendas for the highly successful Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Convention each February in Madison and also finds time to run a clinic in his hometown of Cumberland for the coaches in the northernmost portion of state who can't make the seven-hour drive to Wisconsin's capitol. The fact that he's been conducting both of these for over two decades attests to his love of teaching the art of coaching.
Fuller served 34 years as the Head Coach at Cumberland -- which is located about one and a half hours northeast of the Twin Cities of Minnesota -- where his teams compiled a record of 482-213, winning ten conference titles as well as 13 Regional and 4 Sectional crowns. His 1998 team was the Runner-up in the Wisconsin State Tournament.
Besides coaching at the high school, he also labored in the summer as the American Legion Coach winning over 500 games in that span. His summers were spent coaching (What Else?) grade schoolers from 3rd to 5th grade from morning until late afternoon, driving to a Legion game at night and usually not arriving home until after 10 p.m. most days. Since his schedule wasn't that busy, he also served as the school's Athletic Director for his last five years!
He worked tirelessly raising funds for years to build a new "yard" in his beloved city. Through the Cumberland Baseball Association donations were received to build an immaculate facility that was honored in 2002 with the ABCA National Field of the Year Maintenance Award.
Since leaving teaching and coaching, Fuller has been an Assistant Coach for the last ten years at NCAA D3 powerhouse UW-Whitewater. During that time the UWW Hawks have won seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and captured the National Championship in 2014. He makes the 5-hour drive from his Northwoods haven on weekends to be with the Hawks, often returning home the same day. He also helps out at the many UWW Baseball Camps throughout the holiday season and during the summer.
This love that Mark has for the roundball game has not gone unrewarded. He has been elected to four Halls of Fame: Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association in 1995; Cumberland Baseball in 2010; ABCA in 2015 and the Cumberland Athletic Hall in 2016.
In addition, he has authored two books of local history regarding the Cumberland region and writes sports for the local paper. Over the past 41 years his aforementioned Cumberland Baseball Clinic has donated over 37K to local youth baseball. Somehow Coach Fuller also finds time to act as a tour guide leading summer tours of MLB stadiums and games.
But, according to Mark, he finds that presenting at 28 European clinics has proved the most satisfying. “It’s amazing what baseball has allowed me to do,” said Fuller. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in baseball giving me a chance to travel and meet good friends across the globe. I am truly blessed!”
And so is ISG Baseball to have Mark as a frequent contributor!
When not speaking at them, Mark loves to conduct clinics as well. He plans the clinic agendas for the highly successful Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Convention each February in Madison and also finds time to run a clinic in his hometown of Cumberland for the coaches in the northernmost portion of state who can't make the seven-hour drive to Wisconsin's capitol. The fact that he's been conducting both of these for over two decades attests to his love of teaching the art of coaching.
Fuller served 34 years as the Head Coach at Cumberland -- which is located about one and a half hours northeast of the Twin Cities of Minnesota -- where his teams compiled a record of 482-213, winning ten conference titles as well as 13 Regional and 4 Sectional crowns. His 1998 team was the Runner-up in the Wisconsin State Tournament.
Besides coaching at the high school, he also labored in the summer as the American Legion Coach winning over 500 games in that span. His summers were spent coaching (What Else?) grade schoolers from 3rd to 5th grade from morning until late afternoon, driving to a Legion game at night and usually not arriving home until after 10 p.m. most days. Since his schedule wasn't that busy, he also served as the school's Athletic Director for his last five years!
He worked tirelessly raising funds for years to build a new "yard" in his beloved city. Through the Cumberland Baseball Association donations were received to build an immaculate facility that was honored in 2002 with the ABCA National Field of the Year Maintenance Award.
Since leaving teaching and coaching, Fuller has been an Assistant Coach for the last ten years at NCAA D3 powerhouse UW-Whitewater. During that time the UWW Hawks have won seven Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and captured the National Championship in 2014. He makes the 5-hour drive from his Northwoods haven on weekends to be with the Hawks, often returning home the same day. He also helps out at the many UWW Baseball Camps throughout the holiday season and during the summer.
This love that Mark has for the roundball game has not gone unrewarded. He has been elected to four Halls of Fame: Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association in 1995; Cumberland Baseball in 2010; ABCA in 2015 and the Cumberland Athletic Hall in 2016.
In addition, he has authored two books of local history regarding the Cumberland region and writes sports for the local paper. Over the past 41 years his aforementioned Cumberland Baseball Clinic has donated over 37K to local youth baseball. Somehow Coach Fuller also finds time to act as a tour guide leading summer tours of MLB stadiums and games.
But, according to Mark, he finds that presenting at 28 European clinics has proved the most satisfying. “It’s amazing what baseball has allowed me to do,” said Fuller. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in baseball giving me a chance to travel and meet good friends across the globe. I am truly blessed!”
And so is ISG Baseball to have Mark as a frequent contributor!