World Championship-winning softball coach Bob Harrow remembered as legend of the diamond

It was the coach's crowning glory, the high point in a career spanning more than three decades.

Throughout that time Harrow rebuilt Australian and ACT softball, leading the men's and women's national teams to unprecedented levels of success.

Harrow passed away in Canberra last week at the age of 77, prompting an outpouring of emotions from the tight-knit softball community.

The Softball Australia life member will be remembered as a titan of the sport, a revolutionary years ahead of his time.

"Bob was one of the greatest coaches Australia has ever had in softball," Kirkpatrick said. "No one else has coached an open men's team to a World Championship.

"He'll be remembered as a coach who changed the game in Canberra and in Australia. He put a lot of work in with the ACT men's team and that carried on to the Australian men's team. A lot of ACT guys were part of that national team and he took us to a world title."

In addition to his years coaching the Australian softball team, Harrow contributed greatly to the running of the sport in his adopted country.

He was determined to set up a national competition, a goal eventually realised when the National Fastpitch Softball League was established in 1989.

It's rise was mirrored by the growth of softball in the ACT, Harrow developing a star-studded crop of players who went on to achieve success in the national team.

It's a group that includes Kirkpatrick, Adam Folkard, Jeff Goolagong and Michael Tanner, the quartet members of the 2009 World Championship-winning team.

While Harrow was blessed to mentor a talented squad of players, Kirkpatrick said much of their individual accolades can be attributed to their coach's expertise.

"We were all good players who came through together, but it all goes back to Bob and the work ethic he instilled in us," Kirkpatrick said.

"We all pushed each other to be better and Bob was the driving force behind that. At training, he was the one making us take extra swings, fielding ground balls and pitching long sessions to try and get better."

Harrow has been remembered as a coach with a hard edge, willing to push his players to ensure they enjoyed success on the field.

But off the pitch he was kind and caring, interested in the personal lives of those he was coaching and determined to see them thriving away from the sport.

It's this support, Kirkpatrick said, that ensured the players were willing to go the extra step on the diamond.

"He was very hard on us, but he was fair. If you were doing well at something, you'd get more game time. If you were struggling, he'd let you know and try help you fix it. He was good at supporting you in that way.

"If we didn't listen to him or do the right thing, he would get cranky, but we knew exactly where we stood with him. Everyone who played under Bob knew that.

"He was also a great person off the field. He separated on and off the field well. He cared about us, he asked how our family was going, you knew exactly where you stood when you played with Bob."

The Harrow family name continues to be prominent within softball in Australia.

Son Laing played under and then coached alongside his father throughout a decorated career of his own.

Laing's brother Mike represented Australia on 160 occasions and played a key role in the 2009 World Championships victory. He also helped the ACT win nine national titles during his playing days.

The future is bright, with Matthew Harrow, Bob's grandson and Laing's son, last week named in the team to contest the upcoming U23 World Cup.

Bob Harrow has left a sizeable legacy for those who walk behind him, but it's one all in Australian softball are eager to carry forward.

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