The opposition knew once Avon Meacham got on base, he was a threat to steal a base. In fact, Meachem was once clocked in the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds. Meacham could also swing the bat and in the 1994 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival, Meacham hit the first pitch of the event for a home run, going over the center field fence at the 250-foot mark. Meacham also singled, scored a pair of runs and stole a base in a losing effort. He dazzled the crowd with his speed and power, scoring from first in the seventh inning on a triple by Mike Larabee. Meacham’s 4.3 clocking came in 1983 when at age 27, he got a tryout with the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks. But, after checking Avon’s age, the Seahawks felt they didn’t need a 27-year-old free agent. Meacham was one of four walk-ons offered a contract. Although Avon didn’t make it in the NFL, he resumed his major softball career and four years later made the USA Pan American Team, which won a silver medal in Indianapolis, Ind. Avon batted .238 in the 1987 Games as the USA finished runner-up to Canada. In 1990, he was selected to play for the USA in the Labatt’s Challenge Cup in Saskatoon, Canada and led all hitters with a .536 average. In 1991, Meacham made his second Pan American team and batted .355 (11-for-31) as the USA again finished runner-up to Canada. Four years later, he made his third and final Pan American team and batted .276 as the USA again finished behind Canada. In three Pan American Games, Avon batted .296 (24-for-81). Besides playing in three Pan American Games and the U.S. Olympic Festival, Avon was a member of two ASA national championship teams, 1994 and 1995, with Decatur PRIDE of Decatur, Ill. In 1994, Avon batted .407 and in 1995 he batted .353, marking the third consecutive year he was named an All-American. He also was named an All-American in 1993. In 1994, he also was named the most valuable player in the national championship. In four years with Decatur, Avon batted .299, .380, .353 and .258. Meacham, who started playing fast pitch in 1980, participated in six ASA national championships and batted .306 (30-for-98). In addition to playing for Decatur PRIDE, Meacham also played for the Twangers, Washington, D.C., Metros, Spokane, Wash., Monarchs, Washington, D.C., Radiators, Annapolis, Md., Sunners, Reading, Pa., and the Clearwater, Fla., Bombers. Since 1998, Avon has been a member of the ASA Board of Directors and from 1996-1998 was the assistant coach at Columbia Union College, in Tacoma Park, Md. He also served on the USA Men’s National Team Selection Committee, and continues to play ASA softball in the 40-and-over division of play. He graduated in 1980 from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and in May of 2001 earned a Master’s degree in business administration from Bowie State University. He has 28 years of Federal service as a budget and program officer for the Department of Transportation. He also is a member of the USOC Athletic Advisory Committee and is the head coach and treasurer for the Track Express and Youth Track Club.
