Joe Massaro’s skills coupled with his caring and passionate approach for developing the game propelled him to a successful umpiring career that spanned 38 years (1979-2016). His dedication earned him the opportunity to umpire at seven National Championships, including the Women’s Major Fast Pitch championship game in 1994, 1996 and 2000. Excelling on the international stage, Massaro also umpired in several ISF tournaments including the 2001 Junior Girls’ World Cup and the 2005 Junior Men’s World Cup as well as various Olympic-level events such as the 2000 USA Softball Pre-Olympic tour and the 2004 Olympic Games Qualifier. Massaro’s contributions as a USA Softball umpire earned him a spot in the Medals Program at the gold level while also being a member of the National Indicator Fraternity. Adding to his resume of accolades, Massaro attained Elite Status in the USA Softball umpire program, was named the USA Softball Mid-Atlantic Region Umpire of the Year in 1999 and received the Umpire Award of Excellence for Region 2 in 2001. His continued dedication to the sport and advanced skills on the field has earned him enshrinement to the Union County Softball Hall of Fame (2009) as well as the USA Softball of New Jersey Hall of Fame (2011).
“I am so honored to be included with the greatest of the game of USA Softball. As someone who always wanted to be the best I could, I was startled when I received a phone call to hear that I was voted into the USA Softball Hall of Fame. Being included in the same group as some of the Hall of Fame Umpires I’ve had the privilege to know who also helped mentor me such as Henry Pollard, Tony Walsh, Nick Cinquanto and Bill Humphrey to name a few is overwhelming.”