Rhea Fuller kept one nervous eye on the sky all weekend and the other on the Bazinsky Park softball fields where his three daughters were playing. All the while, thoughts of full garbage cans, revamped brackets and keeping players and coaches happy were running through his head.

It was a typical day for Fuller, who has made softball his life over the last six years. Even in the final days of his leadership of the Vicksburg Girls Softball Association he couldn’t step back and bask in the satisfaction of a job well done. There was still too much work to do.

Fuller, who has been president of the VGSA since 2000, is stepping down at the end of this month. His swan song was last weekend’s Rumble on the River tournament, an event he helped create and then triple in size in just four years.

Fuller will stay on through the end of the month to help with the VGSA’s all-star games, then officially resign. His daughters – Brittany, Tiffany and Mandy – have finished playing in the VGSA league, and he felt it was time to pass the torch to a younger generation.

&#8220We’ve got it to the point now where if somebody picked it up, it’s going to keep going. That’s been the goal all along,” Fuller said, adding that he thinks softball has even more room to grow in Vicksburg. &#8220I would like to see us hosting a state tournament at some time. That would be a big thing. There’s a lot of things that can grow from this, and I hope whoever takes over after I leave is able to keep it going.”

Under Fuller’s leadership, the VGSA grew into a solid fast-pitch league with nearly 300 players. Its tournament teams have won competitions around the state, and the Rumble on the River developed into one of the premiere events in the state.

The first Rumble drew about a dozen teams in 2003. This year’s tournament involved 34 teams, and more than a dozen others were turned away because of a lack of fields.

Fuller was quick to deflect the credit for changing softball from a niche sport to one of the fastest growing sports in the area. A number of parents and volunteers played a part, he said. But some of those people said that Fuller was the driving force behind everything.

In a demanding, full-time job that offers no pay, most presidents have had enough after a year or two. Fuller stayed on the job for six years.

&#8220Rhea Fuller has broke his back out here since he took over,” said Howard Park, the VGSA president from 1998-2000 and still an active member of the organization. &#8220He organized tournaments, league games, scheduling, all of that. He and his wife Liz do all the concession work out here.”

The founder of the VGSA was Betty Hearn. She got the league off the ground and spearheaded the drive to get the Bazinsky Park fields built. Fuller’s hard work and long tenure in the VGSA presidency earned him a nickname, Park laughed.

&#8220We jokingly call him Uncle Betty,” Park said. &#8220He filled her shoes and stepped up and took charge.”

Now, it’s time for someone to fill Fuller’s big shoes. He still plans to be in the background to help out with the VGSA, and will be involved with Warren Central’s softball booster club. Tiffany and Mandy play for the Lady Vikes, and Fuller keeps the official scorebook and serves as public address announcer for their games.

&#8220It’s been a good ride and I’ve had a lot of fun, and had a lot of good people to work with,” Fuller said. &#8220It’s all good, and I will miss it. I will help them in any way I can.”