Dave Spargo

Dave attended Penn High School in Greenville, Pennsylvania where he participated in baseball, gymnastics, football and wrestling. The day after graduation he enlisted in the Navy in 1945. While in the Navy he played on the baseball team as a catcher, where he caught Carl Erskine.  

After being discharged from the Navy, Dave entered Thiel College for one semester, but college was interrupted because of a paralyzing stroke suffered by his father. He worked in a factory for three years, then heard about Marion College.  

Dave enrolled at Marion College, attending class in the mornings and working at the RCA from 4:00p.m.-12:00a.m. He also attended Taylor University for his physical education classes and graduated from Marion College in 1952.

Upon graduation Dave was recruited to be the Physical Education Director at the new unfinished Marion YMCA. He began the physical education program from scratch and grew it to the second largest membership in the state.  

Visiting his hometown in Pennsylvania and watching their Little League youth baseball program and Pony League, he brought the idea back to Marion. Dave presented the programs to the Park Board, and soon after the Lincoln baseball fields were built.  

Dave played on many of the local fast pitch softball teams as well as the Marion Blue Sox baseball team.  

In 1968 Dave was asked to form a baseball program at Marion College with no diamond or equipment. He coached for five years and the program was a success.  

Dave has served on Little League Boards in Marion and Sweetser.