Glenn Rutenbar has been a pioneer in establishing fast pitch softball in Polk County and throughout the state of Florida.  After taking over the program at Bartow High School in 1987, he has a career record of 562-101-1(.848).  As the only softball coach in the school’s history, Rutenbar is accustomed to giving plenty of victory speeches. He has led seven Yellow Jacket teams to state championships, and four more to state runners-up. Prior to this past season, Bartow had won a state-record five straight state championships, appearing in the state championship game every year since 1997.  

Born in Flint, Michigan, Rutenbar moved to Polk County in 1985 with his wife Cheryl, who is an assistant principal for Socrum Elementary School in Lakeland. After teaching three years at Fort Meade High School and coaching the baseball team for two years, Rutenbar took over the Bartow softball program.  In his first season, he led the team to a 20-0 record in fast pitch, but then had to play slow pitch in a Polk County tournament against nine other teams that had experience hitting the arcing ball instead of one shot out of a rocket launcher.  Rutenbar has insisted that not starting out in slow pitch helped Bartow get a jump on building a program that would eventually dominate the sport.  In 1988, schools had the option of playing fast pitch or slow pitch in the playoffs. By 1993, schools were required to play fast pitch.   

While Rutenbar had a lot of success his first 10 years, winning the district title seven times, a state championship still eluded the Yellow Jackets. The team went to its first state tournament in 1990 after a 22-11 season, and then went again in 1991, losing again in the state semifinals.  Satisfaction finally came in 1997, when Bartow finished 30-6 and beat Lake Region for the Class 4A title.  From there the floodgates were open for a dynasty that would go on to win six more state championships over the next nine years, an unprecedented run for any team in Florida High School softball.