Michael Anast grew up in Garfield Ridge and attended St. Rita High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete.
His love of softball began in 1963 when he played his first game in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). He would end his softball career nearly forty years later in 2001 while playing with Out of Touch, a team comprised of his friends from The Touch.
Anast played for over twenty teams and would accumulate more than thirty championships and tournament titles in his career. As a member of The Touch, he won the 1985 Nationals and was named a First Team All-American in 1987. He considers both to be his greatest accomplishments as a player.
Anast also played for the Christians, Mercury, Nocturnes, Wanderers, Duds, and Lettuce. He still maintains strong friendships with many of his former teammates from these teams.
He also coached his three daughters between 1993 and 2005, when all three played on the same team, the Vixens. He considers this the proudest moment in his softball-coaching career.
Anast and his wife, Diane, live in Lemont, Illinois, where he enjoys the retired life. He can be commonly found on the golf course.