2018 ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM SPORT AUSTRALIA ______1
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT ______1
CEO’S REPORT ______1
MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS ______4
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ______5
COMMITTEES ______6
HIGH PERFORMANCE______8
MEMBERSHIP ______14
MEMBER RECOGNITION ______19
HOMEPLATE LADDER PROGRAM ______30
SOFTBALL FOR ALL ______33
TECHNICAL ______38
SOCIAL MEDIA ______55
TEAMS ______57
INTERNATIONAL ______60
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS ______64
OTHER RESULTS ______74
AWARDS & HONOURS ______76
SPONSORS & PARTNERS ______83
Cover image courtesy Sam Donkin Photography
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MESSAGE FROM SPORT AUSTRALIA
It has been a watershed year for the Australian Sports Commission. We’ve launched a new public-facing brand - Sport Australia – with a renewed vision for Australia to be the world’s most active sporting nation, known for its integrity, sporting success and world-leading sports industry.
This aligns with the Australian Government’s long-term vision for sport in this country, outlined in Sport 2030, released in August 2018 by Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie. Sport Australia will be central to delivering the priorities outlined in this national sport plan.
At the fundamental level, Sport Australia’s focus will be on getting Australians moving through sport and, more broadly, physical activity. We want to inspire and activating people across every age, race, gender, cultural background and physical ability. We will continue to build partnerships in the health and education sectors to ensure physical activity is a national priority.
We need to ensure sporting organisations are equipped to make the most of a renewed interest in physical activity, and so we will continue working with sports to improve the workforce capability, governance and partnerships. We want to help sports innovate, connect with existing and new participants in the digital era and provide products that meet current expectations.
The AIS is redefining its role too, leading a united and collaborative high performance system for Australian sport. Success will be measured by Australians consistently winning medals at major international events, but also in the national pride and inspiration generated by our athletes.
Working in partnerships, the AIS will be focused on doing the big system-level things on the frontiers of ethical sporting performance that no other body is naturally positioned to do.
The AIS has launched a new Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement team, focused on supporting athletes to transition through their sporting careers and connect with their communities. We want sporting champions to be positive influences.
Australia enjoyed genuine sporting success in 2017-18. In challenging times, the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games helped restore Australia’s faith in our sports and athletes.
Positions on the podium are wonderful to celebrate, but the narrative is incomplete without humility, generosity of spirit, confidence in what our athletes stand for and how they carry themselves. At the Gold Coast Games, we saw the very best in our athletes, and this display of spirit and integrity is sure to give them the best start to their preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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We also had some outstanding performances at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Australia equalled its most successful Winter Olympics haul of three medals in PyeongChang, two silvers and one bronze medal matching the result in Sochi 2014. It was also our best result at a Paralympic Winter Games in 16 years.
Sport integrity has justifiably gained additional focus in the past year, and is a very important priority for Sport Australia and for Australian sport more generally. We, and everyone involved in sport, owe it to the athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, fans and the public at large to ensure that Australian sport is fair and clean, and is seen to be fair and clean.
We thank all of our partners – including athletes, coaches, board members and administrators – for your effort and contribution to Australian sport, and your enthusiasm for building a more active Australia. We look forward to continued success and progress together.
John Wylie AM Chair Sport Australia
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The past 12months has marked significant progress in a number of areas for the sport of softball in Australia - the two most critical areas being One Softball and our High Performance program.
As part of our Whole of Softball Strategic Planning process in October 2017, the States and the National Board agreed to assess the logic of moving to a ‘One Management Model’ nationally. The principle behind the transformation will provide the organisational road map for collaboration between Softball Australia, Member States, associations and clubs on our priorities and the drivers for change. We continue to work towards qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with increased focus on our High Performance program.
Key to the successful delivery of the above two priorities is the management changes that we undertook in early 2018. Chet Gray vacated the CEO role and assumed direct responsibility for our High Performance program and major events, specifically managing national team and pathway programs in the lead up to - and beyond - the 2020 Olympic Games. The primary driver is to maximise our chances of 2020 qualification and subsequently a podium finish. The sport has moved forward in a number of key areas during Chet’s tenure as CEO and I thank him for his contribution and commitment.
In parallel with these changes, David Pryles was appointed CEO in June. In addition to leading the sport, David will be primarily accountable for progressing the One Management transformation and focussing on commercialisation of our core products and assets, including increasing our engagement with the business community.
ONE SOFTBALL Moving to a ‘One Management Model’ is essential to ensure that the sport of softball in Australia has a sustainable future underpinned by real growth in participation. The key to this transformation is to increase our grassroots resourcing by working with clubs and associations to increase participation through retention and member growth. We are committed to arresting the decline in membership numbers to ensure the change will enable our best skilled people to be leveraged nationally and for us to remove duplication.
PARTICIPATION To deliver real growth in participation we must continue to increase our grassroots resourcing so that we can improve retention and work more effectively to transition participants from school softball competitions and after-school programs into our sport. As I keep repeating there are no quick fix solutions and we need
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to look at more innovative ways to offer opportunities for participants to play softball and to increase our resourcing on the ground.
2020 OLYMPIC GAMES Our quest to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games saw most of our national team participate in the National Pro-Fastpitch league in the USA. This innovative approach was used as a lead-up to the XVI WBSC Women’s World Championship to be held in Japan from 2-12 August 2018, and we thank the Australian Sports Commission for their direct financial support of our involvement in the league competition.
Momentum continues to build towards the 2020 Olympic Games and we are working hard to ensure the Australian Open Women’s team qualify.
Congratulations to our 2017 World Softball Hall of Fame inductees: Melanie Roche (NSW) and Natalie Ward (NSW), Softball Australia Hall of Fame inductees: Adam Humble (WA), Nathan Jones (WA), Kris Kiefel (Vic); and to Laing Harrow, Head Coach of the Australian Open Men’s team for their outstanding result winning a silver medal at the XV Men’s World Softball Championship in Whitehorse, Canada in July 2017.
Thank you to my fellow national directors. It is a pleasure to have such a diverse, highly-skilled board working hard for the sport of softball in Australia. Thank you to all the State Boards, State-based staff and national office staff – your collective efforts are much appreciated. Finally a huge thanks to the volunteers on the ground delivering softball competitions and programs to our near 150,000 participants.
John Hollingsworth Chair
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CEO’S REPORT
This year has seen the organisation focus shift towards rebuilding our High Performance Women’s program to prepare for the 2018 World Championship in order to achieve an Olympic qualification position.
Once again, the Board took the financial decision to invest some of the cash reserves into the High Performance (HP) area, specifically to support the National Pro Fastpitch League initiative for which the AIS provided investment funding through the ‘Towards Tokyo 2020’ program. It was recognised by the Board that it was less than 12 months from the 2018 World Championship, which was the first opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. It is important to invest in HP staffing, competition opportunities, sports science, sports medicine and the daily performance environment.
Softball Australia has worked hard over the last few years to improve our financial position and our level of reserves due to the decreasing certainty of government funding. The Board approved a deficit budget to enable further investment in our HP women’s program. We finish the 17/18 year retaining healthy cash reserves.
MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE Our major activity has continued to be the ‘whole of softball’ approach with our stakeholders to move the sport forward in Australia.
In early 2018 we initiated a major research project, on the back of the outcomes from the AGM workshop facilitated by Cameron Schwab in October 2017. This project is the number one priority for softball in Australia. Nielsen Sports was appointed as the independent consultant to manage the Governance Project. The objectives of the project are:
1. Assess the current model for Softball in Australia to deliver the current strategy and address the drivers for change; 2. Assess the One Management Model to deliver the current strategy and address the drivers for change; and 3. Conduct a feasibility study of implementing a One Management Model and its impact on all major operational areas of the sport.
The outcomes of this project will be to validate the model, develop a business case together with a migration strategy to adopt the new model. This project will be delivered in three stages with a completion date of September 2018.
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In 2017 we commenced the review and updating of the Softball in Australia Strategy Plan. The plan outlines what the Australian softball community wants to achieve collectively and how it plans to do so over the 2017-2022 period.
There were three strategic priorities developed to achieve our common vision, as follows:
1. One Softball – We will work collaboratively, through aligned structures, systems and policies, procedures and programs, to build a sustainable sports business. 2. Participation – We will make softball more accessible, relevant and rewarding for all Australians. 3. High Performance Success – We will deliver winning teams that inspire and excite Australians.
Between 2017 and 2022, all elements of the Australian softball community and our key partners, will work together to develop, implement and review a suite of strategic projects, designed to achieve our strategic priorities.
STAFFING RESTRUCTURE In the past twelve months we took the opportunity to restructure in key areas presenting the opportunity for several current positions to take on additional responsibilities. Shane Cantelmi was appointed as the National Events and Products Manager to handle all national and international events and the national men’s program.
Within the HP area, HP Coordinator, Simone Wearne, Head Coach Fabian Barlow and I have taken on additional responsibilities after a HP restructure in November.
The ICT Coordinator and Sales Manager areas of responsibility will be reviewed early in the 18/19 financial year.
HIGH PERFORMANCE This year Softball Australia’s HP program has focused on increasing international competition experience for our open women’s athletes and assisting in preparations for the 2020 Olympic qualification process.
The Aussie Spirit team participated in the 2018 US National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF) season, leading up to the World Championship in Japan. This provided players and coaches with the ideal preparation for the World Championship.
Through the NPF we provided a 48 game season for a three-and-a-half-month period which afforded the players the opportunity to become full time athletes with a daily training environment which cannot be replicated in Australia.
The Aussie Spirit team played their first game in the NPF on 19 May against the Beijing Eagles at Missouri Western State University, which was the commencement of their eight-week competition schedule.
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In addition to the NPF program we conducted the Asia Pacific Cup in February at Blacktown International Sportspark. This international women’s softball event included national teams from Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and Italy. This was the first Australian hosted international softball event broadcast live through Australia and into 14 countries in Asia, since the 2000 Olympic Games. The event provided additional competition for our national team players and promoted the sport in Australia through the live broadcasting opportunity.
The Aussie Steelers put in a brilliant performance but fell just short against New Zealand in the final of the XV WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Whitehorse, Canada in July 2017. The Black Sox won 6-4 in an outstanding game that featured high-quality pitching and defence, as well as some clutch power hitting. Although they had to settle for silver medals, the Steelers showed they are a force in world softball. They scored some crucial wins throughout the 10-day tournament and showed considerable improvement on their fourth placing at the 2015 World Championship.
In reflecting on any year, it is important to acknowledge those organisations whose contributions allow us to pursue success. My thanks go to the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Institute of Sport, Member States and the Australian Olympic Committee.
I would also like to acknowledge and thank our wonderful band of loyal partners: Easton Australia, Greatrex Sporting Goods, Sportslink International, V-Insurance Group, Envisio and Locale Travel Management.
On a personal note, this will be my last annual report as the CEO for Softball Australia. As part of the organisational structural changes, David Pryles took over the CEO role for Softball Australia in June 2018, with a focus on commercial development and the repositioning of the sport in Australia. I have taken up a new role as Chief Operating Officer for the organisation which will focus on the High Performance and Events programs. I would also like to thank the Directors, staff, volunteers, Member States and athletes who work tirelessly and continue to make valuable contributions to management, governance and promotion of our sport in Australia and have supported me as the CEO for this organisation for the past five years. It is truly awesome for me to have been able to lead this organisation into the next phase of their development.
The new era of softball is coming and it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to unite to tackle the challenges confronting us. These challenges include ensuring that the sport stays relevant for the next generation and to provide quality participation and pathway opportunities for both recreational and elite level participants.
Chet Gray Chief Executive Officer
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MEMBER STATES
SOFTBALL ACT President: Nathan Bale / Frank Curcio Chief Executive Officer: Ben Kirk www.act.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL NSW President: Frances Crampton General Manager: Cathy Kerr www.nsw.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL NT President: Michelle Krauer Executive Officer: Nicky Bacon www.nt.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL QLD President: Mark Jeppesen General Manager: Sue Nisbet www.qld.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL SA President: Uby Fadoul Executive Officer: James Harris www.sa.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL TAS President: Sheryl Burnie Executive Officer: John Milbourne www.tas.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL VIC President: Jenny Holliday AM / Bron Madigan Executive Officer: Nick Frayne www.victoria.softball.org.au
SOFTBALL WA President: Bill Leonard Chief Executive Officer: Dean Burton / Russ Clark www.wa.softball.org.au
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ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Hollingsworth (Chairman) Dennis Cullen Sandra De Witt (com Oct 2017) Jenny Dunn (com March 2018) Helen Langenberg Annette Fidge (resigned March 2018) Fiona Crawford Christine Heron Ron Gauci (resigned June 18) Peter Jon Hartshorne
STAFF David Pryles (com 4 June 2018) Chief Executive Officer Chet Gray (new role as Chief Operating Officer from 4 June 2018) Chief Executive Officer Ben Utting Sport Development Manager Andy Utting (dept Dec 2017) High Performance Manager Fabian Barlow Australian Women’s Head Coach Richard Costantino (dept Oct 2017) National Events Coordinator Emily Barr (dept April 2018) National Sales Manager Helen Davis Office Manager Jane Wang (dept 13 June 2018) ICT Coordinator Shane Cantelmi National Events & Products Manager Tim Hatzi Club & Community Development Coordinator Brooke Wilkins Technical Project Coordinator Joanne Paez Participation Coordinator Sophie Moore (dept Dec 2017) Sporting Schools Coordinator Hari Prasad Financial Controller Audrina Ning Accounts Assistant
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COMMITTEES
FINANCE COMMITTEE NATIONAL SCORING COMMITTEE Annette Fidge, Committee Chair Ngaire Huston (Qld) – Chief Statistician Dennis Cullen Michael Hannelly (NSW) Chet Gray / David Pryles Lindy Rattigan (SA) Hari Prasad Kirsty Andrews (Qld) John Hollingsworth Sandra Palmer (NSW) Chris Trengove (Vic) GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE NATIONAL UMPIRING COMMITTEE Christine Heron, Committee Chair Kyira Cox (NSW) National UIC/UIC Operations Chet Gray / David Pryles Leigh Evans (Vic) UIC – Technical Helen Langenberg Debbie Grove (Vic) UIC – Development John Hollingsworth Scott Rindfleish (NSW) UIC – Communication PRESIDENTS’ COMMISSION HIGH PERFORMANCE ADVISORY GROUP John Hollingsworth Dennis Cullen (Director) Peter Jon Hartshorne Fiona Crawford (Director) Chet Gray / David Pryles Chet Gray (Softball Australia) Nathan Bale (ACT) Andy Utting (Softball Australia) Frances Crampton (NSW) Joyce Lester (Qld) Michelle Krauer (NT) Bob Crudgington (Qld) Mark Jeppesen (Qld) Emery Holmik (AIS) Uby Faddoul (SA) Sheryl Burnie (Tas) Jenny Holliday AM (Vic) Bill Leonard (WA) MARKETING & FUNDRAISING NATIONAL EVENTS COMMITTEE John Hollingsworth (Director) Richard Costantino/Shane Cantelmi (Softball Peter Jon Hartshorne (Director) Australia) Ron Gauci (Director) Kyira Cox (NSW) Fiona Crawford (Director) Ngaire Houston (Qld) Chet Gray / David Pryles (Softball Australia) Sue Nisbet (Qld) Ben Utting (Softball Australia) Emily Barr (Softball Australia) Roger Maddern (Vic) Jason Greenhalgh (Qld) HISTORY & RECOGNITION COMMITTEE Joanne Paez (Softball Australia) Kylie Bloodworth (Softball Australia) Margo Koskelainen OAM (Vic) Mark Jeppesen (Qld) Neville Lawrance (SA) Audrey McLaughlin AM (Qld)
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Ryan Sinclair, XV Men’s Softball World Championship image courtesy Maddy Flanagan
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HIGH PERFORMANCE
The last 12 months have proven positive and exciting for Softball Australia’s high performance program. While the Aussie Spirit continue their quest for 2020 Olympic qualification, including a successful inaugural season in the National Pro Fastpitch league in the USA, our Open Men, Aussie Steelers won silver at the 15th WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship in Canada.
THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM In November, Andy Utting, High Performance Manager departed the organisation and we would like to acknowledge and thank him for his contribution to the program.
With Andy’s departure, CEO Chet Gray, Open Women’s Head Coach Fabian Barlow, and High Performance Coordinator Simone Wearne, were appointed to manage the program. Challenges were met and addressed with the support received from our Member States and several other crucial stakeholders, enabling us to take positive steps in one of the most important times in Softball Australia’s history.
We acknowledge and appreciate the additional tasks undertaken during what was a critical period for the organisation.
2018 NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH (NPF) LEAGUE In 2017, Softball Australia negotiated to have seven Aussie Spirit players join the Chicago Bandits in the NPF. This concept was expanded upon in 2018, with Softball Australia entering a full team for the entire NPF season as part of what we believed to be crucial preparation in the lead up to the 16th WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship in Japan. The opportunity exposed players to a professional daily training environment over a longer period, providing regular international level game-play and a chance to experience world-class facilities.
We secured a group of 28 players from the 2018 Australian Open Women’s Squad, together with four US- based players who made up the roster for various periods during the NPF season. To ensure the necessary preparation for our final World Championship team (17 players), all players committed to making themselves available from 1 July through to the final Aussie Spirit NPF game on 18 July.
The NPF also provided a very important opportunity for coaches from across the country to coach internationally whilst also learning more about international competition.
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INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
2017 North America Tour (US World Cup & Canada Cup) Players from the 2017 Open Women’s Squad toured North America in July, attending the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City then travelling to Surrey to take part in the Canada Cup.
US World Cup 5-9 July The top four WBSC ranked nations – Japan, USA, Canada and Australia – in addition to Puerto Rico, Mexico, Philippines and the USA Junior Women’s National Team competed at the US World Cup.
The Spirit finished fourth with a record of 3 wins and 5 losses. Taylah Tsitsikronis led the Spirit with a .364 batting average, including 3 home runs and a team leading .773 slugging percentage. Kaia Parnaby was the standout pitcher throwing a total of 25 innings, striking out 25 and conceding only 3 walks on the way to a 2- 2 win/loss record.
Canada Cup 11-17 July Australia, Japan, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Philippines, Venezuela and Chinese Taipei competed at the Canada Cup. The team had wins against Canada, Mexico and Venezuela finishing runners-up to Japan, 7-1, with a 3-4 win/loss record.
Stacey Porter led the Spirit with a batting average of .565, earning selection to the Tournament All-Star Team. Kaia Parnaby also starred on the mound pitching a total of 21 innings with an ERA of 1.71.
2017 Japan Cup 25-27 August 2017 The Aussie Spirit’s ‘Benchmark Event’ for 2017 was the Japan Cup, held in Takasaki, Japan. The Spirit faced off in a tournament that included only the top four ranked countries – Japan, USA, Canada and Australia.
Some excellent games saw the Spirit come away in third place after defeating Canada 1 – 0 on the final day of play.
Kaia Parnaby was again a standout, throwing a 7-inning complete game in the final against Canada, striking out 6 while allowing only 2 hits. Sam Poole’s second inning double and Stacey Porter at the Asia Pacific Cup subsequent run was the only score for the game.
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With a podium finish at this event, the Aussie Spirit were able to secure an important additional funding opportunity from the Australian Olympic Committee.
2017 Kochi City Tour 27-31 October 2017 In an exciting partnership, the Kochi Prefectural Government invited the Aussie Spirit to Kochi City to play exhibition games against Sonoda University, professional league team Iyo Bank and club team Hirabayashi. The Government’s generous contribution made this tour possible and providing an opportunity for 16 of our younger players to step up and gain international experience in one of the top softball countries in the world. The Tour also helped inspire their local youth to take up sport, specifically softball.
Players were provided full access to the Kochi Prefectural Government-owned Haurno Sports Park which included softball diamonds, indoor training facilities, gym facilities and a recovery centre, run by Japanese Men’s Head Coach Tomoaki Okamoto.
The Aussie Spirit finished with 4 wins, 2 ties and 1 loss.
2018 Asia Pacific Cup 1-4 February 2018 At the completion of the Open Women’s National Softball Championship in January, 32 athletes were selected to participate in the 2018 Asia Pacific Cup. In a revamped event, formerly known as the Down Under Series, the Aussie Spirit and the Australian All-Stars teams played against Japan, New Zealand, China, Italy and Chinese Taipei in a four-day competition.
The tournament was a fantastic showcase of world-class softball on home soil, and a selection event for Head Coach Fabian Barlow and the Open Women’s selectors as the players vying for a spot on the World Championship team for 2018 were able to compete in challenging situations.
The Aussie Spirit finished in second place with a 6-2 win/loss record losing only to Japan, while the Australian All-Stars finished in fifth place with a 3-4 win/loss record.
Aussie Spirit Captain Stacey Porter reached a great milestone at the Asia Pacific Cup, becoming only the second Australian player to reach 400 games.
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2017 Junior Women’s World Championship 24-30 July 2017 The Junior Spirit travelled to Clearwater, Florida to participate in the XII Junior Women’s Softball World Championship. Despite excellent results in round one with a 5-1 win/loss record (losing only to Japan), the team finished in seventh place after a very narrow 2-0 loss to China in the championship round.
Standout performances included Tarni Stepto in the circle throwing a team high 18.1 innings, striking out 31 with an era of just 0.76; and Tamieka Whitefield with the bat who led the team in at bats (21), and hits (10) and batting average .476.
2017 Men’s Softball World Championship 7-16 July 2017 The Aussie Steelers travelled to Whitehorse, Canada to participate in the XV Men’s Softball World Championship. The team finished the opening round in Pool A sitting in second position with a 5-2 win/loss record (behind Canada).
But with big wins in the Championship round against USA (11-7), Argentina (4-1) and Canada (7-3), the Steelers earned the right to play-off for a gold medal against New Zealand. In a heart-stopping game and a 3-2 lead going into the sixth innings, the Steelers eventually went down in a nail biter 6-4. A fantastic effort to take home the silver medal.
Standout performances included pitchers Adam Folkard and Andrew Kirkpatrick who threw 49.2 innings combined with a total of 70 strikeouts between them. With the bat it was Nick Shailes leading the Steelers offense, finishing the tournament with an impressive .455 batting average and five home runs.
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ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS There are some significant relationships that we are not only continuing to establish, but are committed to supporting in and around high performance:
• Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) – The QAS has again made a significant contribution to the overall high performance program, providing critical support to players and staff, notably ensuring access for Queensland-based players in relation to essential resources. We understand just how important this relationship is, and will continue finding ways to assist, and work with the QAS for the betterment of our players. • NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) – For the first time in years, NSWIS are again providing scholarship opportunities for some of our high performance open women’s players. Jason Howell was taken on as the senior strength and conditioning coach, and a part-time ‘Head Softball Coach’ was engaged to work directly with players around specifically targeted individual performance plans for each scholarship athlete. Kerrie Porter was the successful candidate for this position. We have also included Nathanial Harnett in the NSWIS program as a part-time physiotherapist. • Open Women Battery Coach – Kelly Hardie took on the role of Open Women’s Team Battery Coach working directly with players chosen following the Asia Pacific Cup to represent the Aussie Spirit at the 2018 World Championship. • Kathy Mitchell – With several Open Women’s squad players and NSW athletes located in Queensland, former Aussie Spirit player Kathy Mitchell provided physiotherapy for the athletes and travelled to Kochi City with the team in October.
OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS In addition to preparing for qualification to the 2020 Olympic Games, the following positive outcomes have occurred:
• Open Women Training Camp – After the final team of 17 athletes was finalised post the Gilley’s Shield and Asia Pacific Cup, the Aussie Spirit held a training camp in Brisbane in preparation for departure to the NPF and the upcoming World Championship in Japan. • Open Women Battery Program – Led by Kelly Hardie, three battery events hosted in Brisbane, with key members of the Open Women’s battery group taking part in targeted training in preparation for the World Championship. • Scholarship Athletes – as noted above, NSWIS are providing scholarship opportunities for our players, as are WAIS, ACTAS, QAS and SASI. The opportunity to provide scholarships means our players have access to a variety of resources, additional training opportunities, access to experts across a range of fields, and the chance to work alongside other elite athletes in their states. • DAIS Funding – 28 of our best female players across the country received dAIS funding (direct AIS athlete grant funding) in 2017/18. DAIS funding provides an opportunity for athletes in Olympic sports to receive direct financial assistance from the Australian Government. It also assists by providing support to
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emerging athletes. • AOC Medal Incentive – The AOC Medal incentive fund was established between 2017 and 2020 in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics. Where athletes place either first, second or third at their benchmark event that year, they are eligible to receive Australian Olympic Committee Medal Incentive Funding. Due to the Aussie Spirit’s third placing at the 2017 Japan Cup, Softball Australia received funding to support Aussie Spirit athletes. • Athlete Management System (AMS) – With the assistance of the AIS, and preparation by Andy Utting, we were able to roll out the AMS across our entire 2018 Open Women’s Squad. AMS is a data management platform that provides the opportunity to monitor, review and analyse collected data from players – notably to minimise training time lost due to injury and illness which will potentially ensure improved performance. Although some athletes already had experience using the system, it was important for the long-term success of our program to ensure all athletes were working within it. • Hudl Software – Hudl is a leading software company that provides the tools to edit and share video, code and review team and individual footage, and the opportunity to provide feedback from any mobile device or computer no matter where you are. Hudl was only recently introduced to the Open Women’s program and was used daily during the NPF program to assist with player and team development. It is Softball Australia’s vision to ensure all high performance teams across the country have access to this platform in the future. • Technical Conference – A successful application through the Australian Olympic Committee’s ‘Olympic Solidarity Fund’ enabled us to host two technical conference events. The first event was held in conjunction with the 2018 Asia Pacific Cup in Sydney, where coaches were able to work closely with high performance expert Bob Crudgington, with a focus on video analysis techniques, game review and strategy. The second event was held in Brisbane, again led by Bob Crudgington, who was joined by experts such as Megan Gilchrist, Cliff Mallett and Steven Rynne from the University of Queensland.
Simone Wearne High Performance Coordinator
Junior Spirit and staff at XII Junior Women’s Softball World Championship
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MEMBERSHIP
As at 30 June, our membership total was 26,711. This figure reflects a 2% increase on our 2017 membership numbers. It also gives us a result of 96% against our growth target.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA TOTAL
1,132 8,712 250 6,521 2,450 572 3,250 3,824 26,711
There are currently 17,677 females and 9,034 male registered members.
Membership by percentage of Australian Population
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OUR MEMBERS The response to our annual Member Survey was outstanding, with a completion rate of 18% compared to 4% in previous years.
Our members again ranked increasing participation as a top priority and improving the club member experience and school profile ranked second.
PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS Softball Australia has several initiatives that can help clubs increase participation.
Softball Batter Up Softball Batter Up (SBU) activities are conducted each year all around the country. As our national program for recruitment and retention, SBU makes playing, teaching and coaching softball easy!
This year 6,154 children participated in our modified versions of softball all around Australia. The program is supported by the SBU website, where we have 1,627 registered users who utilise the game videos and online session planner among other features to help them run softball events and learn about games that teach softball skills.
By providing “how to” resources for coaching softball, the SBU program gives coaches, teachers and parents information to assist in the development of softball themed physical literacy for children. The games, while fun and engaging, develop core skills in striking, throwing, catching, fielding, running and decision making that can improve confidence, develop fundamental motor skills and aid learning that is relevant to the school curriculum.
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Sporting Schools SBU is the program delivered through Sporting Schools. This year we had 15,240 participants spanning terms 3 and 4 in 2017 and terms 1 and 2 in 2018. A total of 381 programs were delivered.
At 30 June 2018 there were 356 registered softball coaches on the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) booking system who are skilled at delivering community based softball programs.
The SBU program forms the basis of what is delivered in schools. The program gives schools the flexibility to teach fundamental motor skills in fun and engaging ways that are relevant to their school curriculum. The games are softball-themed, although one of the benefits for schools is that it develops skills that can be used by students across multiple sports. The program is all about engaging the children to give them a great softball experience.
The following table provides a summary of programs delivered. The numbers include all programs that were delivered either by softball coaches, teachers or private providers.
Sporting Schools Summary - ASC booking system 2017 2018 State Term 3 Term 4 Term 1 Term 2 Total ACT 16 2 5 3 26 NSW 51 23 7 30 111 NT 2 0 1 4 7 Qld 36 7 12 4 59 SA 2 13 16 4 35 Tas 2 1 5 0 8 Vic 41 21 27 31 120 WA 3 5 3 4 15 Total 153 72 76 80 381
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The Sporting Schools Program continues to provide a great opportunity for clubs to engage with local schools and connect through softball. It provides a great opportunity to promote our sport to the next generation of softballers.
Social 7s Social 7s was delivered in seven out of eight states, with the largest participated events conducted in Victoria (162 – Victorian Teachers’ Games), WA (117 – West Pilbara competition), ACT (115 – Hawker competition) and NSW (100 – Bacardi Day).
These and other events not only engaged participants but also attracted new members. Of the 1,371 participants:
• 208 were current playing members • 477 participated with no membership details captured • 686 were new members to the sport
The additional members generated through the Social 7s program contributed to the overall national membership increase of 573 members or 2% on our national total from last year.
New Members Playing Social 7s State Female Male Total ACT 39 30 69 NSW 21 21 42 NT 22 11 33 Qld 65 40 105 Tas 36 27 63 Vic 138 83 221 WA 74 79 153 Total 395 291 686
Social 7s was developed in 2014 to make softball more appealing and easier for people outside the sport to get involved. For most Australians, facing a rise-ball at 110km/h plus is somewhat intimidating, so the slow- pitch version of softball – Social 7s – was developed to enable more people to try it in a non-threatening, safe, fun environment.
Within the first few years of its introduction we have received great feedback and we continue to refine the game to make it relevant for more Australians. Research shows us that the modifications applied to Social 7s make it more appealing to people from outside the sport, whereas traditionalists prefer the fastpitch form of the game. But to grow and to be more inclusive, we must appeal to the masses outside our current membership and we can do that with Social 7s.
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Social 7s has all the makings of a great product that Softball Australia and its affiliated club network can leverage to get new people off the couch and into sport. By states, associations and clubs promoting Social 7s as a flexible entry point to softball for new members, people can experience a game that is “fast, fun and easy to play” and get hooked on softball.
Many clubs and associations have trialled Social 7s by running a one-day event or a short season competition. The program can improve their capacity to facilitate softball activities as it allows flexibility, involves fewer resources to run and reduces the amount of equipment and number of volunteers required to run programs. Only a game coordinator is needed, eliminating the requirement for volunteers such as coaches on each team, scorers and umpires.
Clubs and associations using Social 7s have taken advantage of a dedicated website by entering their details online, providing them with an online presence offering scope for promotion, registration of participants and equipment orders.
Masters Masters continues to be very popular in softball with around 35% of our membership being eligible for competitions based on the age requirements. Across all events there were 5,524 participants reported.
The Queensland master’s competition held in August 2017 was the most attended event, with 1,449 participants converging on Logan to put their skills on display. NSW also reported high numbers of events across the year with solid participation numbers.
State Number of events Total Participants ACT 0 0 NSW 8 1,286 NT 0 0 QLD 9 2,725 SA 4 301 TAS 2 504 VIC 1 588 WA 1 120 Total 25 5,524
Ben Utting Sport Development Manager
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MEMBER RECOGNITION
2017 WORLD SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME Melanie Roche (NSW), Natalie Ward (NSW)
2017 SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Adam Humble (WA), Nathan Jones (WA), Kris Kiefel (Vic)
2017 SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA SERVICE AWARDS The Softball Australia Service Award recognises significant contributions by any member (player or non- player) who has given at least 10 years noteworthy service to softball in Australia.
New South Wales Dianne Barrymore, John Black, Mandy Blanning, Trevor Blanning, Melinda Dagg, Geoff Day, Carol Doherty, Peter Doherty, Chris Fraser, Natalie Handforth, Lee Henry, Tracey Johnson, Kim Melliger, Michael Nixon, Pat Paul, Scott Rindfleish, Kath Schofield, Michael Thorne, Geoff Todhunter, Jenny Todhunter
Queensland Wendy Amy, Lisa Anderson, Steve Anderson, David Berridge, Helen-Maree Butler, Tony Cailotto, Deborah Clarke, Kim Cooper, Raelene Crook, Merv Downing, Bob Girling, Margaret Gorman, Jamie Harries, Janelle Hicks, Valarie Horne, Kevin Jenkins, Lesley McEachern, Sue Menzies, Karen Moeser, Robert Murphy, Narelle Pinkstone, Sheryl Preston, Paul Stonier, Michael Underhill, Anne Vogler, Leigh Wickenden, Sandra Wilson
Tasmania Kaye Bailey, Garry Burnside, Kelvin Clarke, Wayne Clarke, Leanne Cooper, Jennie Dadd, Annie Gardner, Lorraine Groombridge, Brenda Hanlon, Amanda Holton, Michelle Lewis, Mandy McGuinness, Alison Taggart, Maureen Wickham, Michelle Wickham, Cindy Wilson
Victoria Angela Forgan, Jodie Lightowler, Lynda Otimi, Allison Pendlebury
Western Australia Lisa Beaney, Cath Bertolini, Hank Brouns, Lynette Eltoft, Kerry Grogan, Michelle Gunter, Shane Hughes, Milosa Jackson, Chantelle James, Dale Perks, Jeremy Symcox
2017 VIVIENNE TRIPLETT UMPIRE OF THE YEAR AWARD Jason Carter (Vic)
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SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME
ADAM HUMBLE (WA)
Adam represented Western Australia as a pitcher at 17 open men’s national championships and five U19 national championships. During that time, he was also a member of the WA team that won three open men’s national titles. Player representative number 47, Adam made his international debut in 1999 at the Trans-Tasman Series in Hawker, ACT. During his international career, he represented Australia on 102 occasions.
Adam was a complete player who could not only win games by pitching a shut out, but also with game-winning runs batted in. As a regular on the Australian team for 15 years, he was the ultimate Aussie Steeler who gave the team the confidence they required and was constantly at peak fitness. His attitude and professionalism were second to none.
AWARDS
1996 U19 Men – Most Valuable Player award and Best Pitcher award 1997 Open Men - Most Valuable Player award 2003 Open Men – Best Batter Award 2008 Softball Australia Male Athlete of the Year 2010 Open Men - Most Valuable Player award
TOURNAMENTS
2008 World Championship Qualifier New Zealand 2009 12th ISF World Championship (Canada) 2011 IV International (Argentina) 2013 13th ISF World Championship (New Zealand)
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NATHAN JONES (WA)
Nathan represented Australia on 128 occasions, winning bronze medals at the 2004 ISF World Championship in Christchurch and again as captain at the 2013 ISF World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Player representative number 64, Nathan made his international debut in 2001 at the Doreen Dalton Memorial Tour to New Zealand.
Nathan came to the Aussie Steelers from a baseball background and stepped into the role as short stop as a world class player and team leader. A standout in his game was his diving catch up the middle in the 2009 World Championship semi-final against Canada that helped preserve a 2-0 lead and advance the Steelers to the gold medal game.
Nathan will be remembered as a great ambassador; his professionalism and outstanding leadership have been his trademark. A natural leader on an off the field, Nathan was a major contributor to Australia’s climb to becoming world champions.
TOURNAMENTS
2008 World Championship Qualifier (New Zealand) 2009 12th ISF World Championship (Canada) 2011 IV International (Argentina) World Championship Qualifier (ACT) 2013 13th ISF World Championship (New Zealand)
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KRIS KIEFEL (VIC)
Kris has had a long and distinguished career, representing Victoria for 22 years. During that time, Victoria won four open men’s national championships.
Kris first represented Australia in 1995 at a Test Series against New Zealand. Representative player number 36, he represented Australia on 135 occasions. Kris was a formidable opponent in so many ways, with his dominant presence, power with the bat and ball and complete athleticism.
Kris influenced the game in a way that very few could, defining the expectations of an elite male softballer in Australia. He was a role model to so many young up and coming softball players, whether playing for Victoria, Australia or with his club teams in the USA and Japan. As one of the most travelled players of his era, Kris opened doors for many others to have the opportunity of playing for overseas clubs. Kris continues to mentor and coach young athletes.
AWARDS
1999 Open Men – Best Pitcher Award 2000 Open Men – Best Pitcher Award 2001 Open Men – Most Valuable Player Award 2004-2005 Open Men – Most Valuable Player Award
TOURNAMENTS
2011 IV International (Argentina) 2013 13th ISF World Championship (New Zealand)
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VIVIENNE TRIPLETT UMPIRE OF THE YEAR AWARD
JASON CARTER (VIC)
Jason has been a member of the Victorian Umpiring Committee since 2005 and has acted as a senior umpire trainer and assessor, Tournament Chief Umpire and Deputy Chief Umpire at state championships. He has led the way with Softball Victoria’s Zero Tolerance Policy and has acted as a mentor for Victorian WBSC candidates. Jason has officiated at more than 20 national championships between 2005-2017.
Jason served on the National Umpiring Committee with the Technical Committee, assisting with the development of umpire training materials. He has been appointed as an assessor for national championships.
An active member of the Werribee Softball Association, Jason serves as a senior umpire, training and mentoring both junior and intermediate umpires. He is a positive role model amongst the wider softball community, establishing relationships with players, coaches and fellow umpires.
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
2014 Memorial Vancouver Challenge 10th WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship
2015 European Premier Cup (Women) European Super Cup (Men)
2017 15th WBSC Men’s World Championship
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS Three NSW members and one South Australian member were awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for their services to softball:
• Cathy Kerr, Softball NSW General Manager • Michael Hannelly, umpire and statistician • Elisabeth Hannelly, statistician • Lorraine Brown
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CATHY KERR, GENERAL MANAGER, SOFTBALL NSW
Currently the General Manager of Softball NSW, Cathy has also previously held roles as development officer and coaching director.
She has been instrumental in the organisation of countless state and national championships and ensured NSW has stayed at the forefront of Australian softball with the high-performance programs and numerous development opportunities she has facilitated.
Cathy has also achieved internationally as an administrator, selected as the Field of Play Manager at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Athens 2004 Olympics.
MIKE HANNELLEY STATISTICIAN/UMPIRE
With countless State and National Championships under his belt as an umpire, Mike retired from umpiring in 2000, but was a part of the results team at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Also trained as a scorer, Mike gained an incredible amount of experience at local, state, national and international level.
This included two South Pacific Games in Palau in 2005 and Samoa in 2007, a training role at the ISF Women’s World Championship in Beijing in 2006, the Silver Jubilee Asian Games in Brunei in 2009 and, one of his biggest highlights, being appointed Tournament Chief Statistician at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
He was also Softball Australia’s Chief Statistician from 2005 to 2013.
LIS HANNELLY, STATISTICIAN
Lis fell in love with Softball in primary school and it’s a love that has continued throughout her life, from playing to coaching to umpiring and as a statistician.
Lis was involved in the amalgamation of the East Hills and Bankstown competitions into the Georges River Softball Association. She was a board member for the Revesby Workers Softball Club from 1977 for 20 years and was made a life member of the Georges River Softball Association in 1998.
After coaching and umpiring at various levels, Lis was an official scorer at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She became a Level 6 statistician in 2001 and was appointed to the Australian U19 Men’s World Championship gold medal-winning team in the same year.
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WORLD SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME Two of the greatest players in Australian softball history, Melanie Roche and Natalie Ward, were inducted into the World Softball Hall of Fame.
MELANIE ROCHE
Only one of four Australian Sports people in history to win a medal at four consecutive Olympic Games, Roche earned 229 caps with the Australian women’s national team over her 20-year international career.
Player number 148 for the Aussie Spirit, Mel played in four Women’s World Championships, winning two bronze (1994 and 2006) and one silver medal (1998). A feared pitcher, including a 0.00 ERA at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Roche was named best pitcher at 12 national championships. She was inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame in 2012.
AWARDS
1986 U16 Girl’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1987 U19 Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1988 U19 Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1989 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1990 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1990 – 1993 Two-time First Team All-America Oklahoma State University 1993 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1997 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1998 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 1999 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 2000 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 2001 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Pitcher 2005 Canada Cup – Best Pitcher 2011 Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame 2012 Inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame 1986 – 2011 Member of the NSW Open Women’s Team winning 12 National Championships
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NATALIE WARD As only one of four Australian Sports people in history to win a medal at four consecutive Olympic Games, Ward became the most capped player for the Australian Open Women's Team in 2006 with 429 appearances.
Player number 175 for the Aussie Spirit, Nat played in four women’s world championships, winning two bronze (1994 and 2006) and one silver medal (1998), and was national champion 12 times. As a middle infielder with a lifetime fielding percentage of less than one, Ward was inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame in 2012.
HIGHLIGHTS
1991 U16 Girls’ National Championship – Most Valuable Player 1994 Open Women’s National Championship – Best Batter 2012 Inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame 1986 – 2001 Member of the NSW Open Women’s Team winning12 National Championships
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SOFTBALL LOSES MUCH-LOVED HALL OF FAMER WENDY BRAYBON
WENDY BRAYBON Australian softball lost a valued and much-loved member of the community with the death of Wendy Braybon.
Regarded as one of the leading sports physiotherapists in Australia in a career spanning more than three decades, Wendy was inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame in 2013.
Some of the legends of Australian softball paid tribute to Wendy, who was widely acknowledged as an expert in her field and was admired as much for her human qualities as for her physiotherapy work.
Former Australian Women’s Softball Head Coach Bob Crudgington was deeply saddened by Wendy’s death.
Bob Crudgington was Head Coach of the Australian Olympic softball team in 1996 and 2000, when Wendy was the team physiotherapist.
“I didn’t really know Wendy at the time, because she was from Melbourne and I’m from Queensland,” Crudgington recalls. “But all the players I talked to spoke very highly of her as a physiotherapist and a person, so I was very happy to have her on our team.
“Being made Australian Head Coach was quite a daunting experience for me, but having Wendy there made my job easier. It was a great feeling for me to know that any injuries to players would be taken care of by such an outstanding physio.
“For softball to have such a high-quality physio, we were very fortunate. Wendy was a very hard worker and spent a lot of time with the players in recovery sessions. She was the ultimate pro and a fantastic person off the diamond as well.
“She was very good at her trade and a great person to have around the team, particularly on long tours.
“She would do anything she could to help the team.”
Wendy gained her physiotherapy qualification in her birthplace of Britain and worked at a leading rehabilitation centre that treated sports injuries and orthopaedic conditions. Later, she was in charge of the outpatients’ gymnasium at Kings College Hospital.
After moving to Australia in 1980, Wendy worked in hospitals and private practice before joining the Windsor Physiotherapy Centre as a partner in 1984.
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Wendy’s credentials in physiotherapy were impressive on a range of levels. She obtained a post-graduate Diploma in Physiotherapy (Sport) and a post-graduate Diploma in Manipulative Therapy. She was chairman of the Victorian Sports Physiotherapy Group and an organiser of symposiums conducted by the group and the Australian Sports Medicine Federation. She was also treasurer of the National Sports Physiotherapy Group.
While she is best known for her work with softball, Wendy also worked with the Australian swimming team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was involved in other sports including gymnastics and fencing.
She looked after the Australian Women’s Softball team as far back as 1982, including at five World Championships, plus the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, among the 36 tours she did to various softball events at Open Women’s and U19 levels.
There was no softball at the 2012 London Olympics, but Wendy was an integral part of the Australian Olympic team as Head Physiotherapist, a testament to her reputation in the wider sports community.
Peta Edebone credits Wendy Braybon with helping her win an Olympic medal
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MARK TOFT
Mark starting umpiring in Toowoomba in 1988 and officiated at his first national championship in 1995. He was an integral part of the State and National Championships since his introduction to the sport for more than three decades.
Mark umpired over 100 state and school championships (primary, secondary and national), and was appointed to the role of Tournament Chief Umpire and Assessor at all levels of competition.
In 1998, Mark attended his first National Championship as a Level 5 candidate in Hobart.
In 2002 Mark received his Level 6 accreditation at the Open Men's Championships in Perth. He was so proud to wear his Australia Cap #130. Between 1995 and 2004 Mark was appointed to 31 National Championships, accumulating close to 400 games in the process.
Mark also attend the following International events:
• 1994: World Masters Games – Brisbane • 2002: World Masters Games - Melbourne • 2007: World Police and Fire Games – Adelaide • 2010: Australia/NZ/Argentina Test series – Canberra
Mark was a member of National Staff from 2004 – 2010 with his main role as Editor of "Blue's News On- Line'. The publication, at that time, was being produced on a monthly basis and kept umpires throughout Australia and beyond up-to-date in the world of softball umpiring in Australia.
Margo Koskelain (former National Umpire in Chief) said ‘those closer to Mark, really know him for more than the number of games he umpired or the awards he achieved. It was through his friendship and loyalty that Mark’s true spirit was demonstrated. His passion for the sport, life, and love of his family and friends was beyond question.’
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HOMEPLATE LADDER PROGRAM
Homeplate Ladder is Softball Australia’s club and association recognition program established to recognise clubs and associations for implementing best practice governance and management as well as membership growth and retention through successful recruitment and retention strategies.
The second year of the Homeplate Ladder program involved the participation of clubs for the first time and the implementation of some new and exciting improvements, including:
• additional categories to earn points towards Homeplate status, including volunteer training, accreditation courses and implementation of member conversion strategies. • additional tangible benefits and recognition including a fence banner and special Homeplate Status logo for clubs and associations that achieved Homeplate status.
A total of 25 clubs and associations achieved Homeplate status in 2017/18. A total of 49 clubs and associations reached ‘Going for Home’ and 169 made it to ‘On Base’.
Softball Far North Qld, achieved the ultimate recognition of Homeplate Status for the second year in a row, finishing on top of the Homeplate Ladder for associations nationally with 160 points. The Blue Mountains Softball Club in NSW triumphed on top of the Homeplate Ladder for clubs nationally with 100 points.
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS Of the 25 clubs and associations that achieved the ultimate recognition of Homeplate Status in 2017/18, the following outcomes have been determined:
• 96% had a significant growth in membership demonstrating successful recruitment strategies. • 100% of the clubs and associations completed a National Affiliation Standards Checklist and demonstrated that they are meeting the minimum operating standards expected of a softball affiliate. • 88% completed an ASC Club Health Check in the past 3 years identifying areas of their operations that they can improve. • 80% are registered to Softball Australia’s dedicated online club development resource ‘Homeplate’, accessing resources, tools and templates to help them with running and growing their club or association. • 80% had members complete an accredited course in coaching, scoring or officiating, thus ensuring their volunteers had appropriate qualifications.
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2017/18 TOP 20 LADDER FOR ASSOCIATIONS AND TOP 30 LADDER FOR CLUBS
HOMEPLATE LADDER 2017/2018 TOP 20 ASSOCIATIONS Rank Association State Points
HOMPELATE STATUS 1 SOFTBALL FAR NORTH QLD QLD 160 2 SOUTHERN TASMANIA TAS 124 3 ROCKINGHAM WA 115 4 CASEY VIC 110 5 PERTH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WA 109 6 NEWCASTLE NSW 105 7 BUNBURY WA 104 8 KEILOR PARK VIC 104 9 CUMBERLAND NEPEAN NSW 100 GOING FOR HOME 10 GOLD COAST QLD 85 11 WAVERLEY VIC 78 12 ROCKHAMPTON QLD 74 13 MARYBOROUGH QLD 70 14 GEORGES RIVER NSW 70 15 WERRIBEE VIC 70 16 TOWNSVILLE & THURINGOWA QLD 66 17 REDLANDS QLD 65 18 NORTH SHORE NSW 61 19 WYNNUM QLD 60 20 DANDENONG VIC 60 * Equal points separated by membership growth %
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HOMEPLATE LADDER 2017/2018 TOP 30 CLUBS
Rank Club Association State Total
HOMPELATE STATUS 1 BLUE MOUNTAINS PENRITH CITY NSW 100 2 ROUSE HILL RAMS HORNSBY NSW 98 3 SPORTZ BRAVES MACARTHUR NSW 97
4 SCORPIONS REDLANDS QLD 95
5 LISMORE WORKERS FAR NORTH COAST NSW 91 6 TIGERS CAMPBELLTOWN NSW 90 7 SHARKS REDLANDS QLD 89 8 WOLVES NEWCASTLE NSW 89 9 BLUEBIRDS ROCKHAMPTON QLD 88 10 CASTLE HILL CUMBERLAND NEPEAN NSW 87 11 TITANS CUMBERLAND NEPEAN NSW 85 12 MARINERS REDLANDS QLD 85 13 WOLVETTES CENTRAL COAST NSW 85 14 NORTH ROCKS HORNSBY NSW 84 15 STRIKERS NEWCASTLE NSW 83 16 HAWKS SOFTBALL FAR NORTH QLD QLD 81 GOING FOR HOME 17 MT BARKER REDSOX HILLS SA 79 18 ROYAL FALCONS CASEY VIC 78 19 FOREST ALLAMBIE MANLY WARRINGAH NSW 78 20 MAITLAND CITY NEWCASTLE NSW 78 21 KANGAS GAWLER SA 77 22 ROUSE FAR NORTH COAST NSW 77 23 COCKBURN COUGARS PERTH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WA 75 24 KOTAHI SEMSA WA 74 25 DEER PARK SUNSHINE VIC 73 26 REDBACKS SUNCOAST HINTERLAND QLD 69 27 PANTHERS BRISBANE QLD 67 28 FREMANTLE REBELS PERTH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WA 65 29 BEDFORD MENS PERTH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WA 65 30 DEVILS ANGELS ROCKINGHAM WA 65 * Equal points separated by membership growth %
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SOFTBALL FOR ALL
Softball Australia continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensure that softball is a safe, welcoming, inclusive and accessible sport for people of all ages, cultures, race, religion, gender, abilities, sexual preferences, orientation and identity at all levels through Australia.
To highlight this, Softball Australia in partnership with Sport Inclusion Australia, recently developed and launched a National Softball Inclusion resource. This resource has been developed to assist Softball Australia to achieve successful inclusive outcomes at all levels of the sport.
In addition, an Inclusion Strategy is currently in development to imbed inclusion into the core business of the sport at all levels. The goal is to create a positive sporting culture that embraces diversity and effectively includes anyone who wants to take part. Inclusion is reliant upon the sporting environment having positive attitudes, effective communication and appropriate access.
INDIGENOUS SOFTBALL PROGRAM The Indigenous Softball Program continued to build capacity for Indigenous communities throughout Australia to organise and manage the delivery of softball programs and competitions.
Softball Australia’s aim is to use softball as a vehicle to improve health and well-being outcomes in targeted Indigenous communities as well as provide opportunities for Indigenous people of all ages and abilities to become involved in sport and recreation through softball, increasing the social connectedness within communities and allowing them to develop the skills required to organise and manage sustainable softball programs.
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In collaboration with Member States, the Indigenous Softball Program funded by the Australian Government’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy, contributed to a number of targeted programs and initiatives delivered in urban, rural and remote communities. Some of these include the development of the Gove Softball Competition in NT, the Murri Women’s Softball Tournament in Redlands, QLD, the Far North West Sports League in APY Lands in SA and the Aboriginal Women’s Social 7s Softball Carnival in Mirrabooka WA. Key outcomes achieved in the Indigenous Softball Program in 2017/18 included:
• 2,923 Indigenous participants involved in softball activities • 50 softball activities delivered to Indigenous participants • 137 Indigenous participants successfully attained coaching and officiating accreditation • 5 health and community forums held in conjunction with softball programs, carnivals and competitions
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STRIKE OUT BARRIERS TO SPORT THROUGH SOFTBALL Through the Strike Out Barriers to Sport through Softball project, Softball Australia in conjunction with Softball Victoria, Werribee Softball Association, Dandenong Softball Association, Adult Multicultural Education Service (AMES), Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), City of Greater Dandenong and the Wyndham City Council, has provided people from migrant and refugee backgrounds that have recently settled in Victoria greater access to sport. In addition, the program develops leadership skills, qualifications, further development of English language and interpersonal skills, strong community networks and job opportunities.
The project, funded by the Victorian Government through the Multicultural Sports Grant Fund from 2017- 2020, got off to a great start and has already achieved great outcomes for all involved.
Over 100 new participants with no prior knowledge or experience in softball have been attracted to the sport through this project and exciting partnerships have been established with AMES Australia, South East Community Links, Hampton Park English Language School, Werribee Softball Association and Dandenong Softball Association.
Thirty male and female students from AMES Werribee and AMES Dandenong, aged between 18-35, and 30 male and female students from Hampton Park English School aged between 15-18, have all participated in a Softball Community Coaching and Level 1 Coaching Course. Despite their limited knowledge of softball, low English language and interpersonal skills, four outstanding young leaders have successfully completed all requirements, receiving their Level 1 Coaching Accreditation Certificate. These students have expressed interest - and will be provided opportunities - to deliver softball and receive
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casual paid work as a softball coach through the Sporting Schools Program and the Western Bulldogs CALD Play Program commencing in August. Graduates also have an opportunity to create strong connections with their local softball association whilst embarking on a leadership project as a team to develop and organise a Social 7s competition for the community and, as a consequence, gain valuable skills and experience which could help them gain future employment.
A Social 7s Come and Try Day in celebration of Cultural Diversity Week, was held in March at the Werribee Softball Association and encapsulated the spirit of cultural diversity with over 50 people of all ages, culture, religion, gender and ability – most of them new to the sport – coming together over a fun game of Social 7s and a BBQ feast.
Tim Hatzi Club and Community Development Coordinator
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TECHNICAL
SCORING Over the last 12 months the National Scoring Committee (NSC) has seen several achievements and innovations, including:
• ongoing work in capturing and updating data from national and international events, and the continual collection of historical data of player records • a revamp of the Softball Australia Scorers Facebook page • an increased number of scorers applying for international scoring positions • the updating of all manuals, scoring logbook and accreditation forms • preliminary update of the Softball Australia Scorers website page • introduction and pilot of the Level 5 Accreditation • introduction of the mentoring program at U15 national events
NATIONAL COMMITTEE Chief of Scoring Ngaire Huston Statisticians Mike Hannelly – Technical Development Chris Trengove – Technology Development Sandra Palmer – Operations Kirsty Andrews – Communication
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RESTRUCTURE Under the governance of Softball Australia, the NSC has now undergone a completed restructure with five portfolio-based committee members on two-year reappointments. In addition, three statisticians were appointed to the committee to assist portfolio areas: Rowena Whittle (NSW), Chris Bailey (Qld) and Jim Giles (Vic).
TECHNICAL SCORING At the 2018 Gilley’s Shield, the NSC trialled the emailing of game statistics to each team as opposed to printing for collection. It is anticipated this process will be implemented for all national tournaments from 2019.
SOCIAL MEDIA The operations portfolio implemented an update to the Softball Australia Scorers Facebook page, and although we fell short of our goal of 500 ‘likes’ by the end of the 2018 National Championships, the page is still a great avenue for communication with the scoring community. Posts in relation to our merchandise order had a reach of 3,225 and the ‘How do you score the play’ post in mid-2017 reached 1,376.
NATIONAL EVENTS It is refreshing to see new faces scoring at events, helping to ensure the ongoing success of the scoring program. The NSC acknowledges the support of the following statisticians, and supporting scorers, who performed Tournament Chief Statistician roles at national championships to ensure our events run smoothly.
Matt Denkel (Qld) 2017 U23 Men and Women Kaye Greggs / Rowena Whittle (NSW) 2018 U19 Men and Women, U17 Boys and Girls Sandra Palmer (NSW) 2018 Open Men and U15 Boys Jim Giles (Vic) 2018 Open Women and U15 Girls
We also acknowledge the following statisticians who volunteered their time to travel interstate to support national events:
Peta Wakefield (NSW) Lis Hannelly (NSW) Kerryn Bell (Vic) Fiona Goffer (Qld) Maria Wakefield (NSW) Mary Walkinshaw (Vic) Allison Pendlebury (Vic) Matt Denkel (Qld) Leanne Harvey (Qld) Jim Giles (Vic) Sandra Palmer (NSW)
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NATIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM The Quality Assurance program continues to ensure that statisticians achieve the highest standards possible. Quality assurance assessments were conducted from all games played across the national championships and we acknowledge Jim Giles for his valuable assistance.
Scoring accreditations entered into the Softball Australia accreditation database. Numbers show all new, upgrading or reaccrediting scorers.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA 2 185 27 62 0 0 56 93
INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS Applications received for Softball Australia team positions at international event were of the highest quality, which has delighted the NSC. With additional development teams touring internationally, our elite scorers now have more opportunity to develop their skills on the international stage.
Statisticians appointed Helen Edwards (Vic) WBSC XV Men’s Softball World Championship 7-16 July 2017, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Kirsty Andrews (Qld) WBSC XII Junior Women’s Softball World Championship 24-30 July 2017, Clearwater, Florida, USA
Rowena Whittle (NSW) XII World Cup of Softball 5-9 July 2017, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA and Canada Cup 11-17 July 2017, Surrey British, Columbia, Canada
Chris Bailey (Qld) Japan Cup 25-27 August 2017, Takasaki, Japan
REVITALISED NORTHERN TERRITORY SCORING CLINICS Mike Hannelly represented the NSC at the Northern Territory Championships in September. Northern Territory scorers officiated at the 17-game Championship where successful scorers were assessed and presented with Level 2 scoring accreditation.
The NSC acknowledge Mike’s contribution, and Softball NT for their hospitality, and look forward to continuing the development of scorers with Softball NT.
MENTORING With scheduling of the U15 Boys’ and Girls’ Regional Championships with their respective Open National Championship, Softball Australia has given the NSC a great opportunity to develop statisticians across the country.
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In WA and ACT different approaches were taken when mentoring developing statisticians, both methods were considered very successful.
Our Regional Teams’ Statisticians were given the opportunity to:
• Shadow a Level 4 Statistician in an official game • Be assigned to an Official Statistician during the tournament (ACT) • Receive one-on-one feedback on their performance in a game • Receive a written report at the end of the tournament • Preview Statistician documentation outlining changes during a game
The NSC will continue to evaluate the program to ensure it provides the best opportunity to develop and support future statisticians.
ASIA PACIFIC CUP – LEVEL 5 CLINIC Level 5 Accreditation Clinics (training, assessment, live games) were piloted at the Asia Pacific Cup in February. Tournament Chief Statistician (TCS), Kaye Greggs with Rowena Whittle led the group with practical sessions covering setting up databases, results website, iScore, updating links etc. Other areas covered were:
• The role of a National Championship TCS • National teams - meeting the scoring challenges • International Scoring - rules and scoring the differences • Statistician roles on Australian Teams, Aussie Spirit and Australian All Stars
NATIONAL FORUM, 6-7 OCTOBER, MELBOURNE The National Forum saw all State Directors and Committee members coming together to review and update the scoring levels and manuals, covering:
• Re-accreditation restructure - Subcommittees appointed to review the Level 4 format • Accreditation process - Brooke Wilkins addressed the meeting regarding the new process for processing accreditation in the database • Merchandise - a travel polo for scorers was introduced and other items discussed • iScore Module and recognised prior learning for current iScore users presented by Kirsty Andrews
This year also saw a change to the National Committee, with Lindy Rattigan moving on from her role on the NSC. Lindy has been part of the Committee for many years and played a major role in finalising the framework of the Levels under the Australian Sports Commission in addition to maintaining the database and providing administrative assistance.
The NSC and State Directors welcomed Cathy Bertolini as Softball WA’s State Director.
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FUTURE PLANS • Continued development of the Level 5 clinic at the Asia Pacific Cup or similar tournament • Develop an Advanced iScore module and achieve final approval of the Basic iScore module • Distribution of a regular Scoring newsletter • YouTube clips for training and comparing plays, such as pass ball v wild pitch, wild throw v error • Regular ‘How do you score the play’ Facebook posts • Level 1 True/False examination via online platform • Implement the Blackboard Scoring Examination nationally
SPECIAL THANKS To all State Directors who drive the scoring programs in their respective states and oversee the development of scorers in the various associations around Australia – thank you.
Also, the hardworking NSC; Kirsty Andrews (Qld), Sandra Palmer (NSW), Mike Hannelly (NSW) and Chris Trengove (Vic) who, without their time and dedication, the scoring program would not be as successful as it is.
Thanks also to Chris Trengove for his invaluable contribution to the website results, and compiling statistics for national and international players, and Brooke Wilkins, Softball Australia’s Technical Project Coordinator for all her hard work leading the National Scoring Committee.
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UMPIRING Over the last 12 months the National Umpiring Program (NUP) has seen several positive changes and achievements. A restructure to the organisational chart, National Umpire-in-Chief (NUIC) Operations, World Baseball Softball Confederation – Softball Division (WBSC-SD) Elect and an update to the National Umpiring Operating Code are all changes that provide greater transparency across the entire program and allow the committee to work together to provide quality service to the umpiring and greater softball community.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE NUIC WBSC-SD Elect Leigh Evans (position appointed by the NUC Executive September 2017) NUIC Communications Scott Rindfleish NUIC Development Debbie Grove NUIC Operations Kyira Cox (NUP welcomed Kyira Cox to the position of NUIC Operations August 2017) NUIC Technical Leigh Evans
Assisting staff
Communications Richard Barrow, Jessie Smith Development Ron Houison, Chris Trengove Operations Kristina Travers Technical Darrell Shephard, Jason Carter
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AWARDS Vivienne Triplett Umpire of the Year Award: Jason Carter (Vic)
ACCREDITATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT International Leigh Evans was elected to the position of WBSC-SD Elect in September 2017 and continues to provide valuable insight into the international program. Leigh, Jason Carter, Darrell Shephard and Richard Barrow and contributions from Tricia Sibraa, provided feedback to WBSC-SD for the proposed new rule changes and the new version of the WBSC-SD rulebook, in addition to developing the new Softball Australia rule book, case book and points of emphasis.
Leigh also assisted Wayne Saunders, Regional Umpires Coordinator as co-chair in the WBSC Case Book review panel and new rules reference formatting. Darren Sibraa and Darrell Shephard also formed part of the panel representing Softball Australia.
MANUALS Completed • Community Umpire Manual - including Flip Cards • Assessors Manual • Umpires attending National Championships Manual
In progress • Level 5/6 Manual
Future projects • Train the Trainer Manual • Assessors test in the Assessors Manual
WSBC CERTIFICATION SQUAD UMPIRES The 2019 WBSC Certification Squad will consist of eight Australian (listed below) and three New Zealand umpires. These umpires will present for their international certification at the U19 Men’s and Women’s National Softball Championships in January 2019.
• NSW Andrew Compton, James English, Kristina Travers • Qld Dale Kaimoana, Graeme Love • Vic Richard Dodds, Chris Trengove • SA Steve Wallace-Yarrow
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AUSTRALIAN UMPIRE DEVELOPMENT SQUAD In addition to the WBSC Certification Squad, the NUP is committed to the continual development of our senior umpires. Current Australian Umpire Development Squad members are:
• ACT Mark Gallagher, Andrew Dickson • NSW Claire Austring, Andrew Birks, Dylan Murdoch, James Townsend • Qld Norelle Thomas, Janelle Hicks • Vic Stuart Tyler
TECHNICAL BULLETINS Five technical bulletins and memos were updated with new bulletins released and one Mechanics bulletin distributed. The NUC also reviewed and provided recommendations on the 2016/2017 Australian Championship Rules.
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION Level 5 Andrew Birks (NSW) Level 6 James Townsend (NSW), Allan Walsh (Qld)
APPOINTMENTS International The National Umpiring Program continues to be held in high regard on the international scene, with umpires appointed to WBSC World Championships and major international competitions at home and abroad, including:
XV Men’s Softball World Championship Jason Carter (Vic), Leigh Evans (Vic) Whitehorse, Canada XII Jr Women’s Softball World Championship Warren Duff (WA), Jay Gibson (NSW) Clearwater, Florida USA Canada Cup David Casey (Qld), Warren Duff (WA), Leanne Gearside (NSW) Vancouver, Canada XII World Cup David Casey (Qld), Leanne Gearside (NSW), Trevor Murphy (Vic) Oklahoma City, USA Japan Cup David Casey (Qld) Takasaki, Japan Kochi City Trevor Murphy (Vic) Japan Asia Pacific Cup Andrew Rindfleish – Tournament Chief Umpire (TCU) (NSW), Blacktown, NSW, Australia David Casey (Qld), Kyira Cox (NSW), Richard Dodds (Vic), James English (NSW), Janelle Hicks (Qld), Amanda Housion (NSW), Dylan Murdoch (NSW), Trevor Murphy (Vic), Scott Rindfleish (NSW), Kristina Travers (NSW), Stuart Tyler (Vic)
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NATIONAL The following umpires were appointed to national championships:
Open Women’s Open Women - TCU: Darren Sibraa (Qld) National Softball Crew: Andrew Compton (NSW), Richard Dodds (Vic), James English Championship and U15 (NSW), Debbie Grove – Assessor (Vic), Janelle Hicks (Qld), Amanda Girls’ Regional Softball Houison - Assessor (NSW), George Norrish (NSW), Norelle Thomas (Qld), Championship Kristina Travers (NSW), Steve Wallace-Yarrow (SA), Bob Gieskens (Europe)
U15 Girls - TCU: Kevin Tannebring (SA) Crew: Angelo Amara (WA), Tasker Awatea (WA - PT), Paul Brooking (SA), Nicole Findlay (Qld), Steven Gunter (WA – PT), Glenn Harrison (WA), Kathleen Harrison (WA), Robert McIntosh – Assessor (NSW), Shane McIntosh (NSW), Jamie McLean (WA – PT), Glenn McManus (WA-PT), Jessica Rooke (NSW), Gregory Rusack (SA), Peter Samuels (Vic), Daryl Vercoe (Tas), Cliff Warner (WA), Virgina Yiu (WA-PT)
U17 Boys’ and Girls’ TCU: Scott Rindfleish (NSW) National Softball Crew: David Addlem (Vic), Richard Barrow – Assessor (Vic), Danielle Championships Bellchambers (Qld), Andrew Dickson (ACT), Mark Gallagher (ACT), Leanne Gearside (NSW), Ian Gray (SA), Stephen Gutteridge (Qld), Jamie Harries (Qld), Lucy James (Vic), Kylie Knight (Qld), Neville Lawrance (SA), Talia McDonald (Vic), Dylan Murdoch (NSW), Craig Oberg (NSW), Daryl Pearce (WA), Scott Rindfleish – Assessor (NSW), Aaron Robertson (Qld), Ron Trow (Qld), Mark Wareham (WA)
Open Men’s National Open Men - TCU: Tricia Sibraa (Qld) Softball Championship Crew: Richard Barrow (Vic), Jason Carter - Assessor (Vic), David Casey (Qld), and U15 Boys’ Regional Kyira Cox (NSW-PT), Leigh Evans – Assessor (Vic), Debbie Grove (Vic), Dale Softball Championship Kaimoana (Qld), Graeme Love (Qld), Damien McCauley (SA), Trevor Murphy (Vic), Chris Trengove (Vic), Stuart Tyler (Vic)
U15 Boys - TCU: Kevin Tannebring (SA) Crew: Michael Bendall (SA), Mark Gallagher - Assessor (ACT), Lucy James (Vic), Talia McDonald (Vic), Daryl Pearce (WA), Jessica Rooke (NSW), Jason Turner (NSW), Leigh Roberts (ACT-PT)
U19 Men’s and Women’s TCU: Leigh Evans (Vic) National Softball Crew: David Addlem (Vic), Andrew Birks (NSW), Kyira Cox – Assessor Championships (NSW), Leanne Gearside (NSW), Jay Gibson – Assessor (NSW), Jamie Harries (Qld), Dale Kaimoana (Qld), Neville Lawrance (Qld), Graeme Love (Qld), Robert McIntosh (NSW), Dylan Murdoch (NSW), Trevor Murphy – Assessor (Vic), Jesse Smith (NSW-PT), Norelle Thomas (Qld), James Townsend (NSW), Kristina Travers (NSW-PT), Chris Trengove (Vic), Stuart Tyler (Vic), Steve Wallace-Yarrow (SA), Alan Walsh (Qld)
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U23 Women’s and Men’s TCU: Darren Sibraa (Qld) National Softball Crew: David Addlem (Vic), Richard Barrow – Assessor (Vic), David Crowe Championships (July 2017) (NSW), Nicole Crowe (NSW), Jamie Harries (QLD), Janelle Hicks (Qld), Ben and Horn (NZ), Dale Kaimoana (Qld), Graeme Love (Qld), Dylan Murdoch International Friendship (NSW), Jesse Smith – Assessor (NSW), Norelle Thomas (Qld), Kristina Series (July 2017) Travers (NSW), Ron Trow (Qld), Alan Walsh (Qld)
International Friendship Series Crew: Angelo Amara (WA), Danielle Bellchambers (Qld), Michael Bendall (SA), Steve Bickerton (Qld), Andrew Birks (NSW), Ian Gray (SA), Georgia Kiel (NSW), Michael Leach (Qld), Jamie McLean (WA), Breanna O’Connor (Qld), Darryl Pearce (WA), Angela Post (Tas), Callum Thiess (Qld)
DEVELOPMENT The Development stream is continually upgrading all participant and presenter manuals and programs to ensure the development of umpires continues. The development staff, the Australian Umpire Development Squad and WBSC Squad members, led the upgrades. Squad member involvement provides professional off field development for our umpires.
Flip cards An app has been produced for the Flip Cards that complement the Community Umpire Program manual and the Coloured Shirt program. The app will be launched and a package designed for schools will be developed.
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NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GROUPS The 2018 National Championships introduced a national leadership group that promoted off field development of the Australian Umpire Development Squad members. Each squad member was encouraged by their TCU to run mini clinics, short lessons and present to the crew on various aspects of the game, including rules, rotations, case plays, angles and distances, rotations and mechanics. In addition to the mini clinics, squad members were provided opportunities to practise on-field assessments and feedback to other umpires.
ASSESSORS DATABASE An assessor’s database has been compiled to identify assessors within each state, what level they are able to accredit, and identify development gaps within our assessor program nationally.
NATIONAL RULES ASSESSMENT The NUC delivered the Playing Rules Knowledge Assessment. Assessment was delivered online, open book style, and in the individuals own time which created flexibility and availability to everyone, not just umpires. The Basic Rules Assessment continues to be available online, all year round. The portal is set up through the Softball.org.au umpires page to electronically register.
Candidates that did not meet the open assessment mark and were level 0-1 were invited to sit the Basic assessment. In total 220 people sat the 2018 National Open Rules Assessment in April four less than 2017.
• ACT 5 umpires sat the assessment • NSW 73 umpires sat the assessment • NT 0 umpires sat the assessment • Qld 61 umpires sat the assessment • SA 19 umpires sat the assessment • Tas 5 umpires sat the assessment • Vic 34 umpires sat the assessment • WA 23 umpires sat the assessment
SUPPLEMENTARY AND DEFERRED ASSESSMENT Softball Australia has a flexible assessment process and allows umpires that have extenuating reasons for not being available at assessment time to apply through their State Director of Umpires for a deferred assessment. They can also apply to sit a supplementary assessment if they do not achieve the required pass by up to two marks. Six people sat the Deferred and Supplementary assessment, with three passing.
BASIC ASSESSMENT Softball Australia also encourage players, coaches, parents, representative teams, team management staff and umpires applying for Level 1 and 2 accreditations to sit the National Basic Rules Assessment. This assessment is aimed at everyday game level. The ability to allow Level 1 and 2 umpires to sit the basic
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rules assessment continues to provide greater flexibility and an easier pathway for all participants’ development. We acknowledge Darrell Shephard (NSW), Graeme Love (Qld) and Andrew Compton (NSW) for their contribution in the setup of the assessment.
216 people sat the Basic Rules Assessment, 50 more than 2017. The average pass mark was 78.5%.
RULES ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS The national average mark for the Open Assessment Level 4-8 was 91%, one mark higher than 2017, with the average mark for all levels 84.1% (six marks higher). Most participants improved their score using the online assessment flexibility and open book.
Softball Australia will be encouraging all participants, including spectators, players, coaches, scorers and administrators to use the assessment portal. 436 people sat the assessment across the Open and Basic assessment, 50 more than 2017.
COMMUNICATION The NUC is proud to share news and celebrate umpiring successes of all levels of softball across Australia. Our integrated communications and engagement strategy drive the initiatives to promote the recruitment and retention of umpires. Positive results can be seen across Australia in many areas.
The four streams of the NUP cohesively collaborate to bring initiatives to life for our members. The communications team is the voice that helps support the development, operations and technical streams. Teamwork is vital and very strong.
The diversity of the national umpiring landscape is incredibly vast. Every state has unique differences that must be considered, together with areas of great opportunity. State activity is recognised and celebrated in Blues News Online (BNOL), our umpiring magazine that has been published since 2001. We honour the past and strive to grow as our membership evolves, ensuring our communications remain relevant and modern. Thank you to all BNOL contributors; your articles help relate to all levels of our national program.
The website remains a powerful tool to inform our members and we continue to balance the static and dynamic content of social media to bring information proactively to our members and friends both domestically and internationally.
Social media is vital to help all umpires stay connected. It is hugely positive to see retired umpires remain part of our umpiring family by regularly engaging with current umpires on the posts and news feeds. We are very proud to honour the past and encourage umpires to stay involved for as long as possible.
Our uniform and merchandise is tracking well. We have exciting plans in motion to provide even more opportunities for umpires to proudly wear our brand and feel great about being part of our umpiring family.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The NUP would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge Tricia Sibraa for over 20 years of commitment to the program. Her dedication has been significant.
The NUC Executive would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the program this year – umpires, administrators and supporters; without their continued contribution, our program would not be as successful as it is and that is a credit to everyone.
A special thank you to the national staff, not only do they lead the umpire program on and off the field but take on additional duties throughout to ensure the program provides the most up to date information. Thanks to Richard Barrow, Jesse Smith (Communication), Ron Houison, Chris Trengove (Development), Kristina Travers (Operations) Jason Carter and Darrell Shephard (Technical).
Finally, a considerable thank you to Brooke Wilkins, Technical Project Coordinator, Softball Australia for the support she provides the NUP and NUC Executive. Brooke’s contribution to the program is above and beyond.
We look forward to another successful year in umpiring.
Kyira Cox, Leigh Evans, Debbie Grove & Scott Rindfleish National Umpire Committee Executive
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COACHING
Softball Community Coaching Program The Softball Community Coaching Program (SCCP) continues to provide a great introduction to the beginner coach, with 165 individuals completing the face-to-face program.
ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas and Vic are delivering the combined SCCP and Level 1 program. The SCCP program involves participants presenting and participating in softball-related activities, followed by discussion about modifying activities, to suit the audience. The Level 1 program teaches basic skills and provides participants with hands-on experience to practise their newly acquired skills.
State Participants Programs ACT 0 0 NSW 92 7 Qld 13 2 SA 0 0 Tas 0 0 Vic 60 4 WA 0 0 Level 4 Battery Workshop In July, the inaugural Level 4 Battery Workshop was conducted in conjunction with the International Friendship Series at Redlands Softball Association. Participants used the facilities at Downey Park, Brisbane Softball Association during the day and in the afternoon ventured out to Redlands for game observation activities.
Participants were given access to the Level 4 Battery learning portal developed by course facilitator Bob Crudgington. As the participants worked their way through the learning portal, they were able to complete a workbook prior to attending the course.
Participants completed a pre-course assignment videoing pitchers and catchers and designing interventions to improve their skills. The implementation of video and technology in the course creates a better learning environment and a more engaging way to complete assessments during the face-to-face component comprising observation, collaborative and interpretive work from live games and facilitated sessions with experienced coaches. Three modules of the Australian Sports Commission’s Intermediate General Coaching Principles were also completed.
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The online components of the program cover five modules:
Coaching Technical • The holistic approach to coaching • Understanding motor skills • Positive coaching: the 4C’s model • Assessing and analysing motor skills • The nature of feedback • Beginner, intermediate and advanced skills • Learning styles • Basic rotations • Training workloads • Framing the pitch • Change up methods • Catching case study
Physical Mental skills • Physical attributes • Setting goals • Injury prevention • Arousal control • Notes on conditioning • Maintaining focus • Warm-up and warm-down routines • Developing routines
Tactical • Catching signals • Controlling the zone • Using the count
COACHING EDUCATION PROJECT Coaches develop and nurture people, passing on their experience, so it is critical we train them as effectively as possible and provide them with flexible, on-going learning opportunities.
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The Coaching Education Project was created to enhance coach education, covering three key areas of coaching softball:
• Fundamental skills • Training and practise • Managing games
The new courses will focus on the delivery of softball at the grassroots level catering for club volunteers, parents of new players and teachers.
The courses will be housed in the University of Queensland’s online learning centre. This will give participants the flexibility to complete a course at their own pace and remove the barriers of having to wait for a face-to-face program.
The project began with the formation of a Coach Education Working Group, led by Bob Crudgington. The first stage of the project was to review the current foundation levels:
• Softball Community Coaching Program • Fundamental Skill (Level 1) • Training and Practise (Level 2) • Managing Games (Level 3)
In the new coaching pathway, once all 3 courses have been completed the participants can apply for foundation level accreditation and then entry into the performance coaching pathway if they want to develop their skills further.
Next stage By the end of 2017-18 the first of three courses will have been populated with content. It is projected that all three courses of the foundational level will be operational by the end of 2018-19 with a national rollout planned by June 2019.
The second stage of the project will be to review the higher levels: Performance Team Coach and Performance Battery Coach (Level 4), as well as High Performance Team Coach and High Performance Battery Coach (Level 5). The higher levels involve blended learning with a mixture of pre-course, online learning and a face-to-face workshop.
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COACHING ACCREDITATION ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA TOTAL 23 1,144 3 441 362 30 366 172 2,541
Coaching accreditation by category ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA TOTAL New (first time 13 667 3 256 344 23 258 136 1,700 accreditation) Upgrade (next 7 238 0 99 5 2 52 8 411 level) Reaccreditation 3 239 0 86 13 5 56 28 430 (renewed at existing level) Total 23 1,144 3 441 362 30 366 172 2,541
States by levels ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA TOTAL Level 1 12 532 3 211 299 22 221 112 1,412 Level 2 0 220 0 149 51 8 76 32 536 Level 3 6 334 0 71 7 0 59 26 503 Level 4 2 42 0 10 2 0 2 0 58
Level 5 3 15 0 0 3 0 7 2 30 Level 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 Total 23 1.144 3 441 362 30 366 172 2,541
Joanne Paez Participation Coordinator
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media continued to be a cornerstone of our communications strategy and engagement continued to grow across all digital platforms. Softball Australia’s primary focus continued to be targeted towards Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The increased exposure of our national championship games through live streaming captured a wider audience through our YouTube channel.
Early in the financial year, Softball Australia engaged the services of Sports Geek to delineate the social content and provide content more relevant to a particular platform. This allowed us to produce content relevant for the distinct demographic engaging with each platform.
The peak engagement periods continue to be event time (national and international) and whilst the challenge to produce engaging content in non-event periods remained, a more strategic approach this year allowed for an improvement in that area as evidenced by growth.
In preparation for the inaugural Asia Pacific Cup in February 2018, we engaged the Events Marketing Institute to deliver a coordinated approach for the marketing and promotion of the event, for which social media provided the key platform. This digital campaign had the primary purpose of fan engagement and attracting community members to Blacktown International Sportspark.
In May, the Aussie Spirit entered the National Pro Fastpitch League, which saw an immediate rise in overseas engagement. Team-specific social platforms (Twitter and Instagram) were set up and managed in conjunction with Midwest Sports Productions in the USA. While these platforms expanded the reach of softball in Australia to an overseas market, the direct benefit and engagement on Softball Australia platforms was difficult to measure at the time of reporting.
Facebook continued to be the most dominate platform, however a review of the number of pages within area has been examined and will be reduced in future. Females aged 18-24 continued to be the most engaged market, a consistent result for the past three years. Our Instagram demographic is 68% female, with the leading age demographic 25-34 and our Twitter demographic is 57% male (age statistics not available).
Growth summary by platform in 2017/18 • Softball Australia Facebook page – 17% • Aussie Spirit Facebook page – 44% • Aussie Steelers Facebook page – 23% • Aussie Junior Spirit Facebook page – 34% • Aussie Junior Steelers Facebook page – 4% • Instagram – 37% • Twitter – 14% • YouTube – 29%
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The following table indicates the metrics across the main platforms for the reporting period:
Platform Metrics Facebook Reach: 2,448,252 Engaged: 266,753 Instagram Followers: 2,595 Twitter Impressions: 424,037 Profile visits: 26,945 YouTube Subscribers: 740 Views: 21,697
Finally, the challenge in the future remains to ensure that we capitalise on the increased engagement during events to ensure that strategic key messages are directed to specific target audiences. While the three main platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will continue to be developed, the opportunities to better utilise LinkedIn to leverage and engage existing and new commercial partnerships will be a priority in 2018/2019.
Kylie Bloodworth Social Media Service
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TEAMS
U17 GIRLS’ & U19 MEN’S DEVELOPMENT TEAMS INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP SERIES, 3-7 JULY 2017
AUSTRALIA GREEN TEAM (FEMALE) Pippa Adkins (SA), Jorja Barrett (NSW), Montana Edwards (SA), Shinai Gibbins (Qld), Olivia Kuzminski (WA), Beatrice Macknak (WA), Ellie Marks (NSW), Jacquelyn O’Connor (Qld), Daniela Perez (SA), Grace Peters (Vic), Jemma Punch (Qld), Brooke Stewart (Qld), Shania Watson (Qld), Shaylan Whatman (NSW), Adele Wood (Vic), Santara Zachan (Vic)
OFFICIALS Vicki Bingley (ACT, Head Coach), Fiona Mills (Vic, Assistant Coach), Meegan Roberts (SA, Manager) Rebecca Yip (WA, Physiotherapist)
AUSTRALIA GOLD TEAM (FEMALE) Moana Benjamin (Vic), Breanna Evans (NSW), Madisun Graham (Qld), Brielle Karklin (WA), Layhnee Kearnes (NSW), Julieanne Kinsella (Vic), Emily Peters (NSW), Faith Pickard (SA), Georgia Reynolds (Vic), Anisha Sawaid (NSW), Madison Scott (SA), Monique Smith (Qld), Abigail Tosic (ACT), Kayla Waller (Qld), Jess Woolbank (NSW)
OFFICIALS Ashley Castles (NSW, Head Coach), Alisha Bell (Vic, Assistant Coach), Drew Herrington (WA, Assistant Coach), Andrea Mansfield (Vic, Manager), Rebecca Yip (WA, Physiotherapist)
AUSTRALIA GREEN TEAM (MALE) Logan Campbell (NSW), Thomas Cass (NSW), Matthew Harrow (ACT), Jordan Howell (WA), Blake Jackson (NSW), Bradley Kilpatrick (NSW), Harry May (SA), Andrew Meyer-Coyte (ACT), Klaas Pichelmann (ACT), Chris Plain (NSW), Harrison Pudner (NSW), Layton Reid (Qld), Rhys Shelley (Qld), Keenan Smith (Qld), Cameron White (Qld)
OFFICIALS David Metekingi (Qld, Head Coach), Matt Chapman (Qld, Assistant Coach), Jacqui Crafter (SA, Assistant Coach), Geoff Shaw (WA, Manager), Erin Parish (NSW, Physiotherapist)
AUSTRALIA GOLD TEAM (MALE) Josh Bond (NSW), Kingsley Dawson (WA), Kyle Doherty (ACT), Jacob Donaldson (NSW), Jarred Garland (NSW), Cooper Goodman (SA), Joshua Harding (Qld), Dylan Hopgood (SA), Ryan King (NSW), Shaun Lanaghan (NSW), Bolton Nussbaum (ACT), Samuel Reale (Vic), Mac Reith-Snare (NSW), Jeremy Waters (Qld), Thomas Zeylemaker (NSW)
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OFFICIALS James Harris (SA, Head Coach), Maurice Paraha (Qld, Assistant Coach), Tony Jackson (NSW, Assistant Coach), Yelena Hivon (Qld, Manager), Erin Parish (NSW, Physiotherapist)
AUSSIE SPIRIT, AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN’S TEAM
WORLD CUP OF SOFTBALL5-9 JULY 2017; and CANADA CUP, 11-17 JULY 2017 Jess Bahn (Vic), Georgia Blair (Qld), Amelia Cudicio (NSW), Jackie Di Siervi (Vic), Jemma Freegard (WA), Simone Freeman (NSW), Leigh Godfrey (WA), Jordan Lambert (SA), Stacey Porter (NSW), Kaia Parnaby (NSW), Ellen Roberts (NSW), Carmelle Sorensen (Qld), Erin Thras (Qld), Jessica Torpey (Qld), Taylah Tsitsikronis (NSW), Clare Warwick (ACT), Belinda White (SA)
OFFICIALS Fabian Barlow (Qld, Head Coach), Kym Tollenaere (Qld, Assistant Coach), Annie Fidge (SA, Assistant Coach), Georgia Giblin (Qld, Video Analyst), Lisa Anderson (Qld, Manager), Nathanial Harnett (NSW, Physiotherapist), Rowena Whittle (NSW, Statistician), Deidre Anderson (NSW, Performance Support)
NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH LEAGUE, MAY – JUNE 2018 Tabitha Callander (WA), Michelle Cox (NSW), Amelia Cudicio (NSW), Verity Long-Droppert (WA), Chelsea Forkin (Qld), Leigh Godfrey (WA), Shannon Keevers (NSW), Rachel Lack (NSW), Jordan Lambert (SA), Stacey McManus (NSW), Kaia Parnaby (NSW), Samantha Poole (NSW), Stacey Porter (NSW), Ellen Roberts (NSW), Chelsea Robinson (SA), Justine Smethurst (Qld), Carmelle Sorensen (Qld), Tarni Stepto (NSW), Erin Thras (Qld), Jessica Torpey (Qld), Stephanie Trzcinski (SA), Taylah Tsitsikronis (NSW), Jade Wall (Qld), Stacey Webber (Qld), Melinda Weaver (Qld), Belinda White (SA), Tamieka Whitefield (Qld), Clare Warwick (ACT)
OFFICIALS Fabian Barlow (Qld, Head Coach), Kelly Hardie (Qld, Assistant Coach), Kym Tollenaere (Qld, Assistant Coach), Kerrie Porter (NSW, Assistant Coach), Kathy Horton (NSW, Assistant Coach), Melanie Roche (Qld, Assistant Coach), Nathanial Harnett (NSW, Physiotherapist), Deidre Anderson (NSW, Performance Support), Simone Wearne (Vic, Manager)
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AUSSIE STEELERS, AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S TEAM XV WBSC MEN’S SOFTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 7-16 JULY 2017 Jarryd Farrell (SA), Adam Folkard (ACT), Mark Harris (WA), Julian Jemmott (Qld), Andrew Kirkpatrick (ACT), Hayden Mathews (NSW), Josh McGovern (ACT), Ryan Merriman (Qld), Nick Norton (ACT), Brendon O’Byrne (WA), Liam O’Leary (NSW), Harrison Peters (NSW), Nick Shailes (ACT), Ryan Sinclair (Vic), James Todhunter (NSW), Lewis Weldon (Vic), Josh White (ACT)
OFFICIALS Laing Harrow (Head Coach), Geoffrey Coultas (Assistant Coach), Michael Titheradge (Manager), Anthony Mackie (Video Analyst), Helen Edwards (Statistician), Bernie Simai (Physiotherapist)
JUNIOR SPIRIT, AUSTRALIAN U19 WOMEN’S TEAM XII WBSC JUNIOR WOMEN’S SOFTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 24-30 JULY 2017 Kelsey Griffen (NSW), Natasha Holt (Vic), Amber Hood (SA), Georgia Hood (SA), Montana Kearnes (NSW), Shannon Keevers (NSW), Rhiannon Kemp (Qld), Kandra Lamb (NSW), Jamie Mead (SA), Gabrielle Plain (NSW), Sara Riou (WA), Maddison Schofield (WA), Maddison Smith (NSW), Tarni Stepto (NSW), Brianna Trim (NSW), Tia Waters (Qld), Tamieka Whitefield (Qld)
OFFICIALS Kerrie Porter (NSW, Head Coach), Gaye Ledingham (NSW, Assistant Coach), Chantelle James (WA, Assistant Coach), Nathan Jones (WA, Assistant Coach), Annette Tsitsikronis (NSW, Team Manager), Kandice Goodwin (NSW, Physiotherapist)
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INTERNATIONAL
AUSSIE STEELERS, AUSTRALIAN OPEN MEN’S TEAM
XV WBSC MEN’S SOFTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WHITEHORSE, YUKON, CANADA 7-16 JULY 2017
RESULTS PLAYOFFS Aussie Steelers 16 d India 0 Aussie Steelers 2 lost to New Zealand 6 Aussie Steelers 1 lost to USA 2 Aussie Steelers 11 d USA 7 Aussie Steelers 7 d South Africa 0 Aussie Steelers 4 d Argentina 1
Aussie Steelers 2 d Dominican Republic 1 Aussie Steelers 7 d Canada 3 Aussie Steelers 4 lost to Canada 9 Aussie Steelers 4 lost to New Zealand 6 Aussie Steelers 9 d Argentina 1 Aussie Steelers 10 d Hong Kong 0
FINAL PLACINGS 1 New Zealand 9 Czech Republic 2 Australia 10 South Africa 3 Canada 11 Dominican Republic 4 Argentina 12 Denmark 5 Japan 13 Great Britain 6 USA 14 Hong Kong 7 Venezuela 15 India 8 Botswana 16 Turkey
AUSSIE SPIRIT, AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN’S TEAM
WORLD CUP OF SOFTBALL OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, USA 5-9 JULY 2017
RESULTS Aussie Spirit 6 d Mexico 0 Aussie Spirit 0 lost to Japan 8
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Aussie Spirit 5 lost to Philippines 7 Aussie Spirit 4 lost to Canada 5 Aussie Spirit 6 d US JWNT 5 Aussie Spirit 1 lost to USA 10 Aussie Spirit 3 d Puerto Rico 2 Aussie Spirit 0 lost to Canada 3
FINAL PLACINGS 1 USA 2 Japan 3 Canada 4 Australia 5 US JWNT 6 Puerto Rico 7 Philippines 8 Mexico
CANADA CUP SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA 11-17 JULY 2017
RESULTS Aussie Spirit 3 lost to Canada – Elite 4 Aussie Spirit 2 lost to Japan 14 Aussie Spirit 7 d Canada – Senior 5 Aussie Spirit 7 d Venezuela 0 Aussie Spirit 0 lost to Japan 10 Aussie Spirit 1 lost to Japan 7 Aussie Spirit 5 d Mexico 2
FINAL PLACINGS 1 Japan 2 Australia 3 Canada 4 Mexico
JAPAN CUP TAKASAKI, JAPAN 25-27 AUGUST 2017
RESULTS FINAL PLACINGS Aussie Spirit 5 lost to USA 6 1 USA Aussie Spirit 4 d Canada 2 2 Japan Aussie Spirit 0 lost to Japan 3 3 Australia Aussie Spirit 1 d Canada 0 4 Canada
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KOCHI CITY TOUR 27-31 OCTOBER 2017
RESULTS Aussie Spirit 1 v Sonoda Women’s University 1 Aussie Spirit 2 d Hirabayashi 0 Aussie Spirit 0 v Sonoda Women’s University 0 Aussie Spirit 2 v Hirabayashi 1 Aussie Spirit 2 lost to Sonoda Women’s Uni 4 Aussie Spirit 2 v Iyo Bank 2 Aussie Spirit 7 d Hirabayashi 4 Aussie Spirit 2 d lyo Bank 1
ASIA PACIFIC CUP BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK, NSW 1-4 FEBRUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Chet Gray Umpire-in-Chief Andrew Rindfleish Tournament Chief Statistician Kaye Greggs Tournament Convenor Cathy Kerr
GRAND FINAL RESULT Japan 3 d Aussie Spirit 0
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Japan Most Valuable Player – Natsuko Sagama (Japan) 2 Aussie Spirit Best Pitcher – Yukari Hamamura (Japan) 3 China Best Batter – Feng-Chen Lin (Chinese Taipei) 4 Chinese Taipei Player of the Grand Final – Yamato Fujita (Japan) 5 All Stars 6 Italy 7 New Zealand JUNIOR SPIRIT, AUSTRALIAN U19 WOMEN’S TEAM
XII WBSC JUNIOR WOMEN’S SOFTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 24-30 JULY 2017
RESULTS PLAYOFF Junior Spirit 12 d Peru 5 Junior Spirit 0 lost to China 2 Junior Spirit 3 d Netherlands 0 Junior Spirit 8 d Brazil 1 Junior Spirit 0 lost to Japan 1
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Junior Spirit 12 d Bahamas 1 Junior Spirit 20 d Israel 0
FINAL PLACINGS (Top 10) 1 USA 2 Japan 3 Puerto Rico 4 Canada 5 Chinese Taipei 6 China 7 Australia 8 Czech Republic 9 Mexico 10 Philippines
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AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
71ST OPEN WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE GILLEY’S SHIELD
MIRRABOOKA INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL STADIUM, WA 6-12 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Kylie Bloodworth Umpire-in-Chief Darren Sibraa Tournament Chief Statistician Jim Giles Tournament Convenor Luci Powell
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW Firestars 5 d Qld Heat 1
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 NSW Firestars Midge Nelson Medal – Most Valuable Player – Georgia Casey (NSW) 2 Qld Heat Lorraine Woolley Medal – Best Pitcher – Justine Smethurst (Qld) 3 SA Starz Sybil Turner Medal – Best Batter – Leigh Godfrey (WA) 4 Vic Titans Rosemary Adey Medal – Rookie of the Year – Shannon Keevers (NSW) 5 ACT Diamonds Player of the Grand Final – Stacey McManus (NSW) 6 WA Flames
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Justine Smethurst (Qld) Catcher Carmelle Sorensen (Qld) 1st Base Jessica Torpey (Qld) 2nd Base Georgia Casey (NSW) 3rd Base Stacey Porter (NSW) Shortstop Jackie Di Siervi (Vic) Outfield Leigh Godfrey (WA) Jade Wall (Qld) Maddie Cameron (SA) Designated Player Samantha Poole (NSW)
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35TH OPEN MEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE JOHN REID SHIELD
HAWKER INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL CENTRE, ACT 14-20 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Frank Curcio Umpire-in-Chief Tricia Sibraa Tournament Chief Statistician Sandra Palmer Tournament Convenor Ben Kirk/Shaun Carroll
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW 2 d ACT 1
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 NSW Most Valuable Player – Nick Norton (ACT) 2 ACT 89ers Best Pitcher – Marshall Kronk (Qld) 3 Qld Patriots Best Batter – Nick Norton (ACT) 4 WA Blaze Rosemary Adey Medal – Rookie of the Year – Callum Beashel (NSW) 5 Victoria Player of the Grand Final – Callum Beashel (NSW) 6 South Australia
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Marshall Kronk (Qld) Catcher Nick Norton (ACT) 1st Base Ryan Merriman (Qld) 2nd Base Peter Wards (NSW) 3rd Base George Psimaris (Vic) Shortstop Brendon O’Byrne (WA) Outfield Scott Patterson (WA) Hayden Mathews (NSW) Callum Beashel (NSW) Designated Player Clayton McKenzie (SA)
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8TH U23 WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE JOYCE LESTER SHIELD
REDLANDS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION, QLD 5-8 JULY 2017
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Richard Costantino Umpire-in-Chief Darren Sibraa Tournament Chief Statistician Matt Denkel Tournament Convenor Sue Nisbet
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW 4 d Qld 2
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 NSW Most Valuable Player – Jessica Donnelly (Qld) 2 Qld Best Pitcher – Samantha Hodgman (Qld) 3 Vic Best Batter – Dorinda Stone (Qld) 4 WA Player of the Grand Final – Chantelle Ladner (NSW)
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Samantha Hodgman (Qld) Catcher Sarah Beales (Vic) 1st Base Jessica Donnelly (Qld) 2nd Base Dorinda Stone (Qld) 3rd Base Stephanie Curtis (Qld) Shortstop Nicola Maitland (NSW) Outfield Emily Watson (WA) Katherine Laemmie (Vic) Ancelle Van Mollendorf (Qld) Designated Player Alisha Prybyszczuk (Qld)
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8TH U23 MEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE LAING HARROW SHIELD
REDLANDS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION, QLD 5-8 JULY 2017
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Richard Costantino Umpire-in-Chief Darren Sibraa Tournament Chief Statistician Matt Denkel Tournament Convenor Sue Nisbet
INVITATIONAL CUP WINNER NZ Major Sox
GRAND FINAL RESULT Qld 5 d WA 3
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Qld Most Valuable Player – Kurt Barbarich (WA) 2 WA Best Pitcher – Marshall Kronk (Qld) 3 NSW Best Batter – Kurt Barbarich (WA) Player of the Grand Final – James Purcell (Qld)
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Marshall Kronk (Qld) Catcher Taylor Hick (NZ Major Sox) 1st Base Nicholas Shaw (NSW) 2nd Base Kurt Barbarich (WA) 3rd Base Huw Davies (NZ Major Sox) Shortstop Matthew Beckett (WA) Outfield Alex Cleary (Qld) Mason Rossi (NSW) Callum Bishop (NZ Major Sox) Designated Player Pita Rona (NZ Major Sox)
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45TH U19 WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE ELINOR MCKENZIE SHIELD
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK, NSW 22-28 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Gail Wykes Umpire-in-Chief Leigh Evans Tournament Chief Statistician Kaye Greggs Tournament Convenor Cathy Kerr
GRAND FINAL RESULT Qld 5 d NSW 4
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Qld Most Valuable Player – Georgia Hood (SA) 2 NSW Best Pitcher – Shinai Gibbins (Qld) 3 SA Best Batter – Moe Kurihara (Qld) 4 Vic Player of the Grand Final – Tamieka Whitefield (Qld) 5 ACT 6 WA
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Shinai Gibbins (Qld) Catcher Brielle Karklin (WA) 1st Base Madisun Graham (Qld) 2nd Base Tamieka Whitefield (Qld) 3rd Base Tamar Hutchinson (Vic) Shortstop Jenna Trim (NSW) Outfield Sara Riou (WA) Holly Touchell (WA) Hannah Bahn (Vic) Designated Player Georgia Hood (SA)
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30TH U19 MEN’S NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE NOX BAILEY SHIELD
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK, NSW 22-28 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Gail Wykes Umpire-in-Chief Leigh Evans Tournament Chief Statistician Kaye Greggs Tournament Convenor Cathy Kerr
GRAND FINAL RESULT Qld 6 d NSW 5
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Qld Most Valuable Player – Jarred Garland (NSW) 2 NSW Best Pitcher – Shaun Lanaghan (NSW) 3 ACT Best Batter – Jarred Garland (NSW) 4 Vic Player of the Grand Final – Keenan Smith (Qld) 5 WA
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Shaun Lanaghan (NSW) Catcher Jacob Donaldson (NSW) 1st Base Shannon Goffer (Qld) 2nd Base Thomas Cass (NSW) 3rd Base Shay Crean (Vic) Shortstop Jordan Howell (WA) Outfield Jarred Garland (NSW) Sheldon Waller (Qld) Samuel Reale (Vic) Designated Player Jett Wright (WA)
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49TH U17 GIRLS’ NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE ESTHER DEASON SHIELD
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK, NSW 6-12 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Susan Rindfleish Umpire-in-Chief Scott Rindfleish Tournament Chief Statistician Kaye Greggs Tournament Convenor Cathy Kerr
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW 3 d Qld 1
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 NSW Most Valuable Player – Gemma Hooker (WA) 2 Qld Best Pitcher – Jacquelyn O’Connor (Qld) 3 WA Best Batter – Sasha Willems (NSW) 4 ACT Player of the Grand Final – Emily Peters (NSW) 5 SA 6 Vic
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Jacquelyn O’Connor (Qld) Catcher Brooke Clappinson (WA) 1st Base Gemma Hooker (WA) 2nd Base Alannah Panza (Vic) 3rd Base Tamikah Turner-Hames (WA) Shortstop Tahlia Anderson (Qld) Outfield Layhnee Kearnes (NSW) Chloe Goodfellow (Vic) Pihuka Duff (NSW) Designated Player Sasha Willems (NSW)
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28TH U17 BOYS’ NATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYING FOR THE ARTHUR ALLSOPP SHIELD
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK, NSW 6-12 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Susan Rindfleish Umpire-in-Chief Scott Rindfleish Tournament Chief Statistician Kaye Greggs Tournament Convenor Cathy Kerr
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW 5 d Qld 2
FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 NSW Most Valuable Player – Keenan Smith (Qld) 2 Qld Best Pitcher – Lincoln Walk (Qld) 3 Vic Best Batter – Keenan Smith (Qld) 4 ACT Player of the Grand Final – Ethan Field (NSW) 5 WA
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Lincoln Walk (Qld) Catcher Riley James (Qld) 1st Base Luke Readdy (Qld) 2nd Base Riley Murrihy (Qld) 3rd Base Keenan Smith (Qld) Shortstop Kynan Molander (Qld) Outfield Lachlan Ives (ACT) William Thomas (ACT) Joshua Routledge (Qld) Designated Player Jeremy Garland (NSW)
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U15 GIRLS’ REGIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
MIRRABOOKA INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL STADIUM, WA 6-12 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Kylie Bloodworth Umpire-in-Chief Kevin Tannebring Tournament Chief Statistician Jim Giles Tournament Convenor Melanie Purser
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW Metro Orange 3 d SA Red 1
FINAL PLACINGS 1 NSW Metro Orange 2 SA Red 3 NSW Metro Green 4 ACT 5 SA Blue 6 Qld Fire 7 NSW Country Gold 8 WA Gold 9 Victoria 10 Qld Flames 11 WA White
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U15 BOYS’ REGIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
HAWKER INTERNATIONAL SOFTBALL CENTRE, ACT 14-20 JANUARY 2018
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Frank Curcio Umpire-in-Chief Kevin Tannebring Tournament Chief Statistician Sandra Palmer Tournament Convenor Ben Kirk/Shaun Carroll
GRAND FINAL RESULT NSW Country 7 d NSW Metro Orange 0
FINAL PLACINGS 1 NSW Country 2 NSW Metro Orange 3 WA 4 NSW Metro Green 5 Qld Thunder 6 Qld Storm 7 Victoria 8 ACT 9 SA
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OTHER RESULTS
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP SERIES
REDLANDS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION, QLD 3-7 JULY 2017
Softball Australia Technical Delegate Richard Costantino Umpire-in-Chief Darren Sibraa Tournament Chief Statistician Matt Denkel Tournament Convenor Sue Nisbet
FEMALE COMPETITION FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Australia Gold Most Valuable Player – Georgia O’Donovan (Waverley) 2 Waverley Best Pitcher – Jazara Hope (Southern Pride) 3 Ausralia Green Best Batter – Shaylan Whatman (Aus Green) 4 Qld 5 ISA NZ White 6 ISA NZ Black 7 Southern Pride 8 AIST 9 Southside Stingers
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Jazara Hope (Southern Pride) Catcher Montana Edwards (Aus Green) 1st Base Madisun Graham (Aus Gold) 2nd Base Breigh Monaghan (Southern Pride) 3rd Base Georgia O’Donovan (Waverley) Shortstop Teegan Maxted (Southern Pride) Outfield Tiara Te Ariki (ISA NZ Black) Beth Reid (ISA NZ White) Monique Smith (Aus Gold) Designated Player Shaylan Whatman (Aus Green)
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MALE COMPETITION FINAL PLACINGS AWARDS 1 Australia Gold Most Valuable Player – Mac Reith-Snare (Aus Gold) 2 Australia Green Best Pitcher – Sam Marley (ISA NZ) 3 ISA NZ Best Batter – Jacob Donaldson (Aus Gold) 4 Queensland 5 Southern Pride 6 Western Civil
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM Pitcher Sam Marley (ISA NZ) Catcher Josh Bond (Aus Gold) 1st Base Mac Reith-Snare (Aus Gold) 2nd Base Joshua Jacobs (ISA NZ) 3rd Base Julian Scott-Davies (Qld) Shortstop Kaemyn Smith (Southern Pride) Outfield Jordan Howell (Aus Green) Jason Clyde (Southern Pride) Cooper Goodman (Aus Gold) Designated Player Jacob Donaldson (Aus Gold)
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AWARDS & HONOURS
LIFE MEMBERS Life Members are recognised for their exceptional and devoted service to softball Australia.
Name Ye a r State
Michael Hannelly 2015 NSW
Harvey Milson 2013 NSW
Tricia Sibraa 2013 Qld
Mike McDermid 2013 ACT
Darryl Clout 2010 NSW
Bob Harrow 2010 ACT
Bill Gobbart* 2006 Vic
Ken Culpitt 2004 ACT
Alan McAuliffe 2002 SA
Shirley Schneider 2000 WA
Pat Rawlings OAM* 1994 NSW
Margo Koskelainen OAM 1993 Vic
Rosemary Adey OAM* 1989 SA
Pat Shearwood 1980 ACT
Edna Nash* 1969 NSW
Pat Young* 1968 NSW
Audrey McLaughlin AM 1967 Qld
Esther Deason MBE* 1966 Vic
Merle Short* 1966 Vic
Marjorie Dwyer* 1966 Vic
*denotes deceased
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SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES The Hall of Fame recognises Australian players and non-players who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of softball at the international level.
Name Ye a r State Adam Humble 2017 WA
Nathan Jones 2017 WA
Kris Kiefel 2017 Vic
Helen Edwards 2016 Vic
Danielle Stewart (Bouman) 2016 Qld
Leigh Evans 2015 Vic
Michael Titheradge 2015 WA
Tracey Mosley 2014 Vic
Kylie Cronk 2014 Qld
Danica Howlett 2014 NSW
Diane Waller 2013 Vic
Barry Blanchard 2013 NSW
Terry Downes 2013 Qld
Debbie Grove 2013 Vic
Kelly Hardie 2013 Qld
Mike Harrow 2013 ACT
Ngaire Huston 2013 Qld
Neville Lawrance 2013 SA
Simmone Morrow 2013 SA
Andrew Rindfleish 2013 NSW
Sue Tomlinson 2013 SA
Kerry Wyborn 2013 NSW
Wendy Braybon* 2012 Vic
Carolyn Buttsworth 2012 NSW
Tanya Harding 2012 Qld
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Name Ye a r State Sandra Lewis 2012 Qld
Melanie Roche 2012 NSW
Natalie Titcume 2012 Vic
Natalie Ward 2012 NSW
Fiona Crawford 2010 NSW
Paul Maisey 2010 Vic
Marissa Warburton 2010 Qld
Ken Culpitt 2009 ACT
2009 Australian Open Men’s Team Aussie 2009 Steelers and ISF World Champions
Geoffrey Coultas 2008 WA
Brian Flint 2008 WA
Darryl Rector 2008 WA
Robert Richardson 2008 NSW
Bill Downing 2008 WA
Russell Taylor 2008 WA
Josh Davison 2008 NSW
Dave McKenzie 2008 WA
Peter Clout 2008 NSW
Sally McCreedy OAM 2008 ACT
Peta Edebone 2008 Vic
Brooke Wilkins 2008 NSW
Kathy Mitchell 2008 Qld
John McAuliffe 2007 SA
Bob Crudgington 2006 Qld
Matt Gowty 2006 Qld
Troy Baverstock 2005 NSW
Kylie Herbert 2005 NSW
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Name Ye a r State Alan McAuliffe 2005 SA
Carol Peel 2005 NSW
Haylea Petrie 2005 Qld
Kim Cooper 2004 Qld
Shane King 2004 Qld
Kerry Dienelt 2004 NT
Lindsey Carroll 2004 ACT
Kellie Loughman 2004 Vic
Kerrie Maddern 2004 Vic
Nicole Richardson 2004 Vic
Margo Koskelainen OAM 2004 Vic
Joanne Brown 2004 ACT
Francine McRae 2004 Qld
Lindsay Anderson* 2003 WA
Anthony Bull 2003 WA
Laing Harrow 2002 ACT
Rhonda Wills 2002 Vic
Jenny Holliday AM 2002 Vic
Joyce Lester OAM 2000 Qld
Leanne Evans 1997 Vic
Gaye Ledingham 1997 NSW
Pat Shearwood 1995 ACT
Sandra Troyahn 1995 Vic
Arthur Allsopp* 1992 Vic
Rosemary Adey OAM* 1991 SA
Pat Rawlings OAM* 1991 NSW
Janne Stevens 1990 SA
Lorraine Brown 1989 SA
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Name Ye a r State Josephine Loton 1989 Vic
Janine (Jan) Allsopp 1988 Vic
Carol Selem 1988 NSW
Vivienne Triplett* 1988 Vic
Esther Deason MBE* 1987 Vic
Marjorie Dwyer* 1987 Vic
Merilyn Middlin 1987 Vic
Joanne Paez 1987 Vic
Judy Phelps OAM 1987 NSW
Chris Roughley 1987 NSW
Sybil Turner 1987 NSW
Rhonda Boyd 1986 Vic
Denise Hutchinson 1986 Vic
1965 Australian Open Women’s Team and ISF 1985 World Champions
Norma Allsopp Vic
Margaret Dodds Qld
Bess Dornan Vic
Myrtle Edwards Vic
Rita Gherardin Vic
Elinor McKenzie* Vic
Audrey McLaughlin Qld
Helena Meehan Vic
Nina Menner WA
Midge Nelson BEM Vic
Gladys Phillips* (C) Vic
Judy Pizaro* Vic
Marjorie Scott Vic
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Name Ye a r State Merle Short* Vic
Sandra Somerville Qld
Margaret Swann Vic
Nancy Whittingham SA
Lorraine Woolley Qld
*denotes deceased
ISF HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Name Ye a r State
Mike Harrow 2015 ACT
Marissa Warburton 2015 Qld
Neville Lawrance 2015 SA
Bob Crudgington 2013 Qld
Brooke Wilkins 2013 Qld
Haylea Petrie 2013 Qld
Bob Harrow 2011 ACT
Paul Maisey 2011 Vic
Peta Edebone 2011 Vic
Peter Clout 2009 NSW
John McAuliffe 2009 SA
Sally McCreedy OAM 2009 ACT
Norma Allsopp 2005 Vic
Joanne Brown 2005 ACT
Ken Culpitt 2005 Qld
Kerry Dienelt 2005 NT
Denise Hutchinson 2005 Vic
Shane King 2005 Qld
Laing Harrow 2003 ACT
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Name Ye a r State
Margo Koskelainen OAM 2003 Vic
Alan McAuliffe 2003 SA
Jenny Holliday AM 2001 Vic
Joyce Lester OAM 2001 Qld
Audrey McLaughlin AM 1999 Qld
Rosemary Adey OAM* 1997 SA
Janine (Jan) Allsopp 1993 Vic
Vivienne Triplett* 1993 Vic
Sybil Turner 1993 NSW
Rhonda Boyd 1991 Vic
Chris Roughley 1991 NSW
Margaret Swann 1989 Vic
Myrtle Edwards* 1987 Vic
Merle Short* 1987 Vic
Marjorie (Midge) Nelson BEM 1981 Vic
Esther Deason* MBE 1981 Vic
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SPONSORS & PARTNERS
PRINCIPAL PARTNERS
INDIGENOUS SOFTBALL PROGRAM PARTNER
PROVIDERS
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