2015 annual report To grow softball, for all, for life, together Contents CHAIRMAN’S REPORT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 CEO REPORT .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 MESSAGE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION ................................................................................................ 8 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 OUR COMMITTEES ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 MEMBER RECOGNITION................................................................................................................................................................... 11 RETIREMENTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 MARKETING ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 HIGH PERFORMANCE AND NATIONAL TEAMS ....................................................................................................................... 21 MYSOFTBALL COMMUNITY ........................................................................................................................................................... 24 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 SOFTBALL BATTER UP ...................................................................................................................................................................... 27 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 SCORING ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 UMPIRING ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 36 COACHING ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 40 SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA LIFE MEMBERS ....................................................................................................................................... 42 SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES .............................................................................................................. 43 ISF HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 INTERNATIONAL RESULTS .............................................................................................................................................................. 47 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS ................................................................................................................................... 55 OTHER RESULTS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 65 SPONSORS AND PROVIDERS ........................................................................................................................................................ 69 To grow softball, for all, for life, together VISION By 2017, to be a thriving, innovative and inclusive sport with at least 5% annual growth. MISSION To grow softball, for all, for life, together. VALUES We are inclusive, innovative, collaborative, professional and act with integrity. Level 1, Suite 2, 273 Wellington Street, Collingwood VIC 3066 T 03 9417 0022 www.softball.org.au Softball Australia Ltd ACN 092 181 318 Cover image courtesy Epsom Road Photography To grow softball, for all, for life, together CHAIRMAN’S REPORT It is with a great degree of pride that I pen my first annual Chairman’s report after a year that may well prove pivotal for the future of Australian softball. In October 2014, we adopted a Whole of Softball Strategic Plan, which was the outcome of a process where all states collaborated and agreed upon what was required as a collective to grow and sustain the sport of softball in Australia for the next three years and beyond. What does a Whole of Softball Strategic Plan mean to softball at the grassroots level? It means we have a shared vision and a shared target to grow our sport by a minimum 5% per annum. To that end, the following key strategies have been developed, funded and commenced collaboratively by Softball Australia, Member States, associations and clubs. GROWING PARTICIPATION Grow our traditional base and introduce new products SOCIAL 7S In direct response to consumer demand for a more social, short, fun game, Social 7s was developed. This new format of the game can be easily adopted by the wider community, and offers mixed gender teams, simplified rules and is high-scoring - all of which make it a very attractive social version of our game. It is an easy “add-on” for our existing clubs and presents an alternative entry- level product with significant additional income opportunities. SPORTING SCHOOLS The day the Federal Government and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) launched the Sporting Schools Program, we made a decision, as a sport, to be a leader in this exciting new initiative. Sporting Schools presents a wonderful opportunity for us to engage directly with our school-based recruiting ground and forge stronger ties between primary schools and clubs. We are dedicated to ensuring maximum coverage for schools wishing to deploy an active softball program and to that end, our nationally branded junior participation program, Softball Batter Up, will be delivered by qualified coaches through Sporting Schools. LITTLE LEAGUE On the back of very successful adoption of, and increased participation in the Western Australian Little League, we are working to offer Little League as an option nationwide. It will provide a more structured junior pathway, and leverage the exceptional branding associated with Little League. 2015 Annual ReportFINAL.docx 1 | P a g e To grow softball, for all, for life, together HIGH PERFORMANCE In June 2014, we were advised by the ASC that softball had been reclassified as High Performance “based on an assessment of the performance profile of the women’s program and the possibility of its inclusion on the 2020 Olympic program”. As a result, a 2020 Sub-Committee was established to quickly identify any organisational impacts/changes required, for example: o examine best practice high performance models o identify short and long term implications (ie actions required now, and actions required if the situation changes) o assess any mandatory requirements of being aligned with baseball as “Diamond Sports” for 2020 o opportunities to collaborate with baseball on high performance for 2020. The prospect of returning to the Olympics is exciting and should this occur, we must ensure it will be in the best interests of the sport across all levels. DEVELOP CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS Strengthen the recruitment and retention capability of clubs and associations CLUB AND ASSOCIATION DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS One of the most critical strategies that we have progressed is the establishment of state-based roles solely to assist clubs and associations with the fundamentals of effectively operating, and ultimately growing the sport. These roles are jointly funded (ie state and national) and underline the increasing collaboration across all levels. HOMEPLATE WEBSITE As a direct outcome of our business plan, Homeplate website was developed and released to affiliated clubs and associations, providing resources on all aspects required to run a successful softball club or association. HEALTH CHECKS AND ACTION PLANS In parallel with the previous two strategies, we are encouraging clubs and associations to take the ASC Health Check and develop and implement action plans to identify areas for improvement within their organisations to support future sustainability. 2015 Annual ReportFINAL.docx 2 | P a g e To grow softball, for all, for life, together ORGANISATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY Build enduring organisations, grow non-government revenue BUSINESS OF SOFTBALL We welcomed Community Training Initiatives (CTI) as our National Women’s Team sponsor and we are very appreciative of their support. We continue