A boys (school) team in Croatia poses with some of the equipment sent by the ISF. (Photo courtesy of Croatian Softball Association)

CROATIA LATEST EQUIPMENT RECIPIENT
2006-02-20

With 127 countries around the world playing softball under its umbrella, the International Softball Federation (ISF) could view developing the sport on a global basis as quite a challenge. Instead though, it’s looked upon as an opportunity, and so the ISF continues working with the national softball federations/associations to help grow the game on all continents.

The latest member to partner with the ISF on softball development is the Croatian Softball Association (CSA). An ISF member since 1992, the CSA has worked to get more and more people involved in the sport over the years. The fruits of their labor have shown up in different ways, with their Secretary General, Jelena (Tomic) Cusak, being elected as an ISF VP/Europe last October. Next year Croatia will, for the first time ever, host an official European competition – the European Championship for Women, B Pool. And just recently, a shipment of softball equipment from the ISF arrived in their country.

Some youth “starter kits” have made some kids in Croatia very happy, as the CSA forwarded the equipment on to school coaches. The 9-13 year olds now have bats, balls, gloves, catcher’s gear, and more to play softball with as their sport’s national governing body embarks on the “Softball In The Schools” program created by the ISF. Six schools are already involved and the CSA is going to try to create some tournaments this year.

Croatia is just one of many, however, that the ISF is assisting. Botswana too was sent youth starter kits at the same time that Croatia’s shipment went out.

Just last Thursday, adult starter kits were picked up from the ISF headquarters for Zambia, along with equipment for Great Britain’s under-16 and under-13 programs.

And there’s more to come! Starter kits are currently being packed to go to Algiers, Denmark, Guernsey, Micronesia, Serbia-Montenegro, and Slovenia.

The year is not even two months old and, when factoring in shipments like those mentioned above as well as those that went to American Samoa, Costa Rica, DPR Korea, and Guatemala in January, the ISF has already sent out equipment valued at over US$115,000 (one hundred fifteen thousand) in 2006.

Softball just keeps growing.