SOFTBALL ACADEMIES PROGRAM SUCCEEDING IN G.B.
2009-01-30

By: Hayley Scott, British Softball Federation National Development Manager

Over the course of the last two years I was tasked, first as a volunteer and then as National Development Manager, to create, develop, and grow a Youth Academy for softball.

With the support of Tom Gillespie and his team at an existing British Academy for another sport, and with valuable experience gained at an Australian Academy while on vacation in Sydney, we are developing a product any sports development agency can be proud of. The Softball Youth Academy started in London in 2007 and we hosted monthly sessions where players between the ages of 10-17 could experience quality coaching to help them develop softball skills.

During 2007 we were able to expand the Academy to also include sessions in Nottingham, run by one of our key volunteers, Paul Cooper.

In 2008, with funding support and by combining resources for two different sports’ academies, we were able to expand this program even further with Regional Softball Academies in London, the South East (Wokingham and Horsham), Nottingham, and now Norfolk.

These Academies host between 10 and 20 players monthly with support from Coaches-in-Residence Celine Lassaigne and Stanley Doney in London and the South-East. I’ve been running the Norfolk Academy while Paul Cooper has been trying to revive the Nottingham program.

We have also added a monthly National Academy session where players from all regions come to the National Training Center at Upper Heyford and train with all the coaches in a circuit of activities. In 2009, we are introducing Aisha Arnold as the Academies Director, while Robin Dickinson has agreed to look after the management of the Academies in the future.

During 2008 we focused on developing pathways for players playing softball in school to have the opportunity to continue playing in a club environment. This winter we have introduced a National Indoor Youth League. The Youth League first began in the summer of 2007, playing in conjunction with the Women’s Fastpitch League. Last summer our young athletes had the opportunity to play against a young American travel ball team and enjoyed a three-day coaching clinic with USA Olympic coach Mike Candrea and outfielder Jessica Mendoza.

This experience boosted the enthusiasm of all the players in the Academy programs and has certainly helped the players in the GB Youth National Teams pool at Under-19, Under-16, and Under-13 age levels.

(excerpted from the British Softball Federation January 2009 “Softball Bulletin”)