TOMORROW’S ELITE ATHLETES KEEP COMPETING
2006-05-24

The tournament that concluded at the International Softball Federation’s (ISF) world headquarters this
past Saturday is just one more that’s helping future elite athletes develop. The National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division I women’s (fast pitch) softball national championship was the latest
in a line of events that is providing competition opportunities for players who could next find themselves on a national team roster.

At the 16-team event, six rosters had a combined total of 14 players from (four) countries other than the USA (Australia, Canada, Netherlands, and Venezuela). Two athletes from the 2004 Olympic Softball competition in Athens were NJCAA national championship participants during their college days. Crystl Bustos (USA) – who threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the start of the tournament last Thursday – and pitcher Ani Nyhus (Canada) both won a national collegiate title prior to their participation on their country’s national softball team.

In a welcome letter to the teams, ISF President Don Porter wrote, "The future of our sport relies on the development of young athletes who compete in this (NJCAA national championship) and other events in this country and around the world."

Coming in less than two months is the II World University Softball Championship. That tournament is scheduled for July 15-23 in Tainan City, Taiwan, and again gives college athletes a chance to play in a marquee event. In October 2004, the 1st World University Softball Championship had been played at the ISF world headquarters complex, and included some participants that had just competed against the likes of Bustos and Nyhus two months earlier at the Olympic Games in Greece.

This summer’s edition of the university championship is expected to have participation from Australia, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand, & USA, and comes 13 months before softball will make its debut in the World University Games.