As they did at the previous edition of the event, Puerto Rico turned in a bronze-medal winning performance at the Easton Foundations Youth World Cup in 2011. (Photo by Winning Photography)

2011 SOFTBALL YEAR IN REVIEW
2011-12-30

Each year we present a wrap-up of what took place in the world of softball in the preceding 12 months and this New Year’s it’s no different. Below is a look back at the sport’s on- and off-field happenings in 2011, and with a 60-team slow pitch tournament scheduled to take place at the International Softball Federation’s world headquarters complex in January and 2012 closing with an ISF world championship, next year looks like what follows will be mirrored twelve months from now.

This past January opened with Days 3-7 of the Easton Foundations Youth Softball World Cup at the ISF facility in Plant City, Florida (USA). Brazil won the (age) 16-and-under girls fast pitch event with a 3-2 win over a previously unbeaten team from just across town (South Florida Mini Bulls). Puerto Rico captured the bronze medals at the 22-team tournament.

January also saw the 2011 edition of the annual Indoor Cup in the Netherlands, which this year consisted of 16 teams from: the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, USA, and, of course, the host country.

February began with ISF President Don Porter heading to Belgium for the 36th European Softball Federation Congress, which was attended by representatives from 21 countries. Also, ISF Director of Umpires Bob Stanton went to Australia for an umpire certification seminar.

El Salvador's third baseplayer leaps over a sliding Mexican baserunner during the VI Central American Jr. Women's Championship in April. (Photo courtesy of Guatemala Softball Association)

The following month saw another international softball official on the move. ISF VP/Africa Guillo Marapjane represented the sport at the Africa International Sports Convention in Morocco. March also featured the 74th International Sports Press Association Congress in Korea, which was attended by ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak. There was also a three-day extraordinary meeting of the Pan American Softball Confederation that ISF President Don Porter went to in Venezuela.

April opened with Guatemala hosting the VI Central American Jr. Women’s Championship (19-and-under fast pitch). Mexico made a successful debut in this event by finishing first, defeating the defending champion Guatemala team. Nicaragua took the 2011 bronze medals.

Shortly thereafter, ISF President Don Porter and Secretary General Ms. Low Beng Choo were in London for the annual SportAccord convention.

In May it was announced that the III World University Softball Championship was awarded to Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA), for (August 4-10) 2012.

A Guatemala infielder applies the tag and waits for the umpire's signal during a game at the XI Central American Women's Championship in May. (Photo courtesy of Guatemala Softball Association)

Also that month, at a meeting attended by ISF President Don Porter and 1st Vice President Dale McMann in the Bahamas, a new regional body was established – the English Caribbean Softball Confederation.

On the field, Mexico won the XI Central American Women’s Championship with an 8-4 victory over host Guatemala. Nicaragua defeated El Salvador, 5-3, for third place.

June saw the tenth edition of the Senior World Cup, an annual slow pitch tournament held in Virginia (USA). The event once again drew a huge amount of teams (62) in (age) divisions ranging from 40+ Masters all the way up to 75+ Majors.

Of course the 13th of the month was the annual celebration of World Softball Day. Fittingly, that was also the start of the ISF Men’s World Cup, which was won by Japan and hosted by the Czech Republic, who finished second.

The stadium from the 2004 Olympic softball competition in use during the Special Olympics World Summer Games in June in Athens. (Photo courtesy of Spiros Krithis)

Later that month softball was once again a part of the Special Olympics World Summer Games. This year’s competition took place in the venue used for the softball competition at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. During the time there, ISF President Don Porter and Special Olympics International President and Chief Operating Officer Brady Lum took part in a proclamation signing. Among other aspects of the document was the statement that the “ISF hereby proclaims its unanimous support and affinity for Special Olympics and all its softball players whose extraordinary courage represent the true spirit of sportsmanship.” The proclamation also includes a ‘partnership’ between the ISF and SOI.

Canada's Carey-Leigh Thomas bats during play in the junior division of the Canadian Open International Women's Fastpitch Championship in July. (Photo by Vision Quest)

In July the International Olympic Committee announced a shortlist of sports that will be candidates for the one spot on the 2020 Olympic Games programme. The vote for which one sport will be added will take place in September 2013 and softball was one of those included on the shortlist.

There was also notable off-field news in Japan where meetings of the Olympic Council of Asia were held and softball (women’s fast pitch) was confirmed to continue on the programme of the Asian Games when the next edition is held (2014) in Incheon, Korea.

On the field, Japan shut out Team USA in the gold medal game of the ISF-sanctioned Canadian Open International Women’s Fastpitch Championship in British Columbia, where Australia finished third.

Around that same time, the Czech Republic hosted and won the European Softball Federation’s VII Championship for junior men. The winners recorded a gold medal game shutout victory, 6-0, over Denmark, who earlier that day had defeated Croatia, 12-5, to advance. The tournament was a qualifier for the ISF IX Jr. Men’s World Championship in November (2012) in Argentina.

Also in July, softball was a part of the IV ALBA Games, which took place in Maracay, Venezuela. In women’s play, the host country defeated Cuba, 3-1, in the gold medal game, while Argentina took the men’s title with a 3-0 victory over Venezuela.

The 2011 European Coed Slowpitch Champion Great Britain team. (Photo by Ruth Macintosh)

In addition, the 8th European Coed Slowpitch Championship was held in Bulgaria, with Great Britain defeating Slovenia for the title and Ireland finishing third.

Meanwhile, the USA women’s national team got their revenge on Japan with a victory in the gold medal game of World Cup of Softball 6 in Oklahoma City, where ESPN provided extensive worldwide coverage on TV and via espn3.com. Canada finished third.

August began with the Netherlands wrapping up a successful defense of their European Women’s Championship thanks to a 10-2 victory over Italy in the gold medal game of what was a 20-team tournament. Great Britain finished third as the top three finishers clinched berths in the 2012 ISF Women’s World Championship.

August transitioned to a new month with the 14th World Police & Fire Games taking place in New York and softball (men’s and women’s slow pitch) being on the programme.

September saw Colombia host the VI South American Women’s Championship, with Venezuela successfully defending their title thanks to an 8-1 win over Argentina, who had left the host team with the bronze medals following a 2-0 decision that brought with it a ticket to the gold medal game.

The 10th Asian Women’s Softball Championship took place around that same time, with Japan coming out on top after a victory over Chinese Taipei. A new record was set with 13 countries participating in the event, including Iraq, who was making their Asian Women’s Championship debut. The bronze medalist was China.

In October the XVI Pan American Games were held in Guadalajara, Mexico, with women’s softball (fast pitch) one of the many sports contested. Team USA topped Canada, 11-1, in the gold medal game, with Cuba earning the bronze medals in what was an eight-team field.

Also that month the ISF held its biennial congress. The 25th edition of the event was convened in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, marking the first time in ten years that it took place in the United States. A press release issued upon its conclusion recapped the many days of meetings.

The SEA Games men's softball champs, the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Softball Confederation of Asia)

The next month was very busy for the sport back on the field.

Both men’s and women’s softball were once again played at the (26th) Southeast Asian Games, which this time took place in Palembang, Indonesia. The Philippines won the gold medals in both divisions, with the other top three finishers being Indonesia (silver) and Singapore (bronze) on the men’s side, and Thailand (silver) and Indonesia (bronze) in women’s play.

With a 9-3 victory over defending champion Brazil, host Venezuela won the X South American Jr. Women’s Softball Championship (age 17-and-under fast pitch) in mid-November.

Venezuela successfully defended its title in (female) fast pitch softball at the III Central American and Caribbean Scholar Games in Panama. The champions earned the top spot by way of a 7-4 victory over Belize. Four other countries participated at the multi-sport event for age 15-17 student-athletes who are currently enrolled in school.

And, El Salvador won the VII Central American Jr. Men’s Softball Championship (age 23-and-under) that took place in the latter part of November in Nicaragua by defeating Guatemala, 4-3. The host country finished third.

In early December, Australia and Samoa earned berths in the next ISF Men’s World Championship (2013 in New Zealand) thanks to their first and second place finishes, respectively, at the Oceania Men’s Qualifier in Canberra, Australia. Finishing third and missing out on a spot in the ISF event was Papua New Guinea.

Just a few days later came the start of the ISF IX Jr. Women’s World Championship (age 19-and-under fast pitch). Fifteen countries competed in the eleven-day tournament in Cape Town, South Africa. Team USA got a grand slam home run to catapult them to a 4-1 win over Japan and a successful defense of their 2007 title. Chinese Taipei finished third.

See you at a tournament in 2012!