Development
2012 Season
Starting up again this year will be the Junior Development training sessions. These training sessions are open to all secondary age pupils. The team of coaches welcomes anyone, no matter what gender or experience they have. The training sessions take place on the lower softball diamond at Beau Sejour behind the netball courts.
Sessions will run every week on Monday nights from 18:00 – 19:30 starting on 30th April.
Why Choose Softball? Softball is able to offer you a team sport where you will play in both the offense (batting) and the defense (fielding). Being a team sport, you will meet and interact with like-minded people of a similar age. The sport will provide you with the opportunity to greatly develop your athletic abilities and your level of fitness. Running is always a part of the sport as are the fundamentals of Throwing, Catching and Batting.
Softball is a great sport for developing good hand/eye and over-all co-ordination. It is also a tactical sport so there are not just physical challenges, there are mental as well. These will present themselves to you as an individual, but also together as a team. With a little bit of time, your efforts will bring you rewards. Dane, along with the coaches, are approachable and on-hand to offer advice and correct tutoring in order that you can be your best…. and of course to ensure that you take full enjoyment from the sport.
More than 20 million girls, boys, women and men in over 127 countries enjoy softball. Softball was derived from the popular American national pass-time of Baseball and was initially conceived as an indoor version of Baseball. The sport eventually developed into a faster game and as technology improved it was forced to become an outdoor sport. You would be excused for believing that, as the name suggests, “Softball” is played using a “soft” ball. The term “Softball” is what the original indoor game was conceived as, in order to differentiate it from the game of Baseball, which back then was actually known as “Hardball”. An official outdoor softball is not soft!
Click An Idiots guide to Softball for more information!
Keep up to date with all current training news by calling the GSA hotline – 12084. Any queries or for further information do not hesitate to contact Dane Le Page (Development Officer).
2010 Season
The Junior Development training sessions are underway and are open to all secondary age pupils. The team of coaches welcomes anyone, no matter what gender or experience they have. The training sessions take place on the lower softball diamond at Beau Sejour behind the netball courts.
Sessions will run every week on Monday nights from 18:00 – 19:45 until the 31st August.
Keep up to date with all current training news by calling the GSA hotline – 12084.
2009 News
Foreword
2009 saw for the first time, the Guernsey Softball Association appoint a Development Officer. The position has been established primarily to encourage the participation of Islands youths in our sport. Sam Stables (Softball Development Officer & PE Teacher at Les Beaucamps High) has volunteered to put on training sessions on a weekly basis throughout the pre-season & playing season schedule. Sam is receiving valued assistance from Island players Paula Mahy and Curt Taylor, whose knowledge and experience span many years.
Sam will also be working closely with Guernsey schools in order to improve the quality of coaching and playing opportunities available to the pupils whilst they are going through schooling. This will be done through coaching sessions and annual tournaments which are held for both boys and girls.
Getting Involved
The Junior Development training sessions are open to all secondary age pupils and the team of coaches welcomes anyone, no matter what gender or experience they have. Sessions will continue to run every week on Monday nights from 18:00 – 19:45 during the period, between 1st April and 31st August. Sessions will take place on the lower softball diamond at Beau Sejour behind the netball courts.
The possibility for winter indoor development sessions are currently being investigated and more information will be available as soon as possible. Keep a check on the GSA website for updates. Any queries or for further information do not hesitate to contact Sam Stables (Development Officer).
Why Choose Softball?
Softball is able to offer you a team sport where you will play in both the offense (batting) and the defense (fielding). Being a team sport, you will meet and interact with like-minded people of a similar age. The sport will provide you with the opportunity to greatly develop your athletic abilities and your level of fitness. Running is always a part of the sport as are the fundamentals of Throwing, Catching and Batting.
Softball is a great sport for developing good hand/eye and over-all co-ordination. It is also a tactical sport so there are not just physical challenges, there are mental as well. These will present themselves to you as an individual, but also together as a team. With a little bit of time, your efforts will bring you rewards. Sam, along with the coaches, are approachable and on-hand to offer advice and correct tutoring in order that you can be your best…. and of course to ensure that you take full enjoyment from the sport.
More than 20 million girls, boys, women and men in over 127 countries enjoy softball. Softball was derived from the popular American national pass-time of Baseball and was initially conceived as an indoor version of Baseball. The sport eventually developed into a faster game and as technology improved it was forced to become an outdoor sport. You would be excused for believing that, as the name suggests, “Softball” is played using a “soft” ball. The term “Softball” is what the original indoor game was conceived as, in order to differentiate it from the game of Baseball, which back then was actually known as “Hardball”. An official outdoor softball is not soft!
Team Success In 2009
Thanks to the hard work of the Development Officer and his coaching team, the 2009 Youth Development programme has been a great success. Due to the incredible response and popularity of the development/training sessions, we were able to find a sponsor to further enhance the development programme. A massive thank you must go to the team at VWT who agreed to sponsor a Guernsey Softball Development Team, which was formerly named the VWT Cubs.
The team was picked from the youths who attended the development/training sessions and was entered into the Open Recreational Slowpitch Tournament that took place in June. Due to the hard training put in and the commitment of the team the VWT Cubs managed to surprise everyone and reach the final of the tournament, which consisted of experienced adult teams, where they very narrowly lost, but never stopped battling. This could not have been possible without the sponsorship from VWT and due to such success we have now secured a three-year deal, which will allow a team to enter into future tournaments and also the league structure. Once again a massive thanks to the sponsor VWT.
Individual Success In 2009
All of the players have demonstrated that softball is an enjoyable sport and that relative success can be achieved with a little bit of hard work and some patience. I would also like to give mention to the success of individuals.
James Brehaut (aged 17) who went on to represent Guernsey in the Muratti B success in September in front of a sizeable home crowd. James hit at least one home run and made some incredible plays at Short-stop.
Jordan Gallienne (aged 15) the VWT Cubs team captain was signed for a local league team as was able to contribute to their team for the final nine weeks of the season, picking up some valuable knowledge from some experienced players.
Both James and Jordan will definitely be ones to watch out for in the future… watch this space for those who will follow in their footsteps.
School Success In 2009
Les Beaucamps High is no stranger to softball and their organisation of an inter-school tournament has been running successfully for at least four years, and a great thanks should be afforded to Nick Roberts and Duncan Flint for their role in establishing the event, which Sam is now involved in.
Success this year went to Les Beaucamps High and the Grammar school. The annual Les Beaucamps High end of season tournament was a big hit with the island schools and this year due to an increased popularity, an expansion into four tournaments was required to take place. Consistent batting and fielding saw the Year 7/8 mixed (Co-ed) tournament won convincingly by Les Beaucamps High along with the boy’s Year 7/8 tournament.
Les Beaucamps’ dominance continued in the Year 10/11 mixed tournament where they once again took the win untroubled by their opponents. It was not to be a clean sweep though as their closest rivals throughout the week, the Grammar School, were to have their day. This came on the final afternoon following some big hitting from the Grammar boys, which saw them smash their way to victory and break the hearts of the Les Beaucamps faithful.
All in all 2009 was a great success for junior softball on the island and we hope, with more and more interest being gained, such success will continue in the years to come. This will only be possible with the continued dedication and commitment from all those involved.
