Softball in Western Australia

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Softball is played in Western Australia.

History and governance

Softball saw a "benefit" in the bombing of Darwin and the inclusion of Australia in World War II in terms of bringing in American military personnel who brought softball with them to this state. [1] In 1950, the Western Australia state softball federation aligned itself with the Australian Women's Softball Council. [2] [3] Up to twenty games a Saturday were being played at Langley Park by the Esplanade in Perth in 1955. [1] After the failure of getting softball on the 1956 Olympic programme, an attempt was made by Western Australians to get softball included on the schedule at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games that were going to be held in Perth. Empire Games organisers did not support this as they allowed neither team sports, nor demonstration sports at the Games. [4] In 1971, there were 66 teams affiliated with the state organisation, 92 in 1975, 110 in 1976, 224 in 1977, 261 in 1978, 547 in 1983 and 714 in 1984. [5]

World War II 1939–1945, between Axis and Allies

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. They were held after the 1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games for wheelchair athletes.

Contents

Participation

The state association is involved with Softball Australia's Play Ball programme and is working to increase junior participation in the sport in their state. [6] In order to grow indigenous Australian participation, targeted outreach is being done in remote indigenous communities including in Binjari, Kalkaringi, Timber Creek and Borroloola all in the Katherine Region. [7]

The Binjari Community Government Council was a local government area in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located 15 minutes from Katherine, Northern Territory

Timber Creek, Northern Territory Town in the Northern Territory, Australia

Timber Creek is an isolated small town on the banks of the Victoria River in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Victoria Highway passes through the town, which is the only significant settlement between the Western Australia border and the town of Katherine to the east. Timber Creek is approximately 600 kilometres (370 mi) south of Darwin, in an area known for its scenic escarpments and Boab trees.

Borroloola Town in the Northern Territory, Australia

Borroloola is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria.

National championships

Gilleys Shield

Western Australia won the Mack Gilley Shield in 1952 and 1953. They did not win in 1954 but won it again in 1955. They missed out in winning from 1956 to 1958, before winning again in 1959. [2] [8] They did not win another championship between 1960 and 1994. [8] The state hosted the Mack Gilley Shield in Perth in 1952, 1957, and 1963. [2]

Gilleys Shield

The Gilleys Shield is a trophy symbolising the Open Women's Championship of the Softball Australia organisation. The competition's full name is the Mack Gilley Shield.

Elinor McKenzie Shield

At the 2007 Australian U-19 Women's Fastpitch Championship, Western Australia lost to New South Wales in the finals. Western Australian Chelsea Forkin was named the competition's most valuable player and best batter. [9]

Elinor McKenzie Shield

The Elinor McKenzie Shield is a trophy symbolizing the Under 19 Women's Championship of Softball Australia.

Chelsea Forkin Australian female softball player

Chelsea Forkin is an Australian softball and baseball player. As a softball player, Chelsea has won 3 Australian National Championship titles with the Western Australian Flames and 1 title with the Queensland Heat. During her baseball career, she competed at the 2003 Under 14 Australian National Baseball Championships, one of only two girls competing. As a 15 year old, she represented Australia at the 2004 Women's Baseball World Series in Uozu, Japan and the Inaugural Women's World Cup of Baseball in Edmonton, Canada. At the age of 16, Chelsea left the sport of baseball to play softball, where she is a utility player. She went on to represent Australia in softball at the junior and senior national level. With the Junior National Team she competed at the 2007 ISF Junior Women's World Championships winning a Bronze Medal. Her first appearance for the Senior National Team was later that year, in a series against China at The Redlands in Queensland. Chelsea's first Senior World Championship appearance was in 2010 in Venezuela, where the Aussie Spirit finished 6th. Chelsea currently has 2 bronze medals from the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships and 2014 ISF Women's World Championships. In 2016, she will be playing for the Dallas Charge in the National Pro Fastpitch League and also representing Australia at the 2016 ISF Women's World Championships in Surrey, Canada.

Players

National team representatives

Members of the 2012 Australia women's national softball team from Western Australia include Verity Long-Droppert, Chelsea Forkin and Leigh Godfrey. [10]

The Australia women's national softball team, also known as the Aussie Spirit, is the national softball team of Australia. It is governed by Softball Australia and takes part in international softball competitions. They are one of Australia's most successful women's sporting teams on the world stage, and they have achieved outstanding results over the last 3 decades. Alongside the USA team, the Aussie Spirit are the only other team to medal at all 4 Olympics that softball was included as a sport in the Olympics program. At the inaugural Women's Softball World Championship held in Melbourne, 1965. Australia claimed the first ever title, winning Gold and stamped themselves as a pioneer in the sport.

Verity Long-Droppert softball player

Verity Long-Droppert is an Australian softball third base man and outfielder. She attended the University of Western Australia. She has held softball scholarships from the Australian Institute of Sport and the Western Australian Institute of Sport. She has represented Australia on the junior and senior levels, and won a bronze medal at the 2007 ISF Junior Women's World Championships. She played professional softball for Baseball Softball Club Legnano.

Leigh Godfrey Australian female softball player

Leigh Melissa Godfrey is an Australian softball player. She played softball for Radford University in the United States. In Australia, she represents Western Australia in national competitions. She has represented Australia on the junior and senior team. She is trying to earn a spot to compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships.

American university players

Some softball players from this state have played softball for American universities, which depleted the level of high quality players available for local, state and international competitions. [11] They include Leigh Godfrey who attended Radford University in starting in 2009. [12]

Radford University university

Radford University is a public university in Radford, Virginia. It is one of the state's eight doctorate-granting public universities. Founded in 1910, Radford offers curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A., M.A., M.S., Ed.S., Psy.D., M.S.W., and specialized doctoral programs in health-related professions.

Men's softball

In 1982, there were 208 men's open teams and 22 junior teams in Western Australia. [13] In 1985, Australia had an unofficial men's test team of all stars who played against the New Zealand national team in Melbourne. Team members from Western Australia included L. Anderson, T. Bull, D. Rector, and G. Knight. [14] In 1991, the Australia men's national softball team played four games of an eight-game test series against the New Zealand team in Perth. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

Softball in Australia is played in Australia.

Softball is played in Queensland .

Softball is played in New South Wales, introduced to the state in 1939. By 1984, there were 1,356 registered teams in New South Wales. Players from Australia have been on the men's and women's national team, had AIS scholarships, played at universities in the United States, and professionally in the USA, Japan and Europe.

Softball is played in the Australian state of Victoria.

Softball is played in Tasmania. The game was brought to the island during the late 1940s from Melbourne, Victoria. The sport would grow in popularity in Tasmania with 56 teams in 1976 to 216 in 1984. Men's softball is not popular in Tasmania. The first softball only facility was built in Tasmania in 1984.

Softball is played in South Australia.

Softball is played in the Australian Capital Territory. The game was influenced early in its history in the territory by Queanbeyan. There are efforts to increase participation in the sport in the ACT. The territory has won the Gilleys Shield three times in a row. Players from Canberra have been on the national team, held Australian Institute of Sport scholarships and played for American universities.

Softball is played in the Northern Territory, Australia.

The Australia men's national softball team is the national softball team of Australia. They are nicknamed the Australian Steelers. The team is governed by Softball Australia and takes part in international softball competitions.

Zimbabwe men's national softball team is the national team for Zimbabwe. The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round. Australia beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in one game in this round.

Chinese Taipei men's national softball team is the national team for Chinese Taipei. The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round. Australia beat Chinese Taipei 2-0 in one game in this round. The 1992 World Championships, the eighth time the event was competed for, was held in Manila. Australia beat Chinese Taipei 9-2 in one game in the first round robin round. They finished with 4 wins and 4 losses. The team competed at the 1996 ISF Men's World Championship in Midland, Michigan where they finished with 4 wins and 6 losses. The team competed at the 2000 ISF Men's World Championship in East London, South Africa where they finished fifteenth.

The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round. Australia beat the Virgin Islands 11-1 in one game in this round.

Cuba men's national softball team represents Cuba in international softball competitions. The team played at the 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. They played 13 games in a round robin tournament, and beat Australia 7-4 in one game.

Guam men's national softball team is the national team for Guam. The 1992 World Championships, the eighth time the event was competed for, was held in Manila. Australia beat Guam 7-2 in one game in the first round robin round.

Indonesia men's national softball team is the national team for Indonesia. The 1992 World Championships, the eighth time the event was competed for, was held in Manila. Australia beat Indonesia 5-4 in one game in the first round robin round. The team competed at the 2009 ISF Men's World Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where they finished sixteenth.

Czechoslovakia men's national softball team is the national team for Czechoslovakia.

Bahamas men's national softball team is the national team for Bahamas. The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round. They finished sixth overall. The team competed at the 1996 ISF Men's World Championship in Midland, Michigan where they finished with 5 wins and 5 losses.

The British Virgin Islands men's national softball team is the national team for the British Virgin Islands. The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round, finishing twelfth overall.

Bermuda men's national softball team is the national team for Bermuda. The 1988 World Championships were held in Saskatoon, Canada. The team played 13 games in the round robin round. They finished thirteenth overall.

References

  1. 1 2 Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Hits and Bunts". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 69–127.
  2. 1 2 3 Pollard, Jack (1968). AMPOL book of Australian Sporting Records. Sydney: The Pollard Publishing Co. pp. 273–274. OCLC   71140.
  3. ↑ Vamplew, Wray; Australian Society for Sports History; Australian Sports Commission (1994). The Oxford companion to Australian sport (2 ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 388–389. ISBN   0195532872. OCLC   27509815.
  4. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "The Olympics". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 152–156.
  5. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Appendix H". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. p. 170.
  6. ↑ "Softball: Softball Australia". A survey of cultural diversity and racism in Australian sport (PDF). Australia: Australian Human Rights Commission. p. 10. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Softball: Softball Australia". A survey of cultural diversity and racism in Australian sport (PDF). Australia: Australian Human Rights Commission. p. 162. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  8. 1 2 Vamplew, Wray; Australian Society for Sports History; Australian Sports Commission (1994). The Oxford companion to Australian sport (2 ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 521. ISBN   0195532872. OCLC   27509815.
  9. ↑ "NSW too strong for gutsy WA". Eastern Reporter. Perth, Australia. 30 January 2007. p. 50. CES_T-20070130-050-150031. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Australian Open Women's Squad 2012". Australia: Softball Australia. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  11. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Scholarships: Softball's "Brain Drain"". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. p. 136.
  12. ↑ "Radford University Athletics - 2009 Softball Roster". Ruhighlanders.com. 26 April 1989. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  13. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Hits and Bunts". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 69–127 [124].
  14. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Appendix R". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 214–215.
  15. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Appendix N". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 194–195.
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