Softball in the Australian Capital Territory

Last updated

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.

Contents

History and governance

A club semifinal game between two ACT based teams Australia v Japan Game 7 152.JPG
A club semifinal game between two ACT based teams

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 territory. [1] Softball was being played in the Australian Capital Territory by the mid-1950s with the sport being heavily influenced by the community in Queanbeyan and elsewhere in New South Wales. When efforts began to try to create a territory-based organisation in the mid-1950s, they initially tried to have Queanbeyan included inside the ACT as the two are very close geographically, with teams from the area competing against each other. [2] In 1960, the national association investigated whether or not a territory based association could be accepted into the national organisation based on the constitution. They sent the question to the organisation's lawyers to attempt to resolve the query. The following year, women from the ACT were informally admitted while they awaited a legal answer. [2] In 1961, the Australian Capital Territory state softball federation aligned itself with the Australian Women's Softball Council. [3] [4] In 1971, there were 27 teams affiliated with the territory organisation, 169 in 1975, 175 in 1976, 208 in 1977, 267 in 1978, 350 in 1983 and 338 in 1984. [5]

Participation

The state association is involved with Softball Australia's Play Ball programme and is working to increase junior participation in the sport in the territory. [6] In order to grow indigenous Australian participation, a programme has been set up in the territory called whISPers which make it easier for people to participate in the sport. [7]

National championships

Gilleys Shield

The ACT team getting introduced before a friendly against Japan in March 2012 in Canberra ACT vs Japan test 2 324.JPG
The ACT team getting introduced before a friendly against Japan in March 2012 in Canberra

The territory hosted the Mack Gilley Shield in Canberra in 1965. [3] Between 1947 and 1968, the Territory did not win the Mack Gilley Shield. [3] [8] They finally broke their losing streak by winning in 1978, 1979 and 1980. [8] They did not win again between 1981 and 1994. [8] Women's open team members who represented the Australian Capital Territory at the 2011 Mack Gilley Shield include Brenda De Blaes. [9] Women's open team members who represented the Australian Capital Territory at the 2012 Mack Gilley Shield include Brenda De Blaes. [10]

Players from the ACT

National team representatives

Members of the 2011 Australia women's national softball team from the Australian Capital Territory include Brenda De Blaes, [9] Clare Warwick [11] and Aimee Murch. [12] Members of the 2012 Australia women's national softball team from the Australian Capital Territory include Brenda De Blaes and Aimee Murch. [11]

Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holders

The Australian Institute of Sport first awarded softball scholarships in 1993, after the 1991 announcement that softball would be included on the programme for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Since then, several competitors from this territory have been awarded scholarships including Sally McDermid in 1993. [13]

American university players

Some softball players from this territory have played softball for American universities, which depleted the level of high-quality players available for local, state and international competitions. They include Joanne Alchin who played for the University of California at Los Angeles starting in 1991. [14]

Aboriginal participation

On 23 March 2012, a youth girls aboriginal team from the territory participated in an exhibition match against New South Wales before the announcement of a national programme to increase aboriginal participation in the sport of softball. [15]

Men's softball

In 1982, there were 0 men's open teams in the Australian Capital Territory. [16]

Related Research Articles

Softball Australia

Australia's softball history began in 1939 when Gordon Young, Director of Physical Education in NSW, began to promote the game in schools and colleges. In 1942, during World War II, US army sergeant William Duvernet organised softball as a recreation for US nurses stationed in Victoria. Another American, Mack Gilley, introduced the game to Queensland in 1946. Australia's first inter-state championship was played in Brisbane in 1947 and was won by Victoria. The second national championship was held in Melbourne two years later. It was at this championship that the Australian Softball Federation was formed with Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales being the founding members. The other States of Australia have since joined. Eight Australian Championships are now conducted each year - Women's, Men's, Under 23 Women and Men, Under 19 Women and Men, and Under 16 Girls and Boys. Softball has been a major sport in the schools program for some time now and it is estimated that more than 250,000 children play the game each year.

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

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

Softball at the Summer Olympics

Softball at the Summer Olympics was on the Olympic programme from 1996 to 2008. It was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Softball was removed from the programme for 2012 and 2016, but was added, along with baseball, for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Softball in Australia is played in Australia.

Brenda De Blaes Australian softball player

Brenda De Blaes is an Australian softball player. She resides in Canberra where she plays club softball and represents the territory in national competitions. She is a member of the Australia women's national softball team and has competed at the 2009 World Cup and the 2010 World Cup of Softball. She is vying for a spot on the team that will compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships.

Aimee Murch Australian softball player

Aimee Murch is an Australian softball player. She plays for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in national competitions, and for a local ACT club. She plays for the Australia women's national softball team. She is trying to earn a spot on the roster that will allow her to compete at the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Championships. She plays professional softball in Italy for Nuoro.

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 Western Australia.

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 softball 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.

The Virgin Islands men's national softball team is the top men's softball team for the territory of the Virgin Island.

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.

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

References

  1. ↑ 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 Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "Safe Hits". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 22–50.
  3. 1 2 3 Pollard, Jack (1968). AMPOL book of Australian Sporting Records. Sydney: The Pollard Publishing Co. pp. 273–274. OCLC   71140.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Embrey, Lynn (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. 163. 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 3 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. 1 2 "Canberra Times: Canberrans in pitch for national selection". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia: Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 14 May 2011. WCTS87588650. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Might of WA no match for Canberra in Aust title battle". Canberratimes.com.au. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Australian Open Women's Squad 2012". Australia: Softball Australia. 24 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "Canberra Times: Diamonds could lose chance to sparkle". Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia: Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  13. ↑ Embrey, Lynn; Australian Softball Federation (1995). "The Olympics". Batter up! : the history of softball in Australia. Bayswater, Vic.: Australian Softball Federation. pp. 152–156.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ Rees, Courtney (24 March 2012). "Chasing indigenous talent". Canberra Times. Canberra, Australia. p. Sports, 14.
  16. ↑ 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].

See also

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.