by BaseballSoftballUK, www.baseballsoftballuk.com
GB Women’s Team selection announced at GB Softball Awards Evening
More than 80 people attended the first annual GB Softball Awards Evening at Twickenham Rugby Stadium on Saturday evening, March 6, where awards were presented to players throughout the GB fastpitch programmes.
In addition, the GB Women’s Team that will compete at World Championships this summer was announced by Head Coach Hayley Scott, the player pool from which the GB Junior (Under-19) Team will be chosen for European Championships this summer was announced by Head Coach Stan Doney and a number of awards were presented for outstanding services to British fastpitch.
Newly-elected BSF General Officer Vicky Hall, one of the key organizers for the event, said: “It was a real celebration of what the GB fastpitch teams achieved in 2009.”
GB WOMEN’S TEAM
Sixteen players who will compete for Great Britain in the 12th ISF Women’s Fastpitch World Championships in Caracas, Venezuela this summer have been selected by GB Women’s Fastpitch Team Head Coach Hayley Scott, who announced the squad during the Awards Evening.
Teams are allowed 17 players on their roster, and Hayley has also named a number of reserve players who will be invited to travel with the team to a training camp in Florida preceding the World Championships. It will be possible for one of those reserve players to earn a chance to become the 17th player for Venezuela.
The World Championship team will be:
Leah English
Karlene Headley-Cooper
Billie Ivanoski
Amber Jackson
Naomi Jones
Sarah Jones
Natalie Leyland
Ali Parkerson
Morgan Parkerson
Steph Pearce
Caley Roberts
Laura Thompson*
Stacie Townsend
Rachael Watkeys
Kirsten Whitt
Kristi Yoshizawa
Reserve players who will be invited to the training camp in Florida are:
Carling Hale
Victoria Keswick
Sara Robb
Laura Thompson*
Amy Wells
* There are two Laura Thompsons in the GB player pool; the one selected as a reserve is a member of the GB Junior squad.
GB JUNIOR POOL
The GB Junior (Under-19) Women’s Team will compete in European Championships in Vienna from July 25-31, with the ambitious goal of a top-three finish and qualification for Junior World Championships next year in South Africa.
With an encouraging number of players in that age group to choose from, GB Junior Head Coach Stan Doney announced a 21-player pool at the Awards Evening that will be cut to down to a final roster of 17 early in May. The final choice will be made from:
Chantelle Baker
Gabie Clark
Claire Ferris
Carling Hale
Susie Hall
Chloe Hodge
Saskia Johnson
Vicky Keswick
Kirsten Mack
Charlotte Morgan
Ali Parkerson
Ellie Pamenter
Steph Pearce
Kelly Randall
Linda Randall
Sara Robb
JJ Rushworth
Louisa Scott
Fiona Taylor
Amy Wells
Charlotte Wells
2009 PLAYER AWARDS
GB Fastpitch Softball player awards for achievements during a busy and successful 2009 season were awarded for each team.
The program has five teams in total: the GB Women and GB Men’s Teams, and then three female fastpitch teams at Junior (Under-19), Cadette (Under-16) and Minime (Under-13) age levels.
In 2009, the GB Women’s Team finished second in European Championships – their best-ever result – and qualified for World Championships; the GB Men’s Team competed in World Championships, made the playoff round and finished eighth; and the GB Cadette Team staged a wonderful rally in their final game to finish fifth in the European Cadette Championships.
The GB Junior and GB Minime Teams were not in official competition in 2009, but both will be competing in European Championships this year.
The awards were:
GB Women’s Team
Most Valuable Player
Stacie Townsend
Top Batter
Leah English
Top Fielder
Caley Roberts
Top Pitcher
Stacie Townsend
Most Promising Player
Morgan Parkerson
Most Improved Players
Amber Jackson
Rachael Watkeys
Players’ Player
Stacie Townsend
