by Baseball Softball UK
The first Farnham Park School Softball Series (FPSSS) concluded with the final round of games between local schools on 19 June, which saw the Challoners Chargers Team One finish as champions. Overall, eight teams took part in the FPSSS, a programme run by BaseballSoftballUK to encourage schools across Buckinghamshire to create and sustain softball clubs. Games were played at Farnham Park in Slough, South Bucks, giving school children from the area an opportunity to play at the country’s premier baseball and softball facility.
The FPSSS, which began on 15 May, was set up with support from Sportivate funding, secured from Bucks and Milton Keynes Sports Partnership to aid the creation of after-school clubs. This included delivering coaching at schools and helping facilitate FPSSS game days.
The quality of the coaching and organisation resulted in a good experience for participants, many of whom were trying softball for the first time. Duncan Fawcett, coach of the Chalfont Centurions (Chalfonts Community College), said, “The FPSSS was great for us as it offered the chance for our students to receive high quality coaching at the same time as playing, which is something that we don’t really offer here.
“It was a really fun atmosphere but quite competitive at the same time, and we were pleased to finish in second position overall.
“The players commented that it was an easy sport to pick up but a challenge to master. As a result, we’re now running a weekly coaching session for softball and will teach this in our PE lessons.”
BSUK’s aim is that the FPSSS becomes an annual event as part of establishing sustainable softball clubs at the schools.