An overview from Clare Humberstone, Softball Australia National Pathways Manager

I started my role as National Pathways Manager shortly before Christmas and have enjoyed the opportunity to meet many members of the softball community by attending the 2023 National Championships. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to say hello.

The aim of the Softball Australia High-Performance and Pathways Program is to identify, develop and support players with the potential to be World Cup winners, now and into the future. My role is to develop and implement our strategy to achieve that, and I’ll be capitalising on the wisdom, insights and energies from people across the sport to do so.

Throughout January and February, I have been working with Laing Harrow and other members of the Softball Australia team to plan the high-performance calendar in detail for the next 6-12 months, with a view to a longer-term strategy and calendar being developed in the coming months.

Here's an update on the squads, teams and events for 2023.

Announcement of high-performance squads

Over the course of the 2023 National Championships, Softball Australia’s national scouts watched all the action with a view to identifying players performing at a high standard now, and those with the potential to become high performers in the future. For the first time, we also asked all players in the female pathway to complete some basic physical tests that complement the observations of the scouts and feed into the selection process.

We will be naming two squads for each gender; the Elite Player Development Squad (EPDS), which includes those over the age of 18, and the Talent Development Squad (TDS) for players selected from the Under-18 and Under-16 National Championships.

The selection of these squads is currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.

Women’s Program

July 2023 will be the focus of international competition for the women’s program this year. An Aussie Spirit team will compete in the WBSC Open Women’s World Cup Group Stage in Dublin, Ireland on 11–15 July.

We will also enter pathways teams into the Canada Cup in Surrey, Canada on 10–16 July; 1-2 age-group teams and an Australia A team.

Selections for these tournaments will take place in late April 2023. The players eligible for selection will be those who are announced in the EPDS or TDS, or by exception, other players who are performing outstandingly in overseas college or professional competitions in 2023. Selections will consider several factors, including; performances at the 2023 National Championships, performances in overseas competitions in 2022 & 2023, as well as insights gained about the players’ current form and long-term potential from a training camp which will take place 15–20 April at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

All players named in the women’s squads will be invited to come to a training camp at AIS between 15–20 April. This will be two four-day camps that overlap by a day in the middle; 15–18 April for the Elite Player Development Squad and 17–20 April for the Talent Development Squad. Players who are based overseas and unable to attend are eligible for selection, with their current performance in competition being taken into consideration.

The aims of these camps are to provide an inspiring environment for players of different ages to train and compete together, and to identify players’ strengths and areas for improvement that will become the basis of their 2023 individual development plans.

Men’s Program

The highlight of 2022 was Gold for the Aussie Steelers in the WBSC Men’s World Cup. In 2023 it’s time for our younger male players to gain international competitive exposure, and a chance for them to test themselves against the best in the world.

Our team for the WBSC Men’s Under-23 World Cup has been announced and have started their team preparations. It has been only a short time since the WBSC announced that the event would be rescheduled to take place in Argentina in April 2023, after the cancellation of the 2022 event, and the team coaches and staff are doing a fantastic job to support the team to prepare for their best performance.

Junior Steelers head coach Adam Rindfleish will be leading the national U19 men’s program, supporting 17-19 year-old players in the TDS with a training program to help their continued development. There has been no update yet from WBSC about whether there will be an Under-18 Men's World Cup. As soon as Softball Australia receives a confirmed competition date from WBSC, it will be passed onto the community.

Moving Forward

The Softball Australia high-performance pathways team have a busy and exciting six months ahead of us, with plenty of work going on to support players with their ongoing development. I’m looking forward to meeting all the players and coaches in the coming months and understanding how I can best support you to achieve your goals.

Clare Humberstone
National Pathways Manager