The Softball Australia U-16 Women's Squad recently completed an intensive week-long development camp at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). This camp, which marked a significant step in the squad's development and introduction to the Softball Australia high performance pathway, saw the participation of the talented players who were announced earlier in the year.  

The camp was instrumental in refining the skills and strategies essential for their development. The players participated in daily high-level softball skills sessions with our national coaching group. There were also elements away from the diamond that provided opportunities for the athlete’s education on wellbeing, sports integrity, softball strategy, optimising their training and learning how to do a strength and conditioning that they will follow for the next 6 months. 

Head Coach of the U-16 Women’s Squad, South Australian Amanda Fairley expressed her enthusiasm about the squad's progress, stating, "The development camp at AIS provided an excellent environment for our young athletes to enhance their skills, learn about the high performance environment and build squad cohesion. The determination and hard work demonstrated by each player has been truly commendable, and I am confident that we are moving in the right direction. I look forward to seeing their development over the next stage of their pathway." 

The camp would not have been successful without the invaluable contributions of our assistant coaches, Karyn Dale (SA), Brooke Penfold (VIC), Chris McCabe (WA) and David Waller (QLD) whose expertise and guidance were pivotal in the training sessions throughout the week. Additionally, a special thanks to our team manager, Bec Ireland (QLD), and physio, Stella Kleidon (QLD) for their unwavering support and commitment to the well-being of our players. 

Softball Australia are immensely grateful to the Australian Institute of Sport for providing world class facilities and guidance from staff and a conducive environment for our development camp. A heartfelt thank you also goes to the Adrian Dart and the Canberra Cavalry Baseball Club for hosting our squad at their indoor venue when wet weather became a challenge for the camp; this greatly contributed to the overall success of our training sessions. 

Softball Australia’s National Pathways Manager, Clare Humberstone, emphasised the significance of this camp, noting, "This development camp represents the beginning of these athletes' journey into high-performance softball. It is crucial to lay solid foundation of their skills, understanding of the game, and the culture of excellence that defines Australian softball. After the camp, we will continue to support these players in their development as the summer softball season draws near. What we want to see is these players applying what they have learned to their every-day training and games. It is the hard work that players put in every day in their school, club and rep team trainings that will help them fulfill their potential over time.”