Softball Australia recognises that our members are seeking further information about the change being implemented at the Under 14 level in the sport. 

Accordingly, please find below more details about the new Under 14 National Camp. 

As announced on Monday, Softball Australia will work with States and Territories to identify talented Under 14 athletes from around the country and bring them into a National Camp environment. 

Up to 20 athletes from each state will be invited to attend the Camp. States with a larger selection pool, as determined by Softball Australia, will be provided with the option to select more athletes to attend. 

The Camp will involve a mixture of skill development, game sense, education, conditioning, nutrition, leadership, culture, and teamwork. 

The Camp will be led by past and current players from the elite-level men’s and women’s programs, as well as Australian coaches, strength and conditioning coaches from the AIS, nutrition specialists, and guest speakers. 

As with the National Championships, players will also get the opportunity to meet athletes from other states, and the Camps will be both a positive learning experience and a competitive environment, with athletes involved in full games and game-like scenarios. 

The Camp environment means more athletes get to play more softball more often compared to a National Championship event, and athletes in Camps are also exposed to specialised coaching and information that they would not otherwise receive at the National Championships. 

In this context, the Camp will improve the overall skill base of all athletes and allow us to better identify and fast-track the development of talented players, building a stronger foundation for future representative teams. 

The 2023 Under 14s National Camp will be held in Queensland for both male and female athletes, with more details to be announced as they become available.