SOFTBALL AUSTRALIA UMPIRING MAGAZINE

OCTOBER 2016 EDITION

Blues News Online The official Softball Australia

National Umpiring Committee Publication. Published Since 2001

Softball Australia

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National Umpiring Committee NATIONAL UMPIRE IN CHIEF Operations Tricia Sibraa (QLD) UMPIRE IN CHIEF Communications Scott Rindfleish (NSW) UMPIRE IN CHIEF Development Debbie Grove (VIC) UMPIRE IN CHIEF Technical Leigh Evans (VIC)

NUC Staff Members

COMMUNICATIONS Richard Barrow (VIC) Jesse Smith (NSW) DEVELOPMENT Kyira Cox (NSW) Ron Houison (NSW) OPERATIONS Krissi Travers (NSW) TECHNICAL Jason Carter (VIC) Darrell Shephard (NSW)

State Director’s of Umpiring Australian Capital Territory Mark Gallagher New South Wales Scott Rindfleish Queensland Darren Sibraa South Australia Neville Lawrance Tasmania Wayne Clarke Victoria Trevor Murphy Western Australia Roy Cox

Contents Calendar of Events Softball Australia – Umpire of the Year

International Q&A with Travelling Australian International Umpires

National

Softball Australia Annual Conference and National Umpires Meeting State

Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Queensland Victoria Western Australia

Calendar of Events 02 Dec 2016 – 04 Dec 2016 Canberra Skins

02 Jan 2017 - 08 Jan 2017 U17 Girls’ National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

02 Jan 2017 - 08 Jan 2017 Open Women’s National Softball Championship, Blacktown, NSW

02 Jan 2017 - 07 Jan 2017 U17 Boys’ National Softball Championship, Hawker, ACT

09 Jan 2017 - 14 Jan 2017 Open Men’s National Softball Championship, Hawker, ACT

15 Jan 2017 - 21 Jan 2017 U15 Girls’ Regional Softball Championship, Mirrabooka, WA

15 Jan 2017 - 21 Jan 2017 U19 Women’s National Softball Championship, Mirrabooka, WA

15 Jan 2017 - 21 Jan 2017 U15 Boys’ Regional Softball Championship, Redlands, Qld

15 Jan 2017 - 21 Jan 2017 U19 Men’s National Softball Championship, Redlands, Qld

19 Jul 2017 - 22 Jul 2017 U23 Men’s National Softball Championship, Redlands, Qld

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Celebrating Excellence UMPIRE OF THE YEAR – KYIRA COX

Kyira Cox, a former softball player who turned her hand to umpiring, has been named the 2016 winner of the Vivienne Triplett Award.

Cox’s umpiring career reached an elite level in recent years, culminating in her appointment at the 2016 Open Women’s World Championship in Canada, in which she umpired in the gold medal game.

Last year she also umpired in the gold medal game of the Junior Girls’ World Championship in Oklahoma City.

The Vivienne Triplett Award was introduced in 1995 to recognise outstanding contributions to umpiring. This Award was incorporated into the Softball Australia Awards of Excellence when they were introduced in 2002.

Having been a high-level player before turning to umpiring, Cox draws on her playing experience and the relationship she has with players and coaches.

She has a strong focus on all fitness and physical activity and the culture it develops in all its areas from family activities, to recreational fitness and competitive sport at all levels.

Cox is keen to explore all initiatives both on and off the field, as well as giving of her time and experiences to assist umpires around her to further develop their umpiring skills.

She has also worked within the National Umpiring Committee as a Staff Member of the Communications team, taking on the lead role when the position became vacant and assisted handing over to the newly appointed UIC. Kyira then took on a staff member position within the Umpire Development Stream.

Cox has been active at National Championships, where she has worked as both umpire and assessor, striving to assist developing umpires to improve their performances.

She continues to be active within NSW where she assists at clinics and academy sessions as a trainer. She has also held positions on the NSW Umpires Committee as the public relations, communications and umpire development member.

Cox is also heavily involved at NSW State Championships, filling numerous roles as TCU, Deputy TCU and assessor at many events. She continues to give freely of her time to assist in the development of umpires at local, state and national level where she shares her experiences and talents to further develop the standard of umpiring in NSW and in her new home in Canberra.

KYIRA COX - UMPIRE - MAJOR EVENTS

COX TAKES OUT NATIONAL AWARD

NSW UMPIRES ASSOCIATION - NEWS ARTICLE NSW umpire Kyira Cox has been named the Softball Australia 2016 ‘Vivienne Triplett’ Umpire of the Year.

This award recognises Cox’s outstanding efforts on and off the diamond in recent times, which include two World Championship appointments, the XI World Cup and various off-diamond roles.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be appointed to two WBSC World Championships in recent years. To be appointed to the Gold Medal games at both championships was a real honour and something I’ll never forget,” Cox said.

“I really loved every part of my tours overseas. Meeting umpires and working with different crews and teams from across the world has been a real highlight of my umpiring career to date.”

Off the diamond Cox has also been just as busy, fulfilling various development, communication and other administrative roles at the local, state and national levels.

“Softball has given me so much over the years and I’ve always been willing to give back in any way I can. My roles on the Softball Australia National Umpiring Committee and state-based executives have always been a way I’ve been able help the umpiring programme.”

“I’ve particularly loved mentoring junior umpires and working with the national committee on development and communication projects; something I hope to continue in the future.”

Scott Rindfleish, the NSW State Director of Umpiring and a former recipient of the award, congratulated Cox on her outstanding achievement.

“Kyira has achieved remarkable success on and off the diamond in 2015/2016. She has also contributed significantly to Softball NSW events. Kyira served as Tournament Chief Umpire at the Over 35s State Championships and as Deputy Tournament Chief Umpire at the Open Women’s State Championship and U17 State Championships. She was appointed Plate Umpire of the Championship Game at the Open Women’s and U19 Women’s State Championships.”

“Off the diamond, Kira’s contributions to the Softball NSW Umpires’ Association and the National Umpiring Committee have been exemplary. Her base in Canberra has not prevented her from donating her many skills and talents to the umpiring programme at the state and national levels,” Rindfleish said.

Cox now joins the company of Australia’s most esteemed umpires who have been honoured with the Vivienne Triplett Umpire of the Year Award.

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Left: Kyira Cox in action at the World Cup. Right: World Cup XI Gold Medal Game Umpiring Crew

INTERNATIONAL

Q&A WITH OUR TRAVELLING UMPIRES The National Umpiring Committee is proud and excited to celebrate the successful umpiring travels of seven Australian umpires in 2016. With a BNOL first, we present a Q&A session with all our travelling umpires. Readers can hear from umpires first hand about their experiences on and off the diamond as well as cultural and travel highlights. It is interesting to read about the similarities and differences between seven events hosted across three continents. Congratulations to all umpires and thank you for sharing your experiences with our BNOL readers.

Richard Barrow

David Casey

Kyira Cox

Warren Duff

Leanne Gearside

Amanda Houison

Trevor Murphy

Richard Barrow WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship

David Casey

European Super Cup Men Kyira Cox

World Cup of Softball XI WBSC Open Women’s World Championships

Warren Duff

Japan Cup Leanne Gearside

European Premiere Cup Women Trevor Murphy

European Championship Men Amanda Houison

World Cup of Softball XI WBSC Open Women’s World Championships

RICHARD BARROW (Victoria)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball event. WBSC 2016 XI Junior Men’s World Championships. First held in 1981, Australia won four consecutive world titles at this tournament in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2008. The tournament was held at Blacktown in 2001, where the Australian team went undefeated on their way to securing the Gold medal. Where was the event hosted? Held in Midland, Michigan USA at historic Currie Stadium within Emerson Park; the park is a beautiful green oasis beside the Tittabawassee River. Midland is the home of the Dow Chemical Corporation, and this area of Michigan, a few hours north of Detroit, is still a hub of automotive industries, so we saw many classic cars. Tell us about the Umpiring Crew, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. UIC: Bob Stanton (Canada), DUIC’s: Kevin Ryan (USA) and Vincent Maoeng (South Africa). Umpires: Richard Barrow (Australia), Abel Mataboge (Botswana), Darren Gerrior (Canada), Mike Morrisey (Canada), Jiri Dostal (Czech Republic), Florian Lautenschlaeger (Germany), Brian Aron (Israel), Toyomatsu Tabinuki (Japan), Abel Chapa (Mexico), Dave Fortin (NZ), Tony Kaiaruna (NZ), Luis Ocasio Arroyo (Peurto Rico), James Connors (USA), Jerry Norris (USA), Kevin Wallace (USA), Sean Wells (USA). Liaisons: Rick Havercroft, Mike Clark. I had previously worked twice with Dave and Tony at New Zealand tournaments and with Sean at the Canadian International last year. The majority of the crew were working their first WBSC World Championship. In the Aussie tradition I managed to quickly get everyone using nicknames, and we had lots of laughs using Translator apps on our phones to communicate with Tabi.

What were some of the highlights? Highlight #1: being appointed to officiate at 3B on the gold medal game. Highlight #2: working the plate on a playoff game between USA and Canada. Highlight #3: spending time with the Aussie players, coaches and team management pre-tournament in Milverton Ontario Canada, seeing the detailed level of their preparation and getting to know the guys. Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? Spending time with my billet hosts in Milverton and teaching their granddaughters some Aussie lingo. Getting myself in and out of a fairly rough area of suburban Detroit. Negotiating four pieces of luggage through multiple airports and other modes of transport. How things were similar to softball as played in Australia? The strike zone is the same, the language of the game is the same, and umpires operate in the same fashion. How was the softball different to in Australia? Using the 20-second pitch clock was new, and having in-game commentary at the stadium is rare in Australia. What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? Self-belief, the need to give yourself an internal reminder that you are here because you are good enough to be here, so now go and do your thing. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? The really strong bonds of friendship made with some of the other umps that have continued after the tournament. Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? Instilling confidence that lofty goals can be achieved, they take time and hard work, and there might be setbacks along the way that require a reset, but the goals are attainable.

DAVID CASEY (Queensland)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball event. 2016 European Super Cup Men’s – The tournament was conducted from 29 August to 3 September. It is the premier men’s club competition in Europe, with each team supplemented with a number of international players. Where was the event hosted? The tournament was held in Azzano Decimo. Azzano Decimo is a small township in the northeast of Italy and is about 1 hour out of Venice. It has a population of about 14,000. The unique aspect of this tournament was that 1 softball diamond was located at Azzano, with games also being conducted in other towns in northeast Italy, including Staranzano, Castions della Mura and Cervignano. These towns were each about an hour’s drive out from Azzano. Tell us about the Umpiring Crew, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. The tournament was staffed by 18 umpires. For most days, the crew was split up and travelled to the various venues. So you would start umpiring with your 3 man group, and just rotate within that group. Most days we were umpiring 3 games a day. The head umpire in chief was Pavel Prachar and deputy umpire in chief being Joeri Tobback. Umpires were from all over Europe. What were some of the highlights? It was great to officiate games involving people from different countries. The opportunity to umpire elite softball involving players from throughout the world was wonderful. It was also fun to catch up with other umpires from throughout Europe. There is definitely only 1 degree of separation within the umpiring fraternity. I think everyone that whenever I talked to someone at the tournament we had shared friends.

Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? This tournament provided an opportunity to meet umpires from Europe. It was great to talk about the game and umpiring with people from different cultures. (It is amazing that no matter where you are from, the culture of the game and officiating is still primarily the same). I was also able to spend some time in Venice as a tourist before and after the tournament. How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? Umpiring in Europe is very similar to that in Australia. Whilst umpires did not go out on fly balls when using the 3 umpire system, the rotations were the same. From the first game, it was very easy to fit into their umpiring systems. How was the softball different to in Australia? The obvious difference being that for the majority of the participants, English isn’t the primary language. Therefore it was important to remember this when communicating with participants. Also as mentioned previously, when using a 3 umpire system umpires do not go out for fly balls What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? It was great to discuss softball with people from different countries and cultures. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? Making friendships with umpires from different countries. Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? I would be able to discuss how umpiring is very similar regardless where you are from. It shows, by example, opportunities that are available as part of the umpiring program and that opportunities are virtually limitless for umpires at home.

KYIRA COX (New South Wales)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball events. XI World Cup of Softball XV Softball Women’s World Championship Where were the events hosted? XI World Cup of Softball – Softball City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA – these grounds are the home of softball. Something significant about these diamonds is that they all have a concrete / brick wall behind the home plate and all have diamond tarps stored on the diamond. Diamond 1 has a tornado bunker built underneath the grandstand that is accessible through each team dugouts. XV Softball Women’s World Championship – Surrey, Vancouver, BC, Canada – these diamonds we completely ripped up and rebuilt for this Championship. Also these diamonds are about 20-30km from the USA/Canada boarder Tell us about the Umpiring Crews, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. World Cup Management Crew – Kevin Ryan (TCU), Christina Drumm (Assistant TCU), Jim – all from USA Mindy Vella (USA), Erin Petterson (USA), Sandy Allan (Canada) were umpiring their first international tournament after obtaining their WBSC Certification. Five umpires that attended the World Cup backed up to umpire at the World Championship – Kyira Cox (AUS), Amanda Houison (AUS), Don Alexander (USA), Steve McCowan (USA) and Christina Drumm (USA – ATCU). Putting 2 Americans, 1 Aussie, 1 Canadian, 2 Japanese and 1 Mexican together for dinner is always going to make ordering dinner interesting. Thank you to google translate and the King’s English we were able to order the food – ordering drinks was a lot easier – believe Budweiser was the drink of choice by our non-English speaking crew members

World Championship Management Crew – Bob Stanton (TCU – Canada), Christina Drumm (ATCU – USA), Marlies Stryve (ATCU – Netherlands) Largest crew to be appointed to a World Championship with 30 on diamond umpires being appointed. The gender split was nearly 50-50 which was great. Raoul Machalet (Germany) announced his retirement from international softball umpiring What were some of the highlights? At the World Cup we were able to umpire our own country in an international tournament on both plate and bases. 29 teams competed in the largest Women’s World Championship Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? As part of our pre-championship requirements the crew was split into 5 teams and we had to create a story. The story was to be created one sentence at a time with each team member needing to contribute to the story. Each team had the same opening sentence – “There was a field… an empty field…” we were required to submit our progressive story to Marlies on a regular bases just to keep us all moving. It wasn’t until we arrived at the World Championship that we were told we needed to present our stories to the entire crew. We could deliver our story in any way we felt – reading or acting. Three (3) out of the five (5) teams took the reading option until “Bad Dream” was presented on the second night. The extraordinary acting of Gianluca (Italy) playing a young boy umpiring for his first time and the numerous costume changes by Nacho (Spain) had the entire crew in stitches of laughter. It was fair to say “Bad Dream” won the story telling. How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? The passion about our sport is the same around the world. Each team was taking to the diamond with pride and determination to do their best for their team mates and country. How was the softball different to in Australia? 20 second clock and the off diamond umpire were both used to keep all games moving without major delays. Relinquishing control of the line-up cards was something all plate umpires had to adjust to.

What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? Each umpire comes to a Championship with various experiences but the hard work that we do each week at home with our mentors refining our game provides us with a very solid platform when put under pressure on the world stage. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? That I was one of the 30 umpires that made history by umpiring the largest Women’s World Championship in history. Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? I will use my new experience to provide fellow umpires with on and off diamond support, provide them with a different perspective on their own development and empower them to self-evaluate so changes can be made immediately. Every game we umpire or watch is an opportunity to learn – no game should be a missed opportunity.

WARREN DUFF (Western Australia)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball event. Japan Cup 2016 – an open women’s competition. 4 Teams being Japan, USA, Australian and Chinese Taipei. This was my second time attending the Japan Cup, the first having been in 2009. First time since the 2016 Women’s World’s that Japan and USA were to play against each other and since the Olympic reinstatement being announced. Where was the event hosted? This was the first time hosted in Takasaka, which is positioning itself as a commuter city as it is only 1 hour by bullet train from Toyko. Takasaka is also home to two Japan Pro League teams – Bic Camera and Taiyou Yuden, which the Australian team played exhibition games against. The exhibition games were played at their home diamonds, which were on the sponsor’s land. Was different to see a fully scheme softball diamond at the back of a factory, complete with training facilities. For the Japan Cup itself, the diamond was a baseball diamond which has been converted into a softball diamond, using temporary nets and a homerun fence – it was a diamond within in a diamond. The infield was fully skinned with grass outfield. It had full stadium seating for over 1,000 people. Tell us about the Umpiring Crew, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. The crew was consisted of: Umpire in Chief: Mr Sei Takashasi Crew Umpires: Mr Lin Yuy Sung (Chinese Taipei) Ms Kyoko Fukuda (Japan) Mr Kazuhiko Otomo (Japan) Mr Warren Duff (Australia) Mr Fukunori Iriguchi (Japan) Ms Saeko Suda (Japan) Ms Brenda Terpstra (USA) Mr Massao Ota (Japan) The messenger and time clock umpires were staffed by local Japanese umpires.

There was limited English across the crew but this didn’t stop communication – rather we all reverted to using diagrams, sign language and other very basic forms of communication. The atmosphere in the change rooms was extremely positive – that may have been due to the abundance of food in the change room. It was great to have so much experience in the room with many umpires having attended various world championships and other international events. We were fed extremely well – lunch was provided every day, as was bottled water and sports drinks. The local Takasaka umpires would also bring in Japanese sweets and local fruit. The pear was in season and was just amazingly sweet. Also really useful was the air conditioning in the change room. With hot and humid weather, especially coming from a Perth winter, the change room was the perfect place to escape. It was somewhat unusual to have to take your shoes off to enter the change room and to get ready without your shoes! What were some of the highlights? Being fortunate to umpire the two Japan versus America games on the plate – including the gold medal game. Both games were telecast live across on Japanese TV. Seeing some of the umpires I first umpired with back in 2009 coming to watch the games – so nice to see them again. The passion and knowledge that the Japanese public has for softball, especially in the lead up to the Olympics. The buzz of the stadium was amazing. Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? It was a short tour with not a lot of spare time. Prior to leaving, my son asked me to take one of his super hero stuffed toys with me, to take photos of Spiderman in Japan. I would upload the photos and then video call to watch him flick through them of a morning. Spiderman also became somewhat of a mascot for my tour, with most of photos including him in some way or another. It was great to be immersed into the Japanese culture again. Especially with Takasaka being outside of a known tourist spot. The food was an experience, with the local umpires playing host and ordering food on our behalf. We tried the most amazingly fresh sashimi , chicken liver and heart (something I don’t normally eat) as well as many other dishes I don’t recall.

A highlight was to get to ride on a Japanese bullet train – one of the most comfortable experiences How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? The games were very similar to our national competition. No major differences. How was the softball different to in Australia? The pre and post-game activities were scripted right down to the minute. The crowds were amazing for local games – the stands were full of spectators whenever Japan played. Their knowledge and passion for the game was outstanding. All games, even local games, are covered by 4 umpire systems. For the exhibition games, umpires were provided with time off by their employer. Also unusual, was the daily tech meeting and ground inspection. What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? To take the time to enjoy the entire experience by going into the trip with no expectations and focus on what you have been doing. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? The extreme buzz of the stadium when local hero, Ueno Yukiko took the mound during the final. The home crowd all rose to their feet and cheered perhaps the loudest I have ever been involved in. Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? That the training our program provides, is a great platform for working international competitions.

LEANNE GEARSIDE (New South Wales)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball event. 39th European Premiere Womens Cup held at Ronchi de Legionari, Italy - August 15-20 2016.

Where was the event hosted? Two separate venues were used for the tournament Ronchi and Cervignono which was about 15 - 20 mintues apart with all night games being held at Ronchi under lights. Tell us about the Umpiring Crew, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. UIC Caroline Stradhouders UIC Pavel Vychodsky Umpiring Crew ten members, Great Britain, France, Italy, Czech Denmark, Netherlands, Spain with some of the umpires just having officiated in the Worlds and others having travelled to other countries to umpire. What were some of the highlights? 12 Teams from Europe participate including Bussolengo & Forli (Italy) Les Comanches (France) Joudrs (Czech) Sparks (Netherlands) Eagles (Sweden) Vermins (Germany) Skovde (Switzerland) Hoboken (Belgium) It was a great experience umpiring other countries trying to understand and learn different languages. Where most of the European umpires speak more than one language.

Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? Prior to the tournament I did a little bit of touring the country which in its self was a good experience as realsising the traditions and history of a country is meaningful to all people I met. How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? Teams competitive and performed with the passion and the spirit of the game as do all softball players. How was the softball different to in Australia? During Tournament inside three umpires rotation was used with no outfield coverage by base umpires. What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? I am proud of my on diamond performance and I was rewarded with good appointments the experience I will never forget and I am grateful for Softball Australia allowing me the opportunity to participate. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? Highlight for me was umpiring the Semi final game between Bussolengo and Joudrs which very close hard fought game with the winning run being scored in the sixth inning with a very close play at home plate with the runner sliding into the plate before being tagged by the catcher with Forli winning and advancing to the finals Score 1 – 0.

Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? The experience during this tournament can tell stories of my experience which will inspire other umpires to dream their ultimate goal, achieve a suitable standard to achieve the goal and I can assist in coaching and mentoring others to do as I have.

AMANDA HOUISON (New South Wales)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball events. Aussie Spirit World Championship tour – the warm up event was the XI World Cup of Softball, followed by the WBSC XV Women’s World Championships. This year’s World Championship was significant, as it was the first time it was an “open”, that is, no qualifying needed, event. 31 teams were scheduled to attend; unfortunately Pakistan didn’t make it to Vancouver, but having 30 teams in attendance was an unbelievable atmosphere. Where were the events hosted? The World Cup was held at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, and the World Championship was held at Softball City, Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia. I’ve been lucky enough to visit both venues previously, but this was my first time on-diamond at both… these venues are spectacular as a spectator, but to actually call games on the diamonds at both of these venues is amazing. Tell us about the Umpiring Crews, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. To list the entire crews from both Championships would take up way too much space! The World Cup was under the supervision of UIC Kevin Ryan, and deputies Jim Cairns (for the first few days) and Chris Drumm (all from ASA/USA Softball), possibly three of the most experienced umpires I’ve been lucky enough to work with. The World Championship was lead by Bob Stanton (Canada), the WBSC UIC, with Chris Drumm and Marlies Struyve (The Netherlands). I’ve previously worked with Bob and Marlies in 2013. Many of the umpires working the World Cup were at their first international event, however, the crew at the World Championship had a great deal of experience and depth. It’s a great feeling to be at an international event and catch up and call games with people you’ve previously worked with – that sense of enjoyment is no different to catching up with your umpiring buddies at your local Association, it just takes a bit more travel time to work with these friends again! The liaison support at the World Championship was out of this world. Lead by Brian van Os (ex-Canadian UIC), the umpiring crew was left wanting nothing. We

were shuttled to and from the ground, had plenty of snacks available and were well looked after. Brian led an amazing level of fundraising for this event, and an infinite number of “thank yous” will never do this justice. What were some of the highlights? A highlight from the World Cup was the announcement that Ron (my husband) and I had made ASA/USA Softball history, by being the first husband and wife to have umpired at the World Cup (Ron umpired at the 2012 VII World Cup). Getting to call balls and strikes on the diamonds where Ron has previously umpired – both in Oklahoma and Surrey! – is a very surreal feeling, as you “know” the diamonds, but haven’t actually “worked” them. Having Ron working the 20-second clocks on my plate games was also incredibly special, and I felt supported throughout the Championship. From the World Championship, it was an absolute highlight to call the balls and strikes on both USA and Japan games throughout the week. Both of these highly experienced teams will work you hard, see how much “extra” they can get (if you’ll let them!) and play the game the way softball should be played. I enjoy the challenge of working with the Japanese team, and giving as much explanation as I can in Japanese. But aside from calling the big teams of world softball, it was also an absolute privilege to work with teams at their first World Championship, like Israel (who only have 50 women playing softball in the country), Uganda (where a great deal of effort is being put into developing sport) and Ireland (mostly slow pitch players!). Seeing these teams score their first run, or record an out that ends an inning, and the subsequent excitement that ensues leaves you with goosebumps! Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? Oklahoma = Boot Barn!!! Okay, I have an addiction to boots, and was able to pick up another pair… Following the World Championship, Ron and I had a brief holiday, travelling to Seattle, where we visited the Boeing Factory and Pike Place Markets, and then went on to Los Angeles, to catch a Dodgers game and be general tourists, wandering the streets of LA and eating some awesome American food. It’s really easy to tack a holiday on to the end of a softball tour – if you ever have the opportunity to travel with an Australian team, and can afford the time, consider doing it. How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? Like any championship, there were some super-close games and tie-breakers… and then there were the games that were finished in three innings with a Run

Ahead Rule. And then there were the games that were close, but had massive scores. Some games were error-free, and other times, balls got away from players, or the best play wasn’t the option taken. Softball is softball the world over! How was the softball different to in Australia? Obviously, there’s language challenges! Aside from that, softball is becoming a very dynamic game globally. There is a lot more bunting and slap hitting in both the North and South American teams, along with the Asian teams. Plays are no longer “routine” – runners are looking to push for an extra base, fielders are willing to take a chance on a throw. This level of play really pushes you as an umpire to be on your toes and have a full awareness of the field. What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? Just because you set goals doesn’t mean you’ll get the opportunity to meet them – there will be unforeseen roadblocks and times where you just don’t do what you know you can. How you refocus from not meeting goals, and then plan to reset these goals is what umpiring at this level is all about. This international tour was a stepping-stone for me to keep developing and become a better umpire – and I’ve already got my goals set for the next opportunity. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? Calling the bronze medal plate at the World Cup – a complete surprise, given the Aussie Spirit team were playing! The allocations at the World Cup are not concerned with which country you are from, rather, it’s about the umpire you are. Kevin Ryan promotes – from the umpires’ meeting – that you WILL call your own country’s games, but it’s still a surprise when your first game of the Championship is calling a plate on an Australian game! The bronze medal game was a real nail-biter, with the Aussie Spirit and USA Elite swapping the lead four or five times throughout the game. With the score tied at 3-all in the bottom of the 7th, 2 out and loaded bases for Australia, Taylah Tsitsikronis worked the count to full. After a couple of fouls, the USA Elite pitcher pitched the ball wild, and Australia won on a walk-off walk. The pressure was really on to keep my zone strong! Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? There was a range of tips and techniques given to refine small aspects of my game – I hope to be able to integrate these into the training that I offer developing umpires. I also hope that retelling my experiences to umpires who ask will inspire them to set goals and see just how far umpiring can take them.

TREVOR MURPHY (Victoria)

Tell our readers a bit about the international softball event. EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEN – This was the 13th time this event has been held. The event is generally held biennially. It was first held in 1993 and after 2007 it was contested again in 2008 and then biennially since. Ten countries were represented: Belgium; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Germany; Great Britain; Netherlands; Israel; Italy; and Sweden. This was the most teams entered since inception. Where was the event hosted? MONTEGRANARO is a community in the Province of Fermo in the Italian region of Marche, located about 45 km south of Ancona and about 45 km north of Ascoli Piceno. It is one of the main centres for shoe production in Italy. It is approximately 300k north east of Rome, 40k inland from the east coast off the Adriatic Sea. The games were played at two venues within the region at Montegranaro and Sant’ Elpidio a Mare and about 30K apart. The diamonds at both venues shared the outfield with that of an adjacent Baseball field and had temporary fences. Tell us about the Umpiring Crew, the UIC and Umpire Management Crew. Ami Baran (Israel) was the ESFV Executive Commissioner; Mike Jennings (Great Britain) was the Chief Technical Commissioner; Andrea Marcon (Italy) was the Head Umpire in Chief. Maurizio Ronchi was the Scorer in Chief. Umpire attending were Benny Van Nuffel (Belgium); Pavel Kaspercik, Vladimir Liss (Czech Republic); Jonas Kristensen (Denmark); Harald Schmidt (Austria/Germany); Thomas Lohnert (Germany); Patrick Reus (Netherlands); Howie Litz (Israel); Clinton Harvey (Canada exchange) & Trevor Murphy (me- Australia exchange). What were some of the highlights? After 36 hours of travel to reach my unknown destination, it was a highlight to find the hotel and

someone that could understand my Italian dialect and could direct me to a small café for a long awaited snack and a long drink to wash it down. After four days of eating pasta and pizza, getting chicken and chips for dinner. This is likely no surprise to many, but after four days of high temperatures and extreme humidity we were rained out for a day and the game schedule had to be reworked. Away from the ball park, what memorable things did you get up to? Apart from the game schedule taking up most of our waking late into the evening, we were accommodated in a small community high up in the hills off the coast with very little after hours activities available to us. We stuck together each evening at the ball park for our evening meal and then at the hotel for a night cap and a chat. One night we all adventured downtown to a highly praised gelato shop and had a desert and more community chatter. How were things similar to softball as played in Australia? On the last day of the tournament I was dispatched to the Sant’ Elpidio facility for the big game between Great Britain (Australia’s James Darby pitching) and Netherlands. Plenty of tension between teams made

for a great tussle. Netherland won their way to the playoffs with 2 – 1 result. How was the softball different to in Australia? Fundamentally, the game was no different. Umpiring was somewhat different, the 3-umpire rotation used in Australia was not used in these games. My understanding is that they rarely use the system we are accustomed. In most championships utilising 3-umpires, all umpires remain in the infield and the plate umpire calls all fly catches. Having never umpired in that manner, both myself and the Canadian umpire were challenged on our first game (which we did together). We quickly became accustomed to the rotations. What was the best lesson learnt during your trip? Be prepared to be patient and understanding of the varied levels of competence and ready to share your knowledge and experience. What do you think will be the life-long lasting memory from your trip? The long hours of travel and the Adriatic Beaches with the many holiday makers and sun umbrellas perched along kilometres of beach front. Finally, how will you use this experience to help other umpires here at home? Sharing the experience and telling the various stories

.

The National Umpiring Committee and the BNOL Team would like to thank our International Umpires for sharing your insights and favourite moments from your 2016 softball travels. It is really interesting to see the similarities and differences between the events played all over the globe. Congratulations on your appointment and we wish you well for future events, in Australia and overseas.

Softball Australia Annual Conference

National Umpiring Meeting The Softball Australia 2016 Annual Conference was held over the weekend of 8-9 October. The National Umpiring Committee and State Directors of Umpiring came together in Melbourne to reflect on a successful previous 12 months and to plan and discuss initiatives for the future. 2016 has been a great year for softball in Australia for many reasons, most notably an overall membership increase for the first time in 20 years. In a similar successful vein the umpiring program is also recording great progress in a variety of areas of our program. During the umpiring meetings, the four Softball Australia UIC's: Tricia Sibraa, Leigh Evans, Debbie Grove and Scott Rindfleish presented reports and made presentations to the umpiring forum for each of their respective areas of Operations, Technical, Development and Communications & Membership Engagement. The State Director's participated in open forums, group discussions, activities and presented information about the current performance of the umpiring program in each state. It Is optimistic to note that there are strong performances and great ideas are being implemented across all states, and this forum provided the opportunity for states to share ideas and initiatives with a core purpose to promote umpiring and to advance the program in each state, and nationally. The weekend presented the perfect opportunity to also discuss challenges and ideas on how things can be improved or how to overcome barriers. The National Umpiring Committee acknowledges and thanks all State Director's for the open and collaborative approach to each of the sessions.

Looking Ahead:

The Softball Australia website will remain a core umpiring online communications medium.

BNOL will be published four time per year with state contributions and national and international news.

The NUC Facebook Page is going strong and will continue as a method to engage with members around Australia and the world.

Facebook groups will be set up for all National Umpire Crews to share pre, during and post information.

New Merchandise items are being considered - keep an eye out.

The 2017 Rules Exam will continue in the online format as utilised this year.

Umpire Development Manuals are being refreshed and updated.

New development manuals are underway.

The WBSC Certification Clinic is in preparation, with current members of the Development Squad working hard on projects that will be released to the wider umpiring community in the near future.

Coloured Shirt Program. Watch this space, soon to be available to purchase the Flip Cards as a Mobile App

Australian Capital Territory

2016/17 is the summer of trainees for the ACT The lead up to the 2016/17 season has seen an unprecedented number of trainee umpires sign up with SUAACT to learn how to become level 1 umpires. We’ve seen 22 new umpires sign up so far this season which, for a state the size of a large association, is very exciting! The sheer number of trainees have triggered ACT to finally introduce a coloured shirt programme, which will be rolled out over the first weeks of the season. ACT’s trainees will work regularly across the ACT’s four major leagues: North and

Southside schools competitions, the Saturday Fastpitch League women’s and junior competition, and the Fastpitch Softball League men’s competition. Trainee recruitment kicked off on 8 October with the annual basic clinic. The clinic saw 19 attendees, many of them interested trainees, plus a few parents and coaches who just wanted to learn a bit more about how the game works. The clinic was ably run by local senior umpires Andrew Dickson, Di Kropp, and Kieren Wright.

Andrew Dickson and Di Kropp teaching Out Signal

Andrew Dickson explains Good Pelvic Alignment.

Phil Leahey demonstrates the slot

New South Wales

Umpires in Lismore for Women’s State The October long weekend saw a crew of 10 headed north to Lismore for the October weekend as the 2016 SNSW Open Women’s State Championship was hosted by Far North Coast Softball Association. The two-day competition saw some close games played under perfectly sunny North Coast skies. “It was a great trip to Lismore for all of us on the crew,” TCU Scott Rindfleish said. “Lismore-based umpires Jay Gibson and Jesse Smith have been travelling to Sydney for representative competitions for many, many years so we always enjoy the opportunity to head north and share a weekend of softball with them.”

The grand final between Manly Warringah and Penrith City was a nail-biter, with

scores locked at 1-1 after eight innings. In the 9th inning, Manly sealed the deal and put a run across the plate.

“Some of the teams were quite evenly matched so the umpires enjoyed their time on the diamond.”

“We also enjoyed the opportunity to share a meal together on the Saturday night at a local Mexican restaurant. It’s important we enjoy our time on and off the diamond and that’s exactly what the weekend in Lismore provided,” Rindfleish concluded.

Congratulations to the umpires appointed to the Grand Final:

Manly Warringah [2] def. Penrith City [1] in 9 innings.

Left: Vicki Lansley [Right-Field], Kyira Co [1st Base], Jay Gibson [Plate], James English [3rd Base], Krissi Travers [Left-Field]. Right: Lismore local Jay Gibson called the Championship Final.

NSW News in Short

Blue Blaze The Blue Blaze series saw 42 umpires, under the leadership of David Crowe, covered 92 games over three full days in the July school holidays. Congratulations to our Grand Final crews:

Above: Under 13s: Tom Green, Zac Roberts, Matt Beach Top Right: Under 15s: Shane McIntosh, Georgia Kiel, Jennie McKenny. Bottom Right: Under 17s: Joe Myers, Kim Green, Josh Wilde.

Jim Long SNSW Service Award Congratulations Jim Long who was awarded a Softball NSW Service Award at the 2016 SNSW Annual Awards Dinner. Jim pictured below with Director of Umpiring, Scott Rindfleish. Thank you, Jim, for all your hard work over the years.

Queensland

U15 Boy’s State Championship – Rockhampton by Aaron Robertson This year’s U15 Boys State Championship was held in Rockhampton with fine weather for the entirety of the tournament. Day one started off with the usual pre-tournament meetings and introductions of both the management crew being David Casey as the TCU with Graeme Love, Steven Gutteridge and Neville Baggow assisting as the Assessors. The rest of the crew consisted of Jamie Harris, Aaron Robertson, Lochliann Martin, Tamara Muller, Jeff Biffin, Darcy Dowsett, Erin Blackmore, Will Brennan, Dale Kaimoana, Cayden Love, Bailey Steinberg, Kira Abell and Leila Higgins

(below centre). Day two saw the teams and the umpires getting into their grooves and starting to lift their game the extra 10%. Day three marked the beginning of the finals with the State Championship and the President’s Cup concluding the day and the tournament. During the early part of the day everyone receiving their evaluations and their final day’s allocations. The President’s Cup crew included Jeff Biffin behind the plate and Jamie Harris at 1st base (below left). The game was rather one sided with Toowoomba taking home the trophy.

Meanwhile the State Championship was being played between Redlands (last year’s winners) and Gladstone. The game ended in a 10-0 score line in favour of Gladstone. The crew consisted of Neville Baggow behind the Plate, Aaron Robertson on first and Tamara Muller on third (Above Right). Throughout the tournament there were 5 candidates all of which were successful in gaining their levels. The candidates were Will Brennan, Cayden Love, Lochliann Martin, Darcy Dowsett, Bailey Steinberg. A big thanks has to be said to David Casey, Graeme Love, Steven Guteridge and Neville Baggow for the quality feedback given throughout the tournament.

L-R: Will Brennan, Cayden Love, Lochliann Martin, Darcy Dowsett, Bailey Steinberg.

QLD U17 Boy’s State Championship – Mackay

Crew: Neville Baggow, Mick Gorman, Sue Lamb, Jeffrey Biffin, Sarah Buckley, Darcy Dowsett, Josh Jansen, Tamara Muller, Tate Clark, Leila Higgings

Graeme Love, taking on his first appointment as State TCU, handled things like he had been doing this role for years. Assisting him in proceedings were Steve Gutteridge, Jamie Harries and Dale Kaimoana. A massive thank you to all the crew and their unfailing willingness to get in and do the job; it was much appreciated. Our visiting New Zealand team added a bit of spice to the tournament. The classy Logan team ran out State Champions. Congratulations to Tamara Muller on attaining her Level 3 Accreditation at the Championship. Pictured right. Grand Final Crews: State Championship: Plate - Neville Baggow 1st Base – Dale Kaimoana 3rd Base – Tamara Muller President Cup: Plate – Mick Gorman 1st Base – Jeffrey Biffin 3rd Base – Sue Lamb

QLD U19 Men’s and Women’s State Championship – Redcliffe The tournaments were held concurrently at Redcliffe Softball Association at Kippa-Ring. The TCU – Patricia Sibraa was supported by Helen Strauss, Alan Walsh and Dale Kaimoana. Highlights: Helen Strauss makes a return; Laughter and music coming from the umpire’s room; Another umpire (Reg Merino) makes his State Championship debut in Australia from across the ditch; and Macerena and Nutbush got a workout! Congratulations to Steve Bickerton [right] on attaining his Level 4 Accreditation at this Championship. Grand Finals: Redlands and Far North Qld [Noosa-Mackay] met in the Grand Final for the Women. Redlands took control in the 4th, notching up three runs to win the game 4-2.

U19 Women’s Final Crew:

L-R: Norelle Thomas [3rd Base], Janelle Hicks [Plate], Steve Gutteridge [1st Base], Jamie Harries [2nd Base]

Meanwhile the Men’s Final was played out between Redlands and the home side from Redcliffe. Redcliffe tried to fight back but Redlands held on to win the match 8-6.

U19 Men’s Finals Crew:

L-R: Dale Kaimoana [1st Base], David Casey [Plate], Alan Walsh [2nd Base], Graeme Love [3rd Base]

QLD Open Women’s State Championship – Redlands

With Patricia Sibraa (TCU) accompanied by Janelle Hicks and Yvonne Kahler (Assessors), we all knew we had to be on our best behaviour. Seven candidates were being examined; there was a certain expectation that the games were going to be of a very high standard. The umpiring crew didn’t fail. With many highlights in this tournament I’ve narrowed it down to the Grand Final as my pick.

Redlands Green and Brisbane Red were out to claim top prize in the Queensland Cup that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Brisbane Red was leading 3 runs to 0 until Redlands Green put on a late charge to tie the game at 3 all. In the end Redlands Green took out the match with a 6-4 win to claim the Mack Gilley Memorial Trophy.

QLD Cup Grand Final Crew QLD Open Cup QLD President’s Cup

Plate - Janelle Hicks Plate – Kylie Knight Plate – Alan Walsh 1st Base – Dale Kaimoana 1st Base – Claire Lack 1st Base – Brian MacPherson 3rd Base – Jamie Harries 3rd Base – Aaron Robertson 3rd Base – Coady Ramsey

7 Successful Candidates at Queensland Open Women’s

Level 3

Lailani Shepard Tony Turner

Level 4

Claire Lack Aaron Robertson Coady Ramsey

Danielle Bellchambers Maria Caterson

QLD Open Men’s State Championship – Toowoomba This was the last State Championship of 2016 and the expectation for the best players in our state to show their skills was about to be unleashed. The umpiring crew was assembled with a few first timers. Amongst the first timers were younger umpires and they were about to experience a faster more aggressive pace and style of this game. Their attitude was “bring it on.” Leading the way for us was Patricia Sibraa (TCU) and Assessor’s Darren Sibraa and David Casey. In the last 6 months or so I’ve been observing a few things that make or break an umpire in terms of wanting to come back and do it all again. One of those areas I feel is very important is the Umpire’s Room. Here I believe is the heart and soul of a tournament.

Let’s face it, we have a group of people so different in so many ways and the only common thing is we all umpire. There was lots of laughter, past stories shared, food, checking each other’s gear out, high fives, music, dancing etc. The atmosphere is alive and so positive. This is what it is like in all the State Championships I’ve been to this year. At the Open Men’s it was no exception, with the wonderful atmosphere in the room it broke down barriers and created new and long lasting friendships. We felt relaxed and happy to go out and do the games. The young umpires were made to feel like family and they knew when we left the room we had each other’s back. Many of the umpires at the tournament would agree that we definitely have something special in our Umpire’s Room.

Queensland Cup Grand Final Crew:

L-R: David Casey [1st Base], Darren Sibraa [3rd Base], Dale Kaimoana [Plate], Alan Walsh [2nd Base]

State Championship Grand Final Crew:

L-R: Kylie Knight [1st Base], Norelle Thomas [Plate], Michael Leach [3rd Base]

QLD News from Caboolture by Bill Buckley and Ron Yardley The CSSA (Caboolture Sports Softball Association) decided that we should start an Umpire’s Association. At the start of the 2016 season a decision was made by a Sub Committee to umpire in new on diamond shirts. A new and improved umpire’s room, capable of accommodating 30 umpires, has also been created at Caboolture.

Caboolture umpires in their new on-diamond shirts.

33 Years of Service to the Sport of Softball Ted Gross Retires

A message from Ted Gross, who recently retired from umpiring after 33 years on the diamond: I haven’t given softball away yet – I’m scoring for a Masters team at the Pan Pacific Masters in November 2016. This will be my 21st Pan Pacific Masters. Getting my Level 5 – that was an achievement. I wasn’t a young person when I started – I was probably 50 something years old, so it was an achievement to progress to that level. One of the most fulfilling aspects of my role as an umpire is seeing junior umpires that I have trained, who have gone on to higher levels. On behalf of everyone who knows Ted, we wish him every success in his new adventures and he will be sorely missed on the diamond.

Victoria

2016 Werribee Memorial Shield – By Bob Dykstra President’s Park, Wyndham Vale, Victoria September 17-18 2016

We know that the summer season is almost upon us when the Werribee Memorial Shield tournament comes around again. It was remarkable that the tournament was able to be held, given the rain of biblical proportions that Melbourne copped in the week prior. All credit to the organising committee, ground staff and other helpers that enabled the diamonds to be fit for play. Despite a fairly gloomy forecast, Saturday turned out to be a fine day with a sunny afternoon. A northerly breeze made batting the long ball difficult, but Sunday saw the breeze shift southerly resulting in a number of home runs across the diamonds. Over the weekend we had a number of our umpires registered as candidates, seeking progression to the next level, which saw them attending classroom style learning as well as being assessed on the diamonds, both at plate and at base. We wish all those candidates good luck with their progression. The Memorial Shield saw a total of 45 teams entered across a variety of grades for both men’s and women’s competitions, with a broad age band of participants. This too was reflective of our umpiring pool with a number of young green shirts taking up the challenge. Three novices, five green shirts, one level 1 aspirant, five level 3 aspirants, five level 4 aspirants, three trainers for a total of 51 in the blue crew.

The number of senior umpires attending and their willingness to engage and share their knowledge and experience was respected and appreciated. Thanks to Kevin, Stan and Angela for assisting to provide good rooms for all the umpires and provision of refreshments and snacks (even Tim Tams) throughout the two days. I’m sure no one went without. The weather gods did not continue in our favour on the Sunday, but despite the forecast, the light rain did not arrive until the 3:30 pm finals. For those umpires who were selected to officiate in a final, congratulations to you. The fact that most umpires remained through to the presentations, supporting your peers through the finals, is a real credit to all. I overheard a conversation between a 14yr-old novice umpire who had only umpired four bases and one plate in her career (that started in June) and the TCU: “How did your game go?” (2nd ever plate) “Great I loved it.” “So you felt ok on the plate?” “Yep, I thought it was great!” “I am glad; the pitching was a little bit better and quicker than you are used to.” “It was awesome; you just don't appreciate my capabilities!!” Overall a great weekend and a real warm-up for the summer season ahead.

Above: Leigh Evans on the plate with Talia McDonald at first base.

Above: Helena Hapeta on the plate with Peter Samuels at first base.

Western Australia

North West Women’s Softball Championships 2016 by Ian Helliwell This year saw the Championships being played in Port Hedland and hosted by the Port Hedland T-Ball Association. After last year’s 40th anniversary year, this year saw a reduced amount of teams attend the championship weekend. With the reduction of teams this meant the pressure for the supply of Metro umpire was not as pronounced but we still needed to have 6 experienced umpires travel to Port Hedland from Perth. Once again I had the pleasure of assisting to get a crew of highly committed and passionate umpires from the Metropolitan area to help out for the weekend. The umpires that made up the group were, Stewart Baker, Steven Gunter, Jamie McLean, Peter Baker, Bart Lethlean, Paul Kopellis and Ian Helliwell. As well as Umpires that travelled up from Perth we had 2 scorers Evelyn Harvey, Michelle Gunter and statistician Vanessa Cooke. Within this group of umpires and scorers we had a large range of experience levels which also include umpiring Assessor Peter Baker scoring examiner Evelyn Harvey. The championship weekend provides a great opportunity for umpires and scorers to be assessed for their next umpiring and scoring level. Due to the amount of games being played and different levels of playing stands from all the teams it’s the ideal tournament for Levels 1 to 3 umpire assessments. Over the weekend we had a number of umpires reach the standard required to obtain their next umpiring levels. Umpires Stewart Baker and Bart Lethlean received their level 3, young local kids from Port Hedland Alex Britcliffe (14), Declan Rahman (13), Kade Denney (12) and

Josh Denney (10) as trainees also gained some very valuable time umpiring with all the umpires participating in the Championships. All umpires had the opportunity to do a rules and diamond rotation workshop with Ian Helliwell, Jamie MacLean, Steve Gunter and Peter Baker Training and Development umpires from Perth. After the training umpires could then spend time on the diamonds to put the new knowledge into practice. At the conclusion of the championship all umpires were provided with written feedback from the tournaments umpiring Assessor Peter Baker. All umpires found this feedback very good. The weekend provides an opportunity for all umpires to discuss with other umpires that have volunteered from the North West and Metropolitan area to share their knowledge and experience with others. The 4 young trainee umpires were a pleasure to work with during the weekend and all have very bright futures in umpiring. On the diamond training was amazing to watch with these kid doing a normal out signal and call to having the confidence to do a big punch out call with a shout of Out to go with the punch. This also gave all the senior umpires a lift to watch these kids grow in front of us. The championship concluded with the grand final between Karratha and Port Hedland. This game was umpired using a 4 man umpiring system. Stewart Baker (Plate), Ian Helliwell (First Base), Bart Lethlean (Second Base) and Jamie McLean (Third Base). Karratha ran out 3 – 2 winners in a 7 innings game that was completed in 63 minutes. It was a great game to complete the weekend.

This year also coincided with the North West Softball Umpires Association AGM. With the group of local and metropolitan umpire in attendance it was a great opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues from umpiring rules changes, online exams, online registrations, bringing new umpires into the system and fund raising for future championships. A couple of the issues that were addressed was to try and encourage new umpires into the system for next year and the issue of umpires being asked to get permits to umpire in the North West when we are all part of the Softball Australia System.

With the dedicated work that the North West Umpiring Co-ordinator Barrie Sargent has done over many years has made the North West Softball Championships a very valuable and necessary competition for the training and developing of softball umpires in the North West. Without this competition in the WA softball calendar it would take away a major opportunity for the training and development of the North West umpires.

Grand Final Crew North West Women’s Softball Championships

L-R: Ian Helliwell (First Base), Stewart Baker (Plate), Jamie McLean (Third Base) and Bart Lethlean (Second Base)