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Softball

Source: Softball Australia

MODERN TIMES

  • Softball Australia has developed a High-Performance Pathway to elite participation and selection: 
  • “Athletes will be required to demonstrate through their own actions a relentless level of persistence to every aspect of their elite preparation, where each athlete will have a tailored and individualised program based upon their specific needs.
  • Investment in the athletes’ holistic development is paramount; there is a responsibility to ensure athlete physical, physiological, psychological and emotional well-being is the focus.
  • The nature of financial support for elite softballers is precarious. 
    • Currently, State players selected for national championships pay a sum of around $3000 each for uniforms, travel and accommodation. 
    • National players may personally pay $5,000-$10,000 to attend a major international event.
  • Through the Australian Sports Commission and the State Institutes of Sport, Softball Australia provides up to $5000 and $3000 to each player depending on the player-category decided upon by Softball Australia. 
  • Support also is also in the provision of specific, individual training programs set by exercise physiologists, access to gymnasia and other sports science support.
Source: Softball Australia

RECORDS. MILESTONES. MOMENTS.

In 1956, Adelaide hosted the Australian softball championships and SA won its first ever national titles – and awarded the Gilleys Shield.

With Nancy Whittingham as Vice-captain and the only South Australian representative, Australia won its only world softball championships in Melbourne in 1965.

Rosemary Adey was in 1997 inducted into the World Baseball Softball Confederation Hall of Fame for leadership that helped make Australia one of the world’s leading softball nations.

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

Source: Diamond Duels Women’s Softball in South Australia   

1930's

  • Softball, then called baseball, was first played in Australia in 1939, a later start than many other sports in this country. 
  • A Canadian Gordon Young, the director of Physical Education in NSW introduces softball here.
  • Prior to WW2 Vigoro is one of a series of similar sports being played by Australian women. Softball is also considered an appropriate game for women and girls.
  • Initially, women are wearing netball tunics, shorts or divided skirts.
  • A National Fitness Council is established in Australia. This provides a structure through which knowledge of softball could be spread.

1940's

  • An Adelaide woman called Helen Black from the National Fitness Council runs a four-week course introducing softball to a group of about 20 women. 
  • Apart from teaching the game, the ultimate aim is to establish an association, which occurs at a meeting on Monday 25 September 1944.
  • The first season takes place in 1945, either on the three diamonds in the center of Victoria Park Racecourse or in the Vacuum Oil Company’s South Parklands.
  • Now called softball instead of baseball, the Adelaide Women’s Softball Association begins operating regular summer seasons, in mid-week and weekend matches.
  • In country regions, it is booming too.
  • Very rudimentary equipment sees some players using their bare hands rather than hard leather gloves. Pitching distance is 35 feet and base paths are 55 feet.
  • Meanwhile the parkland surfaces are uncomfortably uneven – and the Victoria Park precinct has no shelter from the sun and two of the diamonds overlap due to lack of space.
  • The association secretary reports .. “These grounds leave much to be desired (but) … were the best available … but until more suitable playing areas can be found, the standard here cannot reach that of the other States …”
  • The first State team is chosen to play in the 1949 Australian Carnival in Melbourne. The first Australian team is selected to play against NZ. SA does not contribute any members to that first national team.
Members of SA’s First State Softball Team 1948 - Back row: Colleen Hearne, Dot Hosking and Lorna Hamood. Front: Mary Underhill, Joyce Wenham, Elsie Wilson, Margaret Laing, Kath Edwards - Source: Diamond Duels. Women’s Softball in SA.

1950's

  • The 1950s begins with a record high of 32 teams with some clubs establishing their own playing grounds instead of using the rough parklands surfaces.
  • A resolution is passed by the now South Australian Women’s Softball Association formalizing that male coaches be allowed to coach women’s softball teams.
  • SA hosts the Interstate Carnival in 1951.
  • Knickers, similar to the baseballers’ uniform, are slowly becoming more popular. They protect players’ legs especially when sliding into base.
  • Tensions between umpires and coaches over their rule interpretations often flare and in 1954 the Umpires and Scorers’ Club is set up.
  • By the mid 1950s, a new Constitution is written and tested including voting rights, life membership eligibility, and a change in state colours. The old brown and blue is replaced by maroon, gold and navy.
  • The Women’s Memorial Playing Fields become – along with other sports – the new Association home grounds. Contributions of a financial and physical nature are required for the use of the grounds.
  • By the end of the 1950s, a new location at West Beach, which could host four diamonds, is found and the finals are played there in the 1958/59 season.
  • In 1956, Adelaide hosts the Australian Championships with SA winning its first Gilleys Shield … “the most successful Carnival ever … ” Captain Dorothy Hosking, coach Max Smith.
  • Country Championships are introduced in the late 1950s, as are junior softball competitions.
  • Pitching distance grows from 35’ to 38’ and base paths are extended 55’ to 60’.
  • In this decade, May Leach, Sheila Hamilton, Barbara Phillips, Rosemary Adey and Val Scarman are all selected for the first time to play for Australia.
****

1960's

  • An Umpires Auxiliary is set up which paves the way in 1965 for a program of practical training for umpires. From this point SA produces numerous outstanding national and international umpires. 
  • In 1963, a visit from Jack Robinson, a famed baseball and softball coach, offers opportunities for coaches to further develop game strategies. 
  • All games are moved to the West Beach precinct, making it easier to roster umpires, in particular.  
  • By the late 60s, matches for all grades – A to E – plus Juniors are centralised at West Beach. Ten diamonds are required. 
  • A summer baseball league is set up in 1968, causing a subsequent shortage of umpires, coaches and club administrators. 
  • Rosemary Adey becomes the first female State coach. Pitching distance is extended again, this time from 38’ to 40’. 
  • In this decade, Nancy Whittingham and Gillian Amore are selected for the first time to play for Australia. 
  • In 1965 Australia triumphs over the USA 1-0 to win the World Softball Championship gold medal in Melbourne, the only gold medal Australia has ever won at either the World Championships or Olympic Games.  
  • As Vice-Captain, Nancy Whittingham was the only player from SA on that national team. 

1970's

  • Clubs are zoned to districts with the intention to foster softball in their defined zones.
  • The Kath Correll Medal is introduced as the award for the A-Grade MVP.
  • The association is changed to South Australian Softball Association, removing the reference to women.
  • Nancy Whittingham becomes the first Director of Coaching in SA. Keryn Heinrich becomes SA’s first International Umpire.
  • Aluminium bats are first approved. SA enter State Under-16 and Under-19 teams in national carnivals for the first time.
  • In this decade, Lorraine Brown, Jenny Cheesman, Mary Burston, Pat Harvey, Janne Stevens, Vicki Frank, Kay Gillespie, and Lauren Forner are selected for the first time to play for Australia.

1980's

  • Rosemary Adey is elected as SA’s first Australian Softball Federation President.
  • SA’s Lyle Tyler assembles two Umpiring Manuals for use across Australia.
  • Nancy Whittingham is selected as SA’s first coach of the Australian softball team. 
  • Two years later, she is inducted as SA’s first member of the ASF Hall of Fame, followed four years later by the induction of Lorraine Brown.
  • SA wins its first Elinor McKenzie Shield at the Australian U-19 Championships. Captain Linda Martin, coach Julie Dale.
  • An international standard diamond, grandstand and administration offices are established at West Beach, becoming Softball Headquarters.
  • A men’s softball competition begins.
  • A SA Softball Association Board of Management replaces the Executive Committee.
  • In this decade, Jenny Thompson, Kelly Russell, Sue Tomlinson, Jane Fairlie, Louise Pike and Linda Martin are all first-time players for Australia.

1990's

  • SA hosts the World Under-19 Softball Championships in 1991.
  • The SA Softball Association marks its 50th year anniversary.
  • Alan McAuliffe is selected as SA’s and Australia’s first Olympic Softball Umpire – Atlanta 1996.
  • Rosemary Adey is SA’s first inductee into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame.
  • Australia wins a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, in softball’s first appearance.
  • Glenelg (formerly Rebels) becomes the first SA softball club to celebrate its 50th year, followed two years later by Walkerville (formerly Northern Districts).
  • In this decade, Selina Follas and Simmone Morrow are selected as first-time players for the Australian team.

2000's

  • Selina Follas and Simmone Morrow become SA’s first softball Olympians – Sydney Olympics 2000. Australia wins bronze.
  • John McAuliffe becomes SA’s second Olympic Umpire – Sydney Olympics 2000, while brother Alan McAuliffe is inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame. 
  • The two brothers are also inducted into Softball Australia Hall of Fame in this decade.
  • Australia, with SA’s Simmone Morrow and Tracey Mosley, wins a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
  • A high-performance program for all age groups replaces the former State Academy Program.
  • Lyle Tyler receives an OAM in the Queen’s Honour List for services to softball. Janne Stevens an inductee into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame, receives an Australian Police Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
  • In this decade, in addition to Selina Follas and Simmone Morrow, Melissa McGie is also selected to the Australian softball team.
  • As pitchers have become more and more dominant in the game, the pitching distance for women has progressively lengthened to its present 43 feet.

2010's

  • After being dropped from the Olympic Games program, baseball and softball present to the IOC a unified vision for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics.
  • Vanessa Stokes and Belinda White are named to the Australian team for the 2012 world championships, replacing the Olympic Games event for softball.
  • Both players remain selected in the national team for the 2014 and 2016 world championships. Belinda White is also selected to the 2018 world championships team.
  • Tracey Mosley is inducted into the Softball Australia Hall of Fame. Australia Day Honours are awarded to Lorraine Brown for her long service to softball in SA and Australia.
  • In 2017, Executive Officer, James Harris thanked Steve Trzcinski for his seven years of service to as Softball SA Chair. Previous long term Chairs had been Rosemary Adey (14 years), Lyle Tyler (10 years), Lorraine Mildren (9 years), and Keith Sampson (7 years).
  • SA Under-19 women win the national championships in 2015.
  • With a $4m grant, a significant upgrade of the West Beach facility is undertaken. This includes an indoor training facility and administration offices.
  • Softball SA started livestreaming the Women’s A Grade (now called Softball SA Premier League) with Broadcaster Spacequake Sports. By the end of the first season of livestreaming, softball was televised on Free-to-Air TV (community station C44).

2020's

  • The role of the designated runner is introduced.
  • The 2020 Olympic Games are postponed due the Covid-19 Pandemic. Belinda White is named to the Olympic team for its short-term reappearance on the Olympic Games agenda.
  • In 2022, and after a 66-year drought, the SA Starz finally broke through to stand triumphant as the Australian champions. It was only the second time in Australian softball history.
  • With Bill Benedictson (head coach) and Andie Collett (assistant) at the helm, in the familiar surrounds of their home diamond at West Beach, SA held strong against the powerhouse of NSW, finally winning 6-5.
  • Three years later, in 2025, coached by Ben Lucas this time, the Starz repeated the triumph by defeating Queensland Heat. This win extended the resurgence of softball in South Australia.
  • Well into its first decade, the SA Softball Premier League continues to be broadcast by NITV nationally, and records show it has been watched online by at least 8 million across the world via the Softball SA Facebook page. 
  • The Premier League continues to be broadcast on C44 and has been a part of two Antenna Awards (community TV awards) for Spacequake Sports for best Sports Broadcast.
  • A snapshot of SA Softball in 2020/21 is as follows:
    • Total Members: 2124
    • Females: 1582
    • Males: 542
    • Seniors: 994
    • Juniors: 865
    • Officials: 265
    • Associations: 8
    • Adelaide Clubs: 8
    • Australian reps: 22
  • Strategic Priorities set by the Board are: 
    • One Softball: working collaboratively through tis structures and behaviors to build a sustainable organization.
    • Participation: making softball a vibrant, community-based sport for all South Australians.
    • High Performance: develop teams that inspire and excite South Australians and provide a pathway to high performance.

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STORIES OF OUR PIONEERS

Meet the trailblazers of SA Softball. 

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