NSW Softball Team are the Noisy Favourites of the Games

NSW softball team

NSW went down to Tasmania in their opening match by a nailbiting one home run.  The Tasmanian team has dominated NSW in past National Games, but not any more!

Games were also played against Western Australia and Victoria where NSW again showed their improvement from previous years.

As the competition reached it’s final day a large crowd gathered to watch the bronze medal playoff between NSW and Tasmania. 

Andrew happy to be playing softball

Word had got around that the NSW team was FUN and as reported in the daily camp newsletter had become the ‘…favourites of the entire National Games…’  Other states and volunteers commented on the sportsmanship, skill, morale and spirit of this fantastic team.  The NSW team may not have been the most athletic, the fastest or the strongest but they were certainly the most talented at providing the crowd with a great entertaining sports match with a brilliant combination of skill and personality on display every time they took to the field.

Softball cheersquad JT and Karina

Harry led the team with accurate pitching under pressure and great fielding from close in, Mel took a spectacular catch and made numerous tag outs between first and second, Shaun, Alistair and Jimmy sprinted the outfield time and again intiating some impressive relay throwing and Andrew constantly plucked the ball out of nowhere as catcher.

Once again Tasmania won by one home run, but with the crowd cheering enthusiastically, the NSW Blues felt like the winners as they collected their fourth place winners.

Alistair meets Games mascot SOX

Fran (supercoach), Deb and Elissa attended the Games with the softball team as coaches and carers.  It was a week filled with great experiences, fun and plenty of laughs.  Congratulations to Fran, who so impressed officials with her coaching skills that she has been selected to go to the 2011 World Games in Athens as the Australian head softball coach.