Who will win: Under 18s softball national championship preview

Boys and girls from all around Australia are flying down to New South Wales to compete in the annual Under 18s National Softball Championship. Before the tournament begins on Thursday at Blacktown, coaches and players sat down to discuss why they will walk away as winners.

Originally meant to take place in Western Australia earlier this year, the tournament will now be contested in New South Wales over four days starting this Thursday.

The U18 girls will be competing for the Elinor McKenzie Shield with New South Wales emerging victorious last time in 2020. While the Queensland U18 boys will try and defend the Nox Bailey Shield they won in Sydney two years ago.

Coaches’ Perspective

We sat down to interview five coaches from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia to find out their preparation for the tournament, how they have settled in to a new location and why their team will be the one to walk out as winners when the national championships end this Sunday.

These coaches are Fabian Barlow (Queensland Girls Coach), Chris McCabe (Western Australia Girls Coach), Darrin Crisp (New South Wales Girls Coach), Adam Rindfleish (New South Wales Boys Coach) and Scott Sullivan (Western Australia Boys Coach).

Under 18 Boys (Coaches: Adam Rindfleish – NSW and Scott Sullivan – WA)

Q: This tournament was supposed to be in Western Australia and it has now been relocated to New South Wales. Has the preparation changed at all?

Adam: The preparation is still exactly the same as if it would have been in Perth. The only thing that’s different is we’re not traveling across to the tournament. So, in terms of preparation, we’ve got a bit of a hometown advantage now. It makes a little bit easier for a good understanding of the field and the surface and everything to do with the playing arena. Friends and families of the athletes will be there as well as other softball supporters from within the state, so that’s something to look forward to.

Scott: We’ve had parents that have had to scrimp and scrape, scrape to try and get obviously the kids over there. We’ve also had several kids drop out due to it. So, it has had a bit of an impact in terms of getting the team over to New South Wales for sure. And I suppose the continual effect of finance and everything like that has had an effect. It’s just not just actually travelling and going over there, but it’s also all the mental and financial burdens

Q: With New South Wales not having the best weather recently have you practiced in the rain at all?

Adam: It’s been raining for the last three months, it feels like. So yes, it will. (During the) men’s national they’ve had the draw changed three times in two days and we will also be monitoring the weather.

Q: What kind of preparation goes into preparing for the National Championship?

Adam: It’s a couple of months of hard training, but our selection of it (has) been happening for over 18 months. So, we identified our players about eight months ago now, but then with the delay in the tournament, means that it’s a little bit longer than we normally have (which is) three months of preparation. We’ve had a longer squad but a tighter preparation because of the lockdown. What we have done is trained extra time throughout the week, three times a week for the last eight weeks.

Q. What’s it like getting to coach all these players who are competing at such a high level?

Adam: I’ve been doing this for a very long time, so to me it’s just normal. The level that I coach at is the New South Wales national team level. What I would say about the high representative athletes is that they train hard (and) work hard. Their goals are much more than just winning games, they want to go on to represent their country.

Scott: I think it’s an absolute privilege to be coaching players at this level. It has certainly been challenging to try and reinvent the wheel and to always have different and unique training sessions that are applicable to a wide range of playing abilities. I think one of the biggest challenges has also been the mental game because a lot of adolescents these days are not resilient and having to actually explicitly teach how to be resilient and to push forward. It’s been probably the greatest challenge of them all

Q: What do you think your teams’ advantage is going into the tournament?

Adam: Our passion and our dedication. Whether it’s been from the very start we’ve set clear goals. We’ve got a clear path and very fortunate with our training, even though it’s been held up a little bit in the rain. They’ve stayed true to the task and they’re really focusing in on working together as a team as opposed to individually achieving goals. Once we get to nationals, all the hard work is going to be done and we’ll hopefully reap the benefits of the hard work we’ve put in.

Scott: I think it’s one of our strengths and in all of my 20 something years of coaching, I’ve never had a team that has gelled as much as what this team has done. And I think their belief in each other and the respect they have with each other will put us over the edge. So, it’s not just about playing, but the actual teamwork and understanding each other and celebrating each other’s success and that sort of thing. We have a very good batting line up that will turn some heads, I’m sure. We have some outstanding individual talents that are quite special as well to the game. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we compare.

Under 18 Girls (Coaches: Fabian Barlow- QLD, Darrin Crisp- NSW and Chris McCabe- WA)

Q: This tournament was supposed to be in Western Australia and it has now been relocated to New South Wales. Has the preparation changed at all?

Fabian: No, based on the location, it hasn’t changed anything that we’re doing. Every dime is generally the same around the country. I think it’s exciting for the young girls at the different teams that are going, just the fact that they get to go to the Olympic Stadium from 2000 Olympics. So that would be exciting for them. But obviously it’s a shame for WA not to be able to host. But yes, certainly from our preparation point of view, nothing’s been adjusted based on that change.

Chris: Life has really changed with regards to cohabiting in Perth. So obviously we’ve been pretty isolated and then we found that (some) players weren’t available because they had COVID and we had a lot of close contacts, so they were in isolation. It was a big massive hit to training and people attending sessions. I’ve never had so many interruptions in regards to a training run into a Nationals tournament.

Q: With New South Wales not having the best weather recently have you practiced in the rain at all?

Fabian: What the weather’s like. If it’s raining and it’s a weather tournament, any of that will certainly impact different ways how you play the game and that sort of stuff. But it’ll be the same for whoever’s out there playing, so we’ll just adjust to whatever we roll into when we get into Sydney.

Darrin: Our preparation has been hard with COVID and also the rain. All the councils have closed their grounds, so we’ve been doing indoor sessions. We have a 12-week program and we had an 8-week program which was cut down to the rain and also not being able to train outdoors. We probably trained outdoors four time as we predominately play on dirt diamonds, so that’s been the problem.

Chris: I’ll just say that the weather forecast is lightning out, so we’re excited about that.

Q: What kind of preparation goes into preparing for the National Championship?

Fabian: I’m sure we’re the same as every other state. We’re have been very short on our preparation, traditionally, you’d get 10 or 12 weeks. We’ve probably ran out about six or seven. We’ve just got to make sure for us as a team, we’ve worked really hard on defence. We think that’s the most critical thing going into a tournament that you can keep an opposition team down on runs, which makes it a little bit easier for you offensively. You don’t have to get as many runs to compete.

Darrin: Make sure they don’t play with any fear that they’re going to make a mistake. If they do make a mistake, have good recovery routines, make sure that they have all their routines set right, so their mindset is right for the game. Most of the coaching is done away from the dime and it’s just a matter of how you coach. If I prepare them right and I’ve taught them everything they need to know before then they’ll be fine.

Q. What’s it like getting to coach all these players who are competing at such a high level?

Darrin: It’s fantastic. It’s probably the best thing. I’ve done this for 25 years. I just love teaching these kids how to play softball and watching. Sometimes you get in the coach’s box and you become a spectator and you forget about that because you’re just in awe of how they play.

Chris: It’s one of the most exciting things I get to do. (It’s the) first time I am a national coach; I have been an assistant for (other) nationals. I’m lucky that I had such a supportive coaching staff, (they) have helped me, nurtured me and directed me when I had doubts.

Q. What do you think your teams’ advantage is going into the tournament?

Fabian: It’s probably a philosophy that I have as a coach that you’ve just got to have good defense, (and a) good offense, (that) will win you individual games. But when you go to a tournament, you’re playing multiple Games, multiple days. It’s the defense that will carry you through the tough situations, the less runs you give up, the less you have to get, which ultimately makes your offence feel pretty good about itself. We’ve put a lot of time into that so hopefully it pays dividends.

Darrin: The advantage will probably be home ground. The girls are used to the venues and the more spectators, the bigger crowds. Especially having family and friends there will be good. The girls can feel more comfortable than if we were to go away with the team.

Chris: One of the things is that we’ve played a lot more. I think we’ve played a lot more games, compared to the East Coast because these guys have had a lot more COVID for a lot longer.

Players’ Perspective

We interviewed six different players from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia to find out what it is like to represent their state in a prestigious tournament, the mental side of softball and why their team has what it takes to beat all the other states and claim themselves as the winner. These players are Zander Goodwin and Bailey Hart who represent Western Australia in the U18 Boys Squad and Soraya Hamson (Queensland), Paula (New South Wales), Aisling Wilson (Western Australia) and Ashlyn Hughes (Western Australia) who represent their respective state in the U18 Girls competition.

Under 18 Boys (Zander Goodwin and Bailey Hart from Western Australia)

Q. What is it like getting to represent your state at such a high level

Zander: It’s almost hard to explain. I did this in (Under) 16s, it was a really good experience. That was a good year, for me that was eye opening because I didn’t realise what the actual competition was once you get into state. We lost by a couple of runs last year but this year it’s a different feeling (and) different experience now.

Bailey: It’s a really big honour. I feel proud to represent the black and gold, and it’s very big.

Q. This tournament was originally meant to be in Western Australia but was relocated to New South Wales because of Covid. How is it that you can’t play in front of your family and friend and you no longer have the home field advantage?

A. It’s all a different feel because obviously you miss out on your family and friends (watching you) and you do feel a bit homesick. I wouldn’t mind it, but it’s all good because we still travel.

Bailey: It’s a little bit disappointing, and sad.

Q. How do you prepare for a big tournament like this?

Zander: It’s a lot of characteristics going into it. I usually have a pre-game ritual where I just try and zone in and do my own thing but make sure all my team is ready to go on the actual game day and make sure we’re all feeling good.

Q. Do you have a specific playlist you listen to, to get hyped for the game?

Zander: I usually listen to a lot of different stuff. Some of the boys when we train, we have a speaker but when we’re on the bus I’ll usually zone out and have my headphones on and just making sure I’m doing everything right for myself.

Q. You have to play eight games in such a short period of time. How much of a toll does that take on you?

Zander: Scott (the coach) was telling us and I really wasn’t prepared for it because (last time) in six games we had a bit of time to do different stuff and we actually could go out even though we can’t do it now. It’s a big toll because we’re going to be playing three games a day and some games will go late, so it’s a big sort of thing. When our management will say go home and sleep and get some rest, I think most of our team mean that we need to go home, recover and make sure we’re packed and ready to go.

Bailey: I’m assuming that (it’s) going to take a lot. I’ve never really done that. The other one was over (in) five days and I think it was a bit shorter, especially with a couple days of three games. It will take a big toll on our bodies.

Q. What is going to be the key advantage for Western Australia to walk away with the Nox Bailey Shield?

Zander: I think team chemistry for our team and over the last six months we’ve all bonded and made sure that all of us are ready to go and make sure all of us are okay at trainings. And even if one of us gets down, we will try and cheer him up and make sure that it’s okay. Move on and we’ll just keep going.

Bailey: We’re all really, really good mates. I think we all got a really good connection and we’re all on the same page and there to win. We want to have fun, but we still are all going to be switched on, going out for the wins.

Under 18 Girls (Soraya- QLD, Paula- NSW and Aisling and Ashlyn- WA)

Q. What is it like getting to represent your state at a high level?

Soraya: Yeah, it’s pretty good being able to be an influence to the younger girls coming up and also being influenced by the older girls in front of us.

Aisling: It’s really an honour to be able to represent my state. It’s been such a tough training to get here and it’s just super exciting overall.

Ashlyn: It’s honestly incredible. I can’t even imagine. Sometimes it just doesn’t really feel real because I’ve represented WA three times now, and every time, it’s just so incredible. The tournament’s so exciting. Just such an amazing opportunity.

Paula: This will be my first nationals for New South Wales. It’s an honour and a privilege. I think the girls that we’re playing with are really high caliber and talented.

Q. This tournament was originally meant to be in Western Australia but was relocated to New South Wales because of Covid. Has that changed any of your team’s plans especially with the bad weather in NSW?

Soraya: We haven’t really changed mindset. It’s kind of the same: same nationals, same opportunities. At least it has not been fully cancelled completely. We’re fine with the change, it’s just a different perspective on diamonds.

Aisling: It was quite disappointing at first. It was mixed feelings and disappointment that it wasn’t here and that we couldn’t spend it with family watching us. But I get super excited to go to play at the Olympic Stadium. You couldn’t imagine a better place to play.

Ashlyn: It’s honestly, it’s disappointing, but I’m so grateful to be travelling and playing in New South Wales. I’ve never been to New South Wales, so I’m really excited to travel. I know even though we all love playing in WA, playing at our home ground, it is definitely more exciting to travel.

Q. You have to play a minimum of eight games in the tournament, is that hard to play so many games in such a short period?

Soraya:  Well it’s definitely different for us. We haven’t really squeezed that many games in over four days, but we just need to make that our levels are staying high within each game and just forget about the game and move on to the next.

Aisling: There’s definitely the physical side where you’ve got to make sure you’re on top of your recovery between games, because that’s going to be quite strenuous. But most of it is mental, even if you’ve had a horrible game or horrible start to the tournament try (and) pull yourself together and get back out there for the following games.

Ashlyn: Definitely physically it’s going to be very difficult. That’s why we’re implementing pool recovery sessions. Definitely stretching after, but mentally it’s going to be so tough. Most tournaments, I’m struggling by day three.

Paula: Obviously we want to win but, playing as we go.I feel like that’s the fun of it as well though, we can kind of scout while we’re watching the other states play. But I think also going into the game, not having any expectations is also a really good thing.

Q. What is going to be the key advantage for your team to emerge with the Elinor McKenzie shield?

Soraya:  On behalf of our team, I’d say our communication, our positive communication and mindset and just playing as one whole team. We’ve got such a strong bond between all of us girls so I reckon just how strong we are altogether as one team

Aisling: We’re just such a tight knit group. We’ve been together for quite a while and been training for coming up to a year now since the tournament’s been pushed back for a few months. It’s been really great having such an awesome group of girls to get to know and be really good friends with.

Ashlyn: Honestly just the lead up to this tournament has been so difficult for our team. We’ve had issues with COVID players, so the team we’ve got now is such a strong knit team, we’ve all worked so hard to be where we are right now. We’re already having fun at trainings, in my eyes we’re winners. It doesn’t matter how the tournament plays out, we’ve all worked so hard to be where we are right now, but as long as we all enjoy ourselves and have fun, I think we’ll be happy with the end result.

Paula: The trust we have in each other and the bond that we’ve all created with each other, we’ve all gelled as a team really well. I think on the diamond that shows, especially with how we play with one another, obviously at training’s, Darren and Nicky have moved us around in different positions and everything’s kind of hashed out really well and we’ve all worked well with one another.

With all the experience from both the coaches and players it will be a tight competition as to who will walk away as winners. Will New South Wales retain the Elinor McKenzie Shield or will another state prevail? Will Queensland win the Nox Bailey Shield again or will they be upset by another state?

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