2012 Annual Report - Softball Australia

High Performance
Other events
Test Series: Australia v New Zealand
At the conclusion of the Edebone-Weber Shield in
Canberra, Aussie Spirit and the New Zealand White Sox
competed in a three game Test Series. Australia took
out the series 3-0, defeating New Zealand in the final
game 8-0. Christina Kreppold (WA), Kara Murphy (NSW)
Vanessa Stokes (SA) and Marina Walker (Vic) played for
Australia for the first time.
International Challenge Series: Japan v
Australia
At the completion of Gilley’s Shield Round 4 at
Blacktown Olympic Park (NSW), a squad of 20 athletes
were selected to compete against Japan in a 7 game
series in Canberra from 21-24 March 2012. The Series
allowed both teams to use the competition as a final
selection event for the 2012 XIII ISF Open Women's
World Championship.
The Japanese team consisted of the number one
women’s pitcher, Yukiko Ueno, and fellow 2008
Olympic gold medallists, Yukiyo Mine, Rei Nishiyama
and Eri Yamada.
Japan took out the series 5-2, with Australia finishing
strongly in the last game to win a spectacular game 6-5.
Securing the number two world ranked team and
reigning Olympic Softball gold medallists for a test
series leading into the World Championship was a
great achievement for Softball Australia and testimony
to the strength of Australian Women’s Softball on the
world stage.
Stacey Porter (NSW) was awarded Most Valuable
Player of the series, playing in all 7 games, hitting 3
home runs with a batting average of 0.421.
AIS Women’s Softball Program
The AIS Softball Program was established in 1993 and
has been a major factor in the strength and success of
Australian Women’s Softball. The purpose of the
program is to provide a Daily Training Environment
(DTE) for elite female athletes, that supports the
development of world class players and nurtures
champion Australian teams. Softball Australia and the
AIS Head Coach, Kere Johanson, coordinate a network
of coaches in each state to assist in the provision of
expert contemporary coaching and training.
Seven AIS training camps were conducted during the
year to support the national team in the lead up to the
2012 XIII ISF Open Women's World Championship held
in Yukon, Canada from 13-22 July:
• AIS pre-tour Camp, Blacktown, NSW, 2-3 July 2011
Australian based athletes and coaches attended a
two day training camp prior to departure for the
Canadian Open Fastpitch International
Championships in Vancouver.
• AIS Induction Camp, AIS Canberra, ACT, 8-11
September 2011
The athletes were addressed by acting AIS CEO, Phil
Borgeaud, and were provided with anti-doping and
nutrition information. The Aussie Pride joined the
camp as part of their final preparation for the IX ISF
Junior Women’s World Championship held in South
Africa, 7-17 December 2011.
• AIS Pre and post Gilley’s Shield, Round 1 Camps, 26
and 31 October 2011
• AIS Pre Gilley’s Shield, Round 2 Camp, 24 November
2011
• AIS Camp, Blacktown, NSW, 2-4 March 2012
• AIS Camp, West Beach, SA, 2-4 June 2012
Twelve athletes and national coaching staff
attended this final camp prior to departure to the
US and Canada.
• AIS pre-tour Camp, Oklahoma University, 24-26
June 2012
Seventeen athletes and national coaching staff
attended the Camp.
In December 2011, 25 of the available 28 AIS
Scholarships were selected to the Australian Open
Women’s Squad. Scholarships were awarded on an
eight month basis with the intention of providing
sports medicine and science support to recipients, as
well as access to the facilities of the AIS and the State
Sports Academies and Institutes in ACT, NSW, Qld, Vic,
WA and SA.
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