Chalfont Softball Club has been shortlisted for the Bucks and Milton Keynes Club of the Year award. The awards night, organised by the Bucks and Milton Keynes County Sports Partnership, will take place on Friday 6 December at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury.
This is the second year in succession that the club has been shortlisted; in 2012, it missed out to Redway Runners from Milton Keynes. This year, the club will be up against Milton Keynes Rowing Club and Milton Keynes Springers Gymnastic Club.
Delight
“We’re absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted again,” said Neil Turner, Chalfont's Development Officer. “It’s great that the work we are doing at our club is being recognised by our CSP. We’re honoured to be part of another evening that celebrates the achievements of community sports clubs and their volunteers – we’re really looking forward to it.”
Chalfont Softball Club has had a busy year. It now boasts two of the top five teams in the Windsor and Maidenhead Softball League and its third team also took the Division 2 title. In August, the club captured the BSF Gold National Championship title.
Development work
It’s in coaching and junior development, however, where the club has put in the most work.
Chalfont’s coaches and volunteers have been instrumental in helping to set up Marlow Softball Club, providing taster sessions and then training sessions for a group of new players and providing all the support the team required during its first league season, including coaching at games and loaning spare players.
Chalfont has also expanded its junior activities this year. It ran after-school clubs in two local schools that involved around 60 students and supported their participation in the Bucks School Games. The club then signed up just over 20 of the students to its junior section and ran a programme of junior training sessions after the school activity had ended.
Neil Turner said: “It was great to see so many of the kids sign up to do more softball. The sessions went really well and it was great that so many of our coaches gave up their time to help run them. It’s exciting to see junior softball growing in our area, with Maidenhead and Richings Park both starting to put together their own programmes.”
Recognition
BSUK Development Manager Patrick Knock, who has worked closely with Chalfont Softball Club, said: “Having narrowly missed out on the Club of the Year award at the 2012 Bucks and MK Awards, I feel that after another year of delivering high quality programmes, sessions and events that will grow softball participation and continue to promote the sport in the county, the club deserves the recognition of this award.
“Their consistent motivation to be involved and learn about projects that the club can get involved in,” Patrick added, “is something which, from a BSUK perspective, is really great. They are fully aware of such programmes as Sportivate and Sport England Small Grants and have successfully accessed this funding to deliver projects.
For further information, please contact Neil Turner on: development@chalfontsoftballclub.co.uk or visit the club website: www.chalfontsoftballclub.co.uk.
