Selections have recently been announced for the GB Women’s Fastpitch Team, the GB Junior (Under-19) Women’s Fastpitch Team and the GB Cadette (Under-16) Girls’ Fastpitch Team, all of whom will play in ESF or ISF competitions this summer.
GB Under-16 Head Coach Jeremy Thomas has named a squad of 13 players for the European Cadette Championships that will be played in Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy from 29 June-4 July, while Women’s Team Head Coach Hayley Scott has selected 17 players for the European Women’s Championships in Rosmalen in the Netherlands from 19-25 July. GB Under-19 Women’s Head Coach Rachael Watkeys has named 14 players who will travel to Oklahoma City in the United States for the ISF Junior World Championships, to be played from 9-16 August.
All three teams will be looking to improve on their placings from two years ago.
GB Cadettes
The GB Cadette (Under-16) Team played very well against the toughest teams the European Cadette Championships had to offer two years ago in Ostrava in the Czech Republic, but were frustrated to finish in sixth place after close playoff losses to Belgium and Germany.
This year’s European Cadette Championships will feature only six teams, as opposed to 12 in 2013, and the initial round-robin will be played as a single pool. Four of the six teams will advance to the Page Playoffs.
Only three of the 13 players selected for this year's GB Cadettes competed in Ostrava two years ago, while the rest have either come up from the GB Under-13s or are new recruits to the programme.
GB Cadette Head Coach Jeremy Thomas said, "Overall, we had more than 20 players going for squad places, which reflects the excellent work that has been done with the GB Under-13s over the past few years.
"Some decisions were very tough to make," Jeremy added. "While some younger players had good technique, they would have physically struggled against the significantly more powerful pitchers they would be facing. Others, with hard work, would be ready in September, but have just run out of time for this tournament. We will continue to work with GB Under-13 Head Coach Beth Perkins and Manager Julie Spittle to have a co-ordinated approach to the player development path."
"It is also excellent to see so many current Under-16s being selected for the GB Under-19 squad," Jeremy said, "plus other players from the last European Cadette Championships such as Chelsie Robison, Immy Thomas, Amie Hutchison and Sian Wigington, who are continuing their GB experience."
The GB Cadettes will open the tournament on Monday 29 June with a game against Spain at 3.00 pm Italian time, and will then play two games on Tuesday: Russia at 1.30 pm and Italy at 7.30 pm. GB will then play the Czech Republic at 5.00 pm on Wednesday and the final group game against Belgium at 11.00 am on Thursday.
The players selected are:
Laura Hirai (IF)
Theo Longboy (Utility)
Isabel Mosely (OF)
Mary Racz (Utility)
Jasmine Rushin (IF)
Katherine Ryan (P, IF)
Alana Snow (P, C, Utility)
Amira Solomon (C)
Annecy Stevens (OF)
Alys Thomas (OF)
Marlia Van't Sant (Utility)
Niamh Walker (P, Utility)
Ella Henson and Ashleigh Carolan were also selected for the team but are not able to make the trip as both are playing for the GB Under-19 Women in ISF Junior World Championships in Oklahoma.
The staff will be:
Head Coach: Jeremy Thomas
Assistant Coach: Joss Thompson
Assistant Coach: Larry Rushin
Team Manager: Sarah Rushin
GB Women’s Team
The GB Women’s Team finished fifth at the European Championships in 2013, their lowest since 2007, missing out on fourth place by the margin of just two runs conceded. Hayley Scott has set the team the challenge of a top-three finish this time around, but she also thinks that GB is capable of winning the tournament.
“We have a young team that has a great future leading up to what we hope will be an Olympic competition in 2020,” Hayley told the players in a recent team memo, “and our plan for this season is to combine and use all our skills and talent to win the Europeans. I believe we have the talent, experience and heart to win the tournament.”
The GB Women will start out in a pool that will include Italy, Slovakia and Switzerland, with the top two teams advancing to playoffs. As always, the team that wins the pool will get an easier slate of games in the second round.
GB will open the tournament with a game against Slovakia at 2.45 pm Dutch time on Sunday 19 July, and will play Italy at 8.45 pm on Monday and Switzerland at 11.45 am on Tuesday. The rest of the week will be trophy and consolation playoffs.
The players selected to play for the GB Women’s Team at the European Championships are a mixture of newcomers and relative veterans, though only three players remain from the team that finished third at the Europeans in 2011. Six of the players selected played for the GB Under-19s in European Championships last year in Rosmalen, so they will be coming back to a familiar ground.
The players selected are:
Emma Bridge (P)
Georgina Corrick (P, IF)
Sarah Craig (IF)
Hayley D’Avilar (OF)
Lauren Evans (IF)
Susie Hall (C, OF)
Carling Hare (P)
Chiya Louie (IF)
Amy Moore (C, OF)
Stephanie Pearce (C, OF)
Nicole Ratel (C, 1B)
Laura Thompson (OF)
Keeli Waugh (IF, OF)
Kori Waugh (P, OF)
Amy Wells (IF)
Chloe Wigington (OF)
Alicja Wolny (1B)
The staff will be:
Head Coach: Hayley Scott
Assistant Coach: Ross Smith
Pitching Coach: Megan Brown
Team Manager: Chris Macleod
Physio: TBD
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GB Under-19 Women
In Rachael Watkeys’ first year as Head Coach of the GB Under-19 Women, the team surprised many by finishing in ninth place at the Junior World Championships in Canada, turning in some excellent performances in the process. But this year, the goal is to make the playoffs, which means at least finishing in the top eight.
This year’s GB Under-19 Team, coming off their best-ever fourth place finish at the European Championships a year ago, will feature eight new players, including four players who played for the GB Under-16s two years ago. Two of the players selected – Georgina Corrick and Lauren Evans – will also play for the GB Women’s Team this summer.
With the ISF Junior World Championships now an open tournament, 18 teams are currently signed up to take part -- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Columbia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, the United States and Venezuela.
Pools have now been drawn, and GB will be in Section A along with Japan, China, Ecuador and Nigeria. The top two teams from each pool will go to the trophy playoffs, with the other three going to placement playoffs.
GB will open the tournament with two games on Sunday 9 August playing China at 11.00 am (Oklahoma time and Ecuador at 3.30 pm.
On Monday 10 August, Britain will play Nigeria at 9.00 am and Japan at 7.30 pm, and then the rest of the tournament -- Tuesday through Saturday -- will be trophy and placement playoffs.
The GB Under-19 Team will be:
Ashleigh Carolan
Georgina Corrick
Chelsea D’Avilar
Lauren Evans
Lucy Hall
Ella Henson
Laura Hirai
Amie Hutchison
Chelsie Robison
Alana Snow
Annecy Stevens
Imogen Thomas
Niamh Walker
Sian Wigington
The staff will be:
Head Coach: Rachael Watkeys
Assistant Coach: Liz Knight
Assistant Coach: Karlene Headley-Cooper
Pitching Coach: Joke van der Hulst
Team Manager: Simon Mortimer
Physio: Kim Hannessen