In September last year, long time GB U18 Men’s fastpitch Head Coach Ian Tomlin retired. After a thorough hiring process, the Federation is pleased to appoint Alan Le Marquand as his replacement.
Alan served under Ian as his assistant for the last 5 years, including during the last U18 European Championship in 2023. Working under Ian, Alan learned from one of the longest-tenured members of staff within the GB Men’s program, learning everything it takes to run a national team and compete at the highest level.
Alan also previously coached at the National Fastpitch Academy, and at the High Performance Academy, where he developed his technical skills as a fastpitch coach. He has done all of this alongside coaching and running Maidenhead softball club, where he has developed many young athletes, many of whom are now in the Junior Men’s program.
Alan is an active member of the European Softball Coaches Association, and the US-based National Fastpitch Coaches Association, travelling abroad to learn and develop his coaching skills to help British softball continue to grow.
Alan said of his appointment, “It is an honour to take on the role of U18 Head Coach. The program has come a long way since I became involved 5 years ago, and I look forward to helping our athletes continue to develop and grow. There is a lot of work to do before the 2026 U18 Men’s European Championship, but this is an exciting time to be part of the Men’s program as a whole. This is a new challenge for me and I still have a lot to learn, but I am excited.”
The Federation wishes Alan the best of luck as he begins to prepare the U18 Men’s program for the 2026 European Championship.