By Jessica Hastings

The British Softball Federation (BSF) held its first meeting of 2025 near Cheadle in Manchester, to set priorities and define key actions for the year. Here’s a summary of what members can expect in the coming months as we continue working with our partners to grow and support the sport across the UK.

Attendance

Present: Lesley Morisetti (President), Laura Burkhardt (Treasurer), Liz Graham (Competitions and Membership Office), Dr Alice Hunter (National Teams Officer), Pete Saunders (Technical Officer), Laura Hirai (Fastpitch Development Officer), Stella Ackrell (Safeguarding Officer), Nicola-Jane Dyson (General Officer), Tim Bishop (General Officer), Jessica Hastings (Administrator)

Guests: Mike Jennings (WBSCE), Gary Anderson (BSUK Performance Director), Aled Howell (BSUK Development Director)

Personal Accident Insurance and Team Fees 2025

The personal accident and injury insurance will continue to be mandatory for all BSF affiliated teams. This cost will continue to be incorporated in the team fees. Teams and leagues are strongly encouraged to ensure that all players register for their team and league on TeamLinkt with the BSF. This will ensure they are registered and recorded, in the case of any insurance claims being made.

Team fees will not be increased for 2025.

Details on how to register for this season can be found here.

National Championships and Events

Safety and standards at national events remain a top priority. We’re in discussions with BSUK to ensure Farnham Park meets minimum requirements for hosting, and we’re finalising the 2025 calendar to provide greater clarity on event dates.

All BSF events for the 2025 season are available to view here.

Funding and Resources

To support growth, we are developing a new grant form specifically for new softball clubs. This grant will be available to new clubs starting out in locations without leagues or support. The aim of this grant is to provide a starter set of kit required for a club to function and we will be keen to support coaches and experienced players who are interested.

Prior to the publishing of the grant form, if you have any queries or interest in this please contact: info@britishsoftball.org

Athlete Commission Updates

The BSF is preparing to fill vacancies on the Athlete Commission and will advertise roles soon.

If you have any concerns about events across the country please reach out to the Athletes Commission team.

Communications

The Marketing and Communications Officer role will be advertised shortly. If you are interested please contact: info@britishsoftball.org

Looking Ahead

The AGM is scheduled for the 22nd February 2025. AGM packs and links to join will be sent later this month.

We thank all our members and partners for their ongoing support and enthusiasm as we work together to support and grow softball. If you have any questions or want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out.