The BSF Executive held its latest monthly videoconference meeting on the evening of Monday 5 February 2024. Below is a report on the main 
discussions and decisions.
Attendance
Present: Lesley Morisetti (President), Liz Graham (Competitions and Membership Officer), Alice Hunter (National Teams Officer), Pete Saunders (Technical Officer), Jessica Hastings (Admin Assistant), Stella Ackrell (Safeguarding Officer), Shiraz Mehra (General Officer), Tim Bishop (Athlete Commission), Bob Fromer (Administrator).
Apologies: Laura Hirai (Fastpitch Development Officer), Jordan Cooper (General Officer—Marketing), Nicola-Jane Dyson (General Officer – 2026 Euros).
Guest: John Boyd (BSUK).
Progress on Action Points from the BSF’s January Face-to-Face Meeting
- Stephen Shearer, who advises the BSF on insurance, is working with Howden’s to finalise insurance quotes for 2024-25.
- Competitions and Membership Officer Liz Graham will order trophies for Annual Award winners and Hall of Fame inductees once the BSF has a working bank account. After the winners and inductees are announced at the remote BSF AGM on 24 February, they will be contacted to agree on where and when their trophies can be presented.
- The Athlete Commission has decided that its members will serve three-year terms, but terms may be staggered in future to ensure a mixture of continuity and new blood.
- A meeting will be convened soon by BSF General Officer Nicola-Jane Dyson to move forward with plans for hosting the European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship in 2026.
Resignation from the BSF Executive
George Stamets has stepped down from his role as a General Officer on the BSF Executive due to pressures of work.
Clarification on European umpire commitments
Mike Jennings has told the Executive that in terms of fulfilling our commitment to send umpires to European competitions, the key point is that we make the relevant number of umpires available.
Should WBSC Europe choose not to select any of our available umpires for specific tournaments, the fact that we made them available should count towards fulfilling our commitment.
Window for new NSL applicants
Competitions Officer Liz Graham has proposed, and the Executive has agreed, that the month of September each year will be the window in which new teams can apply for access to the waiting list for places in the National Softball League.
News of this window will be publicised on the BSF website and Facebook page.
Members of the Athlete Commission will be available at every NSL weekend to provide teams hoping to access the NSL with advice and guidance.
Marketing and Communications
The BSF’s Marketing Subcommittee will be meeting during the week beginning 5 February, and will, among other things, consider which parts of the BSF marketing plan we want to pursue, whether we need a new or expanded social media policy, and how communications and event coverage can be addressed going forward.
BASU update
BSF Technical Officer Pete Saunders reported that all eight umpire courses currently running are going well, with around 120 participants. Getting more umpires trained is an obvious help to leagues, but also means that more of these newly qualified umpires will filter up to national level.
GB Management Committee
BSF National Teams Officer Dr Alice Hunter reported on a reorganisation of the GB Management Committee (GBMC), the BSF subcommittee which oversees and supports national teams.
The primary work of the GBMC is now carried out by an Executive which is chaired by the BSF National Teams Officer and consists of representatives from the BSF and BSUK, including Performance Director and Olympic Leader Gary Anderson and Performance Programme Coordinator Shelley Robinson.
The GBMC Executive meets monthly, but Team Managers from all national teams will join the Executive’s meeting in February 2024, and Team Managers of teams travelling each year will be expected to take part in GBMC meetings during that year until their competition has finished.
GB Slowpitch Review
The review of the GB Slowpitch programme carried out under the auspices of the GBMC by an independent panel chaired by BSUK Performance Director and Olympic Leader Gary Anderson is in its final stages, with a report expected soon.
There was a very good response from players to a comprehensive survey, and these responses will inform the report’s conclusions. A search is currently under way for a new Head Coach and Team Manager for the programme, and applicants will receive a copy of the report and recommendations, which will be used to guide the interview process.
Once a new Head Coach is appointed, Team Manager applicants will be interviewed and an appointment made by a two-person panel consisting of the new Head Coach and BSF National Teams Officer Dr Alice Hunter – a process that will also be followed in making other Team Manager appointments.
International tournaments in the UK
The BSF has already been awarded the right by WBSC Europe to host the 2026 European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship at Farnham Park, and at the WBSC Europe Congress taking place in Malaga from 8-10 February, BSUK will present a bid to host the 2027 European Women’s Fastpitch Championship.
The BSF supports this bid, as does UK Sport, but the BSF will not have any financial responsibility for the event should it be awarded to Britain over a competing bid from Germany.
Next meeting
The BSF Executive’s next monthly videoconference meeting will be on the evening of Monday 11 March.
Anyone on the Executive or in the softball community who wishes to bring an item to the meeting should contact BSF Administrator Jessica Hastings.