BaseballSoftballUK is happy to announce Fastpitch @ Farnham – a summer full of fastpitch softball training opportunities at Farnham Park!  Whether you’re a veteran player or just starting your fastpitch journey, these training sessions are open to all ages and abilities.

Register here.

Training will be delivered by expert BSUK coaches, led by Fastpitch Development Manager and professional player for Olympia Haarlem, Alyson Spinas-Valainis.  Each session will be part of a carefully conceived programme of all-skills development.  Sessions will be designed to get players game-ready and maximise their preparation and skills for the 2021 outdoor season.

There will be two types of sessions:

  • Open Invite Sessions: for anyone 14 and up who feels comfortable with the ffastpitch format.
  • Youth Sessions: for anyone 14 and under who is either beginning their fastpitch journey or are in in-school sessions or midweek youth sessions.

If you have questions about which session you should attend, please feel free to ask -- and give it a try!

These fastpitch sessions will use the coaching and training principles developed over the past few years at Academy Softball, the Softball High Performance Academy, and previous fastpitch sessions.
 

About the Instructors:

Lead instructor Alyson Spinas-Valainis (they/them) is the current Fastpitch Development Manager for BaseballSoftballUK and the British Softball Federation as well as a professional player for Olympia Haarlem in the Netherlands’ Golden League.  They are also the pitching coach for the Great Britain Men's National Team and Co-Head Coach in BSUK’s Academy and High-Performance Academy (HPA).

Julie Spittle is the manager of the GB Cubs Under-13 National Fastpitch Team and leads BSUK’s midweek Youth Programme, as well as being an Academy and HPA coach.  Julie has years of fastpitch and slowpitch softball experience, and has been working in development for a number of years, both in schools and at Farnham Park.

Ieuan Gale is the President of the British Softball Federation and a member of the GB Men's National Fastpitch Team.  After first playing fastpitch softball at a school session years ago, he has dedicated time and effort as a development coach as well as a national team player.

Sian Wigington grew up playing fastpitch softball and went through the GB Women’s programme, starting at Under-15 level and working her way up to the GB Under-22 team.  She is an Assistant Coach for the GB Under-15 Women’s National Team and is the co-founder of The Mix, a fastpitch club team that competes in European and other International competitions.
 

Topics

Training sessions will cover the following areas: fielding, throwing, batting, short-game, pitching and catching.

Each session will end with a post-training scrimmage, subject to numbers and availability.

Insurance cover and water will be provided.  Players should wear personal playing kit and bring gloves and their favourite bat if they have one.  The rest of the equipment will be at the field.  Sessions will be held outdoors regardless of weather, so please dress appropriately.  Each session will include a lunch/snack break.
 

Dates

Further dates to be announced shortly.

YOUTH SESSIONS:

  • Saturday, June 12, 9:00-13:00

OPEN INVITE SESSIONS:

  • Sunday, May 16, 13:00-18:00
  • Sunday, May 23, 12:00-17:00
  • Sunday, June 27, 11:00-16:00
     

Venue

All sessions will take place at Farnham Park National Baseball & Softball Complex, Beaconsfield Road, Slough SL2 3BP.

Showers, changing rooms and toilets are all available onsite.
 

Covid-19

All sessions will run under BaseballSoftballUK’s Return to Play guidance, available here.
 

Cost and registration

The cost for attending is £10 per session.

Please note that payment must be made at the time of registration and you will be directed to Paypal to pay at the end of the form, although an account is not required.  No payment will be accepted on the day of the session or on site.

Once you have registered and your place has been confirmed, the team at BaseballSoftballUK will be in touch with next steps.

Register here.