The GB Under-22 Women’s Team’s mission is to help players bridge the gap between junior and senior levels of play and this year the team will be travelling to Kunovice in the Czech Republic to play in the European Under-22 Women’s Fastpitch Championship from 26 June-2 July.
Because of interruptions caused by the pandemic, this will be the first competitive outing for the GB Under-22s since 2018, when the team finished fourth in the European Championship held in Trnava, Slovakia, narrowly missing out on a medal.
Now, Head Coach Jo Malisani has announced the players selected for this year’s team – a much-changed roster since four years is a long time for age-group national teams and players move on to higher age groups.
Selection process
For the 2022 season, the GB Under-22 Women’s Team conducted trials virtually, part of a process that was open to all athletes wishing to try out for the GB Under-15, Under-18 and Under-22 Women’s National Teams. All athletes were required to submit video evidence of testing protocols showing athletic, defensive and offensive skills, as well as game footage, by March 2022.
After all video submissions were received, the GB Under-22 Selection Panel convened in early April, consisting of the Under-22 coaching staff and two external selectors whose role was to ensure that selections were made fairly and transparently based on criteria set out in GB Softball’s Selection Policy.
All athletes who trialed for the GB Under-22 team were contacted regarding selection decisions, and athletes who were offered a spot on the roster were required to confirm whether they would accept their selection.
Players
The 2022 GB Under-22 Women’s Team final roster includes the following players:
Molly Blackwood
Katie Burge
Jessica Chan
Imogen Gie
Kaitlyn Hickey
Lauren King
Alexis Larrow
Carys Lynch
Cameron McGinnis
Morgan Salmon
Saige Sampson
Michelle Shaw
Georgia Wilson
Athletes may be added or removed from the GB Under-22 roster at any time at the discretion of the Head Coach.
Staff
The staff that will take the team to the European Championship is:
Head Coach: Jo Malisani
Assistant Coach: Gina Carbonatto
Pitching Coach: Windy Thees
Team Operations Manager: Whitney Hollis
Sports Therapist: Edwin Lam
Looking ahead
Head Coach Jo Malisani said, “We are excited to be back on the field and participating in the European Championship after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The GB Under-22 staff is excited to work with this group of talented athletes, and we look forward to taking the Field at the Europeans and building upon our fourth-place finish in 2018!”
