The GB Under-16 and Under-18 Men’s Fastpitch Teams will be flying from Heathrow to Czechia this Saturday, 1 July, as the first British teams to compete in official competitions in Europe this season.
Both teams will be playing in European Championships for their respective age groups, with both tournaments being staged in Sezimovo Usti, south of Prague, from 3-8 July.
The GB Under-18 Men’s Team, currently ranked fifth in Europe, will be competing against the Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel and Croatia, while the new GB Under-16 Team, in its first-ever European tournament, will face the Czech Republic, Denmark and Israel.
Both tournaments will be played as a double round-robin, followed by bronze and gold medal games on Saturday 8 July.
While members of the GB Under-16 Team can also compete for the Under-18s, and there will be a small overlap of players on the two rosters in case of injuries, the intention is for the squads listed below to play as separate teams.
Preparation
Since the two squads were announced in late March, training sessions have been held at the dedicated softball facility at Conniburrow in Milton Keynes and on three Saturday evenings at Farnham Park following the close of play in the Great Britain Fastpitch League (GBFL), featuring a mixture of skills training, drills and games.
GBFL games have also been used for training, since the GB Under-18 Team competes in the league as the Hawks, and GB Under-16 players have been split between the Hawks and the Eagles, a team consisting of GB Under-23 Men’s Team players.
A final training day was held on Saturday 24 June at Farnham Park, culminating in a scrimmage game between the two teams, and there will be further training sessions on Sunday 2 July after the teams arrive in Czechia.
GB Under-18s
The GB Under-18s will have the honour of opening the European Under-18 Men’s Championship on Monday 3 July when they take on the host team and current champions, Czechia, at 1.00 pm Czech time.
GB will play Israel and Denmark on Tuesday, Croatia on Wednesday, Israel and the Czechs on Thursday, and Croatia and Denmark on Friday to complete the double round-robin.
Depending on where they finish in the round-robin standings, and as long as it’s higher than fifth, GB will play in either bronze or gold medal game on Saturday.
The players who will compete for the GB Under-18 Men’s Team in Sezimovo Usti, of whom all except one will be new to official European competition, are:
Will Adams
Luis Allan Arrevillagas
Charlie Barnes
Bailey Brown
Connor Buxton
Sam Buxton
Danny Casey-Wright
Raul Dodson-Richi
Henry Dunn
Fin James
Kyle Johnson
Edan Lord
Connor Peberdy
The staff will be:
Head Coach: Ian Tomlin
Team Operations Manager: Beccy Adams
Assistant Coach: Alan Le Marquand
Sports Therapist: Kila O'Boyle
Head Coach Ian Tomlin said, "I am excited to be taking the Under-18 Men's Team to the Euros. For the boys going to the tournament, it’s an amazing opportunity and it’s extra special to see GB compete in the Under-18 and Under-16 age groups for the first time. Representing your country at any sport is an amazing moment for the players and I’m sure the events of next week will be remembered for a lifetime.
"The games at these championships are always hard, but I believe the team is ready to face the challenge. We have some very talented players and if they all perform to the level I know they are capable of, they will give all the teams a good game. A big thank you to all the staff and players for their work in preparation for the tournament!"
GB Under-16s
The GB Under-16s will also open their tournament against the powerful Czech team on Monday 3 July, making their introduction to European softball a real baptism of fire.
GB will play Israel on Tuesday, Denmark and Czechia on Wednesday, Denmark on Thursday and Israel on Friday to complete the double round-robin.
With only four teams in the competition, GB is guaranteed to play in either the bronze or gold medal game on Saturday, depending on where they finish in the round-robin standings.
The players who will compete for the GB Under-16 Men’s Team in Sezimovo Usti, all of them playing in Europe for the first time, are:
Ben Acton
Beau Arnold
Jack Ashby-Lloyd
Oliver Brown
Rory Casey-Wright
Lucas Harrison
Freddy Henry
Jacob Henry
Noah Hickling-Fox
Ethan Hull
Mustafah Khalid
Jack Leslie
Jonah Lord-Taylor
Luca Taylor
Charlie Thacker
Nathan Wyborn
The staff will be:
Head Coach: Richard Brown
Team Operations Manager: Jill Russell
Assistant Coach: Ben Taylor
Sports Therapist: Megan Tubridy
Media Liaison: Bella Thacker
Head Coach Richard Brown said, “I am looking at this tour as an opportunity to bring the excitement of international play to a group of young, enthusiastic players, most of whom are new to the GB fastpitch programme. I look at it as the beginning of a new era for men's fastpitch development, and I hope it will encourage these youngsters to return with a new enthusiasm for the game and encourage their friends to give it a try, thus growing the sport.
“Their progression through to the Under-18s, then the Under-23s and into the Senior Men's Team is an exciting prospect,” Richard added, “and ultimately, I would like us to be the envy of Europe by pushing our homegrown talent.”
