GB Women's Team Head Coach Hayley Scott has announced final selections for the team that will compete in European Championships in Prague from 7-13 July, with qualification for the 2014 World Championships at stake.
The coaching staff hopes to take a full complement of 17 players to the tournament, in part to ensure that a number of young players new to the squad can get competition experience. But if any of the 17 who have been selected are forced to drop out for injury or other reasons between now and the European Championships, they are unlikely to be replaced.
Selection of an initial 13 players was announced in April, but that selection has changed slightly in the meantime. The players added since then bring the total to the 17 players allowed under ESF rules.
Time of transition
This will be a year of transition for the GB Women's Team, with a number of veteran players having retired after last year's World Championships in Canada, where the GB Team finished as the 11th best team in world softball.
Eight of the 17 players selected this year will be competing for the GB Women's Team in an official ESF tournament for the first time.
Eight players in the squad are UK-based, while nine are based overseas.
The goal at this year's European Championships will be to finish in the top four, which will guarantee a place in the 2014 World Championships, to be played in Haarlem, in the Netherlands in August next year. This will be the last Women's World Championship requiring qualification; starting in 2016, all ISF World Championships will be open tournaments.
The players
The 17 players selected are:
Jenny Ball (IF)
Sarah Craig (IF)
Susie Hall (OF, C)
Carling Hare (P)
Karlene Headley-Cooper (OF)
Naomi Jones (IF, OF)
Sarah Jones (IF)
Chiya Louie (IF, OF)
Kylie Marshall (P)
Amy Moore (C, IB)
Steph Pearce (C, OF)
Nicole Ratel (C, 1B)
Laura Thompson (OF)
Keeli Waugh (P)
Kori Waugh (OF)
Amy Wells (IF)
Alicja Wolny (IF)
The staff
The staff for the 2013 European Championships will be:
Head Coach:
Hayley Scott
Assistant Coach:
Robbie Robison
Pitching Coach:
Megan Brown
Physiotherapist:
Cian O'Doherty
Manager (UK):
Liz Keaveney
Manager (Overseas):
Maya Traykova