GB Under-16 Girls' Fastpitch Team Head Coach Jeremy Thomas and his staff have now selected 12 players who will compete for Great Britain at the 2013 European Cadette Championships, scheduled for August 5-10 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Three additional players have been invited to train with the team during its preparations for the European Championships.
The GB Under-16s finished seventh out of 11 teams at the last European Cadette Championships held in Antwerp, Belgium in 2011, thanks to an upset win over Germany and one-run victories in the last two games of the tournament. But the GB Cadettes will be aiming for a playoff place and a higher finish this year.
Players
The players selected for the European Championship squad are:
Lorin Cook
Age: 15
Home: Blenheim, New Zealand
Club Team: Nelson Stoke Eagles ( Lorin was voted 2012 South Island Tournament MVP)
GB Experience: None
Eleanor Dowd
Age: 15
Home: Birmingham
Club Team: Nottingham
GB Experience: Played in the European Under-13 Championships in Turkey 2010 and for the GB Under-16s at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
Matilda Dowd
Age: 15
Home: Birmingham
Club Team: Nottingham
GB Experience: Played in the European Under-13 Championships in Turkey 2010 and for the GB Under-16s at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
Ella Henson
Age: 14
Home: London
Club Team: London Mets Baseball
GB Experience: Played for the GB Under-13s at the 2012 ESF Massimo Romeo Youth Cup in Italy.
Laura Hirai
Age: 14
Home: London
Club Team: London Mets Baseball
GB Experience: Played for the GB Under-13s at the 2012 ESF Massimo Romeo Youth Cup in Italy.
Amie Hutchison
Age: 15
Home: Fakenham, Norfolk
Club Team: Norfolk Softball
GB Experience: Played in the European Under-13 Championships in Turkey 2010, and for the GB Under-16s in European Championships in Belgium in 2011 and at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012, where she won the Best Batter Award.
Gemma Mackinnon
Age: 15
Home: Marden, Kent
Club Team: Richings Park
GB Experience: Played at an invitational tournament in Holland for the GB Under-13s in 2011 and for the GB Under-16s at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
Chelsie Robison
Age: 14
Home: Newbury, Berkshire
Club Teams: Richings Park and Chalfont
GB Experience: Played at an invitational tournament in Holland for the GB Under-13s in 2011 and for the GB Under-16s in European Cadette Championships in Belgium in 2011 and at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
Jasmine Rushin
Age: 14
Home: Horsham
Club Team: Richings Park
GB Experience: Played for the GB Under-13s at an invitational tournament in Holland in 2011 and at the 2012 ESF Massimo Romeo Youth Cup in Italy.
Alana Snow
Age: 14
Home: California, USA
GB Experience: None
Immy Thomas
Age: 15
Home: Maidenhead
Club Teams: Wildcats and Richings Park
GB Experience: Played in the European Under-13 Championships in Turkey 2010, the Under-16 European Championships in Belgium in 2011 and with the Under-16s at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
Sian Wigington
Age: 16
Home: Ascot, Berkshire
Club Team: Richings Park
GB Experience: Played in the European Under-13 Championships in Turkey 2010, the Under-16 European Championships in Belgium in 2011 and with the Under-16s at an invitational tournament in Italy in 2012.
The three players invited to continue training with the European Championship squad are:
Lauren Church
Rhea Simister
Erin Simmonds
Staff
The GB Under-16 staff for the European Cadette Championships will be:
Head Coach:
Jeremy Thomas
Assistant Coach:
Joss Thompson
Consultant:
Russ Snow
Team Manager & Cook:
Karen Field
Tournament Pools
A drawing was held at the European Softball Federation in Slovenia on February 16 to set the pools for the European Cadette Championships. Twelve teams have entered, and will play an initial round-robin in four pools of three teams each, with the top two from each group advancing to playoffs. The groups are:
Pool A
Czech Republic
Serbia
Poland
Pool B
Belgium
Slovakia
Ukraine
Pool C
Netherlands
Great Britain
Romania
Pool D
Russia
Germany
Lithuania