Selections are well under way for the three female GB Fastpitch Teams that will play in major competitions around the world this summer.
Full selections have been made for the GB Women's Fastpitch Team that will travel to Oklahoma City to compete in the Sixth World Cup of Softball from July 21-25 and will then travel straight to North East Italy to play in the 2011 European Championships and World Championship Qualifier.
Partial selections have been made for the GB Junior (Under-19) Girls' Fastpitch Team that will travel to Vancouver to play in one of the world's top tournaments at that age level, the 2011 Canada Cup Open Futures Tournament, from July 11-17. Further players are likely to be added to this squad over the next few weeks.
And partial selections have also been made for the GB Cadette (Under-16) Girls' Fastpitch Team that will play in European Championships on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium from August 8-13. Further additions to this squad are expected by late April or early May.
GB Women
The GB Women's Team will have a busy few weeks from the middle of July until the end of the first week in August.
Currently ranked second in Europe and 11th in the world, the GB Team has been honoured with an invitation to compete in the Sixth World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City from July 21-25. This is an annual competition run by the American Amateur Softball Federation for the best teams in the world, and GB will face the top four teams in the world rankings -- the USA, Japan, Canada and Australia -- plus the Czech Republic.
The tournament will be televised worldwide on ESPN, and at least one game involving Great Britain will be televised in this country on subscription channel ESPN or ESPN America.
GB's only other appearance in the World Cup came in 2006, when they lost by only a single run to both Japan and China, and had some memorable moments when they played the then-Olympic Champions USA.
As soon as the World Cup ends, the GB Team will fly directly to the Friuli Region of North East Italy to compete in the European Women's Championships, which will be hosted in three small towns in the region, which lies between Venice and Trieste, from July 31-August 6. The ESF has scrapped A and B Pool and opted for for one big competition, and 21 countries will take part.
The top three teams will qualify for the 2012 ISF World Championships, to be played in White Horse, Canada.
GB players selected for Oklahoma and Italy are:
Leah English (C)
Carling Hare (P)
Karlene Headley-Cooper (OF)
Naomi Jones (P, IF, OF)
Sarah Jones (IF, C, P)
Jessica Legendre (IF)
Natalie Leyland (OF)
Ali Parkerson (IF, OF, P)
Morgan Parkerson (IB, OF)
Steph Pearce (C, IF)
Caley Roberts (IF)
Laura Thompson (OF)
Stacie Townsend (P, IF)
Rachael Watkeys (IF)
Kristi Yoshizawa (IF)
The GB Team will also use a guest pitcher at the World Cup in Oklahoma in order to keep their own pitchers fresh for the European Championships. Megan Brown, a three-time All-American at Florida Southern University and former National Pro League player, will pitch for GB in Oklahoma.
Reserve players selected for Oklahoma and Italy are:
Kelly Randall (IF, OF)
Linda Randall (OF, IF)
Steph Gillard (IF)
Staff for the GB Women's Team will be:
Head Coach: Hayley Scott
Assistant Coach: Celine Lassaigne
Assistant Coach: John Brown
Team Manager: Luis Arrevillagas
Trainer/Physio: Alan Dean/Chris Chong
Media and Managerial Support: Bob Fromer
GB Juniors
The GB Under-19 Girls' Fastpitch Team is between European Championships this year, but will have the best possible preparation for next year's Europeans by travelling to one of the world's most prestigious tournaments for this age group, the annual Canada Cup Open Futures Tournament, which features top Under-19 teams from the US, Canada and around the world.
The competition will be played in Surrey, British Columbia, near Vancouver, from July 11-17.
Following a Trial Day at Upper Heyford on March 6, 12 players were selected for Canada. But further players are expected to be added to the squad, and the GB Juniors are also planning to bolster their pitching staff in Canada with a guest pitcher.
Players selected so far are:
Lauren Bromage (C) (Canada)
Carling Hare (P) (Canada)
Susie Hall (OF, C, IF) (London)
Chloe Hodge (IB, OF) (London)
Saskia Johnston (OF, P) (Norfolk)
Vicky Keswick (C, IF, OF) (London)
Ellie Pamenter (P) (USA)
Sara Robb (IF) (Austria)
Louisa Scott (IF) (London)
Laura Thompson (OF) (London)
Amy Well (IF, C) (London)
Charlotte Wells (IF) (London)
Potential additions to the team are:
Ceanna Madden (IF, P) (Windsor)
Nicole Ratel (C) (Canada)
Amy Trask (IF, OF) (Hampshire)
Chloe Wigington (IF) (Ascot)
Staff at the Canada Cup will be:
Head Coach: Hayley Scott
Assistant Coach: Liz Knight
Physio: To be confirmed
Team Manager: Carmel Keswick
Media and Managerial Support: Bob Fromer
GB Cadettes
The GB Under-16 Girls' Fastpitch Team, currently ranked fifth in Europe, will hope to improve on that position at the European Cadette Championships to be played at Duerne and Hoboken, on the outskirts of Antwerp, from August 8-13.
There will be a record number of entries in this year's Championships, with 11 countries taking part, and GB have wound up in a tough initial group featuring the current champions, Russia, along with the Czech Republic, Italy and France.
As with the GB Juniors, a partial squad has been selected following trials on March 6, and further players are expected to be added after Head Coach Sarah Jones returns from Australia in April and has a chance to review the squad.
Selections so far are:
Lauren Bromage (C) (Canada)
Eleanor Dowd (C, IF) (Birmingham)
Maisie Dowd (IF) (Birmingham)
Matilda Dowd (OF) (Birmingham)
Lucy Hall (OF) (London)
Amie Hutchinson (P, IF) (Norfolk)
Kirsten Mack (IF, C, OF) (USA)
Fran Meakin (IF) (Nottinghamshire)
Ellie Pamenter (P) (USA)
Amy Trask (IF, OF) (Hampshire)
Chloe Wigington (IF) (Ascot)
Sian Wigington (OF, IF) (Ascot)
Staff for the European Cadette Championships will be:
Head Coach: Sarah Jones
Assistant Coach: Joss Thompson
Assistant Coach: Moe Flett
Team Manager: Vicky Hall
Physio: To be confirmed