For most slowpitch leagues around the country, league seasons are about to get started. Below are previews from the Solent, Windsor and East Midlands Leagues.
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Solent Softball League
by Sefton Chatfield
2014 is the 24th season for the Solent Softball League, and is looking like one of its best.
With two new teams this year, the league will be at its largest for a long time, boasting 12 teams split into two divisions. There was a lot of discussion at the AGM about how the league would work with so many teams, but in the end a decision was made that will hopefully prove correct.
Division One
Division One will consist of the OAPs from Southampton, the Itchen Knicks, the Killa Whales, the Southsea Sharks and two teams promoted from last year's Division Two, the Portsmouth Dodgers and Solent Sluggers.
The OAPs are a team full of experience and will looking to be making it four championships in a row. The Itchen Knicks will be hot on the heels of the OAPs, hoping not to be the bridesmaids again as they were in 2013. The Killa Whales will field a strong team and will be pushing for the top spot, hoping to dislodge the OAP’s and the Knicks. The Southsea Sharks have a team that will mix experience and rookie enthusiasm and will be looking for a few upsets along the way. The Portsmouth Dodgers, last year’s Division Two champions, also have a mix of experience and rookies, while the Solent Sluggers, also up from Division Two, are a big-hitting team that will look to climb up Division One.
Division Two
Division Two this season be contested by the Hursley Hurricanes, the Baffin Brewers, the Chichester Falcons, the University of Portsmouth Shafters, and the two new teams, the Southsea Zombies and Southampton Spitfires.
After playing in Division One last year, the Hursley Hurricanes will be a strong candidate to go straight back up for 2015. The Baffins Brewers, a team that started back in 2010, will look to take the wind out of the Hurricanes' push for promotion. The Chichester Falcons will be in among the leaders, and will also be looking to start a youth team during the year. The University of Portsmouth Shafters will be a mixture of new players and old that will be fitting in as many games as they can before exams and summer holidays. The league's two newest teams will be hoping to establish themselves this season. The Southsea Zombies are made up completely of rookies from the league's Portsmouth indoor training sessions, while the Southampton Spitfires are also all rookies who came from the Southampton indoor sessions.
Charity tournaments
The two teams played their first games this season in the SSL’s annual Tom Prince Indoor Tournament. Teams come together at this tournament every year to raise money for the Tom Prince Cancer Trust while enjoying a few games of indoor softball, with total raised of £947.50 this year.
The Zombies and Spitfires then got their first taste of outdoor softball on 19 April at the annual charity tournament hosted by the Chichester Falcons in aid of local charity Children on the Edge. For more details, click here.
This event will be shortly followed by the SSL Kickball Tournament on 4 May at Tangier playing fields in Portsmouth, also run by the Falcons team, which will raise money for the league and for GB National Teams.
Solent Last Ball
Finally, keep your eyes peeled for more details on the Solent Last Ball, which we hope will be back to its usual self this year. We will update the BSF website, our own website (www.solentsoftball.org) and our Twitter (@Solent_Softball) and Facebook (Solent Softball League) accounts with any information as soon as we have it.
Windsor and Maidenhead District Mixed Softball League
by Andrew Scott
It’s not long until the first pitch of the 2014 outdoor season in the Windsor and Maidenhead District Mixed Softball League, and teams are now making the switch from winter indoor training to the glorious outdoors.
Chalfont were victorious during the winter Indoor League, narrowly edging out BA in the final game, after BA had looked unstoppable with a 100% record until late in the season. All three Chalfont teams will now be looking to build on this success during the outdoor season.
Title hopes
Despite BA's disappointment at just missing out on the Indoor League title, the Jets, as reigning champions of Division 1, will still be full of confidence for the coming season, while their counterparts in Division 2 – the Flyers – will be looking to win a championship of their own.
Richings Park and Maidenhead both made good progress during 2013 and performed well during the Indoor League, so both will expect to launch their own title challenge during the 2014 season.
There have been no major changes to the league structure this year, with no promotion/relegation last season and no new teams added. Despite Chalfont Firebirds winning Division 2, they chose not to be promoted to avoid having three Chalfont teams in the top division.
With no additional teams for 2014, Marlow Mariners remain the league's newest team and will be looking to use the experience they gained during their first-ever season last year in order to build on their solitary win and strengthen their position in the league.
Development
For many of the clubs in the Windsor and Maidenhead league, the focus is on development and nurturing the talent that already exists. And the league's focus is no different, as a new Development League is being set up this year for young players or those who are new to the game.
The Development League will provide the opportunity for new players to be eased into the game gently and to be trained by those with more experience. The Development League will play on Wednesday evenings and any new players are welcome to come along. For more information contact: development@wmsoftball.com.
First pitch
So with all that, let the battle commence. First pitch of the new season will be on 6 May for Division 1 and 8 May for teams in Division 2. Before all that however is the First Ball Tournament at Farnham Park on 26 April, where teams from within the league and beyond can practice their skills in a competitive environment.
The League Committee has seen some new faces come in since the end of last season and is now under the able stewardship of Gordon 'Gordy' Morris as Chair. With a new Committee full of enthusiasm and a league that is focused on building for the future, there are exciting times ahead for the Windsor and Maidenhead District Mixed Softball League.
East Midlands Softball League
by Jane Keywood
The East Midlands Softball League (EMSL) started its 2014 season with the traditional Firstball on 6 April with 16 teams taking part, including a few teams from across the county as well as those from the EMSL.
The predicted rain thankfully stayed away and the day was a great success, with Leeds Puddings winning the Cup in the final against MK Diamonds. Finalists in the other divisions were all teams from the East Midlands League.
As always, a huge thank you goes to the people who organised the day and ensured that an amazing time was had by all.
League play
The 2014 league season got under way on 10 April, with 12 teams fighting to be at the top come the end of the year. In a change to the rules this season, women will bat with 11” balls, which should result in even more home runs for the EMSL ladies!
The EMSL has also joined forces with a local rugby club to provide a new venue, allowing us to get even more games into the season. As ever, the EMSL will split into two divisions halfway through the year, with the top five teams playing in Division 1 to fight for a place at the Nationals.
New Committee
This year also sees a wholesale change to the EMSL Committee, with just one member from the 2013 season remaining. The new Officers will be picking up the fantastic job done by the previous Committee.
Finally, the East Midlands League will once again be holding the Labor Day Tournament this year on the weekend of 20-21 September. In 2013, this event won the BSF's Tournament of the Year award. Watch this space for more details.