Softball Ireland have published the provisional 2020 tournament calendar on its website.
The calender currently outlines the 2020 Softball Ireland, Softball Leinster and Softball Ulster calendar of events. Any clubs wishing to host a tournament during 2020 will shortly receive a link with an application form for tournament approval.
The calender will be updated throughout the season as additional club tournaments are announced and the Softball Leinster dates are confirmed.
Softball Europe have confirmed that 16 Clubs in total have entered the COED European Slowpitch Super Cup for 2020. The tournament is due to be held in August 2020, however at this juncture in time no Federation has put itself forward as a potential host.
It is hoped that more details on the tournament will be provided at the Softball Europe congress in February 2020 so that Dodder Dynamoes and Belfast Brawlers, the two clubs representing Ireland at the tournament, can plan well in advance for the tournament.
More details on the tournament and previous winners may be found at europeansoftball.org/cspesc/ including details of Dodders famous win in 2009.
Confirmed Tournament Entries
| A1 | Pioneers* | GBR |
| A2 | Bandits & Witches Linz | AUT |
| A3 | Chucks Softball | AUT |
| A4 | Afterburners | BEL |
| A5 | Mortsel Skywalkers | BEL |
| A6 | Akademics Sofia | BUL |
| A7 | DNAce | CZE |
| A8 | Sparks Mladé Buky | CZE |
| A9 | Mannheim Tornados | GER |
| A10 | UCE Travelers | GER |
| A11 | London Chromies | GBR |
| A12 | Windsor Knights | GBR |
| A13 | Belfast Brawlers | IRL |
| A14 | Dodder Dynamoes | IRL |
| A15 | Tex Town Tigers | NED |
| A16 | Lokomotiva | SRB |
Following a presentation of the case for the inclusion of Softball at the SPORTFEST event by Softball Ireland President Colum Lavery, Sport Ireland have allocated an exhibition space at the event.
Softball Ireland will have a Softball Village at the Family SPORTFEST demonstrating slowpitch softball and allowing people attending an opportunity to try the different skills of the game including throwing, hitting and pitching. The exhibition stand will be manned by current and past Softball Ireland national team players.
Speaking on Softball Ireland’s inclusion as an exhibitor Colum Lavery said ” I am delighted that we are able to exhibit at the SPORTFEST and would like to thank Sports Campus Ireland for including us. It provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate and promote all disciplines of our sport whilst hopefully expanding our database of players interested in playing softball.” Lavery added “We will also provided details to any potential players interested in Baseball as part of our shared commitment under Baseball Softball Ireland to promote and grow our membership.”
This event, in association with the European Week of Sport, takes place on Sunday 22nd September from 12pm to 5pm in the national sports campus and tickets are sold out.
If you happen to be at the event please drop by and say hello!
SINCC is played annually between the winners of the Softball Leinster Premier Division and Softball Ulster League to determine the Irish National Champions. The 2019 game was replay of the 2018 fixture and it was clear to see that BSC had learnt its lessons holding the powerful Dodder line up to a couple of runs in every inning bar the 4th. Unfortunately for BSC, Dodder had brought its “A” defensive game up the M1 to Belfast and held BSC to 5 runs over 7 innings though BSC did leave a number on.
Softball Ireland streamed the game live on Facebook and if you missed the the stream on the day you can click here to watch the full game.
The SINCC game was held as part of the Softball Ulster end of season tournament which saw 3 teams travel up north from Softball Leinster to participate. Softball Ireland would like to thank Softball Ulster for hosting the SINCC game.
With the completion of the 2019 SINCC tournament, Dodder Dynamoes and Belfast Softball Club have been confirmed as Softball Ireland’s entries to the 2020 European Softball Federation Slowpitch Club Championships.
SINCC 2019 Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Total | |
| Belfast Softball Club | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Dodder Dynamoes | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | X | 17 |
Softball Ireland are delighted to confirm that the Softball Ireland National Club Championships (SINCC) will be contested between the Softball Leinster Premier Division champions and current SINCC champions Dodder Softball Club and Softball Ulster champions Belfast Softball Club.
The SINCC game will be played during the Softball Ulster end of season tournament at 12 noon on Sunday September 15, 2018 at Hydebank Playing Fields, Newtownbreda Road, Belfast BT8 6AS. Softball Ireland hope to be able to stream the game through the Softball Ireland facebook page.
Rosters for the tournament will be released on September 8, 2019.
Please follow our social media channels for updates in the build up to the tournament.
To: Softball Ireland Membership
Re: Open Letter to Softball Ireland Membership
I am writing to you on behalf of the Softball Ireland Board in advance of the Softball Leinster and Softball Ireland AGMs to provide clarification on some matters, update on progress in 2018 and plans for 2019. We hope that this letter will be circulated to all Softball Ireland members.
The attached letter addresses the following key areas:
As a board, we appreciate that we need to improve in a number of areas and our 2019 priorities are being developed to reflect these needs. However, we cannot do this without the support of our membership and most importantly, without volunteers.
As you will note below, the Board consists of three Executive members and representatives from the Regions and Fastpitch. These representatives have their own responsibilities and limited time to give to the national body. As the saying goes, we need you.
We would ask that you take a moment or two to read the attachment so that we may have a robust and positive discussion at the Softball Ireland AGM.
We have had great success on and off the diamond in 2018 and we look forward to sharing these with you at the Softball Ireland AGM, which will be held in ALSAA on November 17, 2018.
Yours in softball,
Colum Lavery on behalf of the Softball Ireland Board
President
Continue reading “Open Letter to Softball Ireland Membership”
Softball Ireland has today announced that it will partner with SportsNews Ireland to add two exciting Pick’n’Mix Tournaments to the Softball Ireland tournament schedule in 2019.
The tournaments will invite Players to sign up individually on the day and then be allocated to teams based on positional needs and ability. The balanced teams will allow players to share their varied playing experience with each other whilst also enjoying close games in a relaxed environment.
Softball Ireland have also confirmed that the National Team Coaches will be available to run short hitting and throwing skills clinics at the Pick’n’Mix tournaments.
Head of operations at SportsNewsIRELAND Joe Naughton said “We are delighted to be sponsoring the new Pick’n’Mix tournaments in 2019, we feel it will be a great way for players of all levels to learn and get to know softballers from other clubs.”
Softball Ireland President Colum Lavery said “We are very grateful to SportsNews Ireland for partnering with us for these new tournaments. Tournaments similar to this format have been ran very successfully previously and we look forward to promoting and running these fun family friendly days. We are delighted that we will be embarking on this exciting journey with the full support of SportsNews Ireland.”
About SportsNews Ireland
SportsNewsIreland is based in Galway and offers readers updates on all sports from softball to showjumping and is leading provider of GAA and rugby live score updates.
Web: https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/
Twitter: @SportsNewsIRE
Other Softball Ireland 2019 Tournaments
SOFTBALL LEINSTER
(The “Region”)
Softball Leinster AGM to be held at Parnell’s GAA Club
On Sunday 21st October 2018, at 12:00pm
_____________________________________________________________________________
AGENDA
• Confirm Team Representative Attendance and confirm that the quorum of 50% (13 teams)
has been met. (Secretary)
• Approve 2017 AGM minutes (Secretary)
• Review of the SL 2018 Season (Chairperson)
• Review the SL Accounts for the 2018 Season (Treasurer)
• Vote on Constitutional Motions – (None)
• Vote for new committee members – recruit new volunteers
o Massimo Lepri (Wicklow Wolves) has put his name forward to be Treasurer again
o From last year’s committee Brian Ebbs (Inglorious Batters), Muireann O’Farrell
(Homers), Johnny O’Brien (Thunderbolts) and Todd Zboyan (Marlay Martyrs) have
offered to stay on as Ordinary Members.
o Need to recruit a SL Secretary and one more ordinary member.
• Any other business for the Leinster Region?
Softball Ulster at its 2018 AGM Softball Ulster elected its Council for 2019. Softball Ireland wish to congratulate to Phil Wallace (Chief Umpire), Andrew Craven (Secretary), Rachel Bourgault (Vice Chair) and Glenn McKnight (Competitions Officer) on their appointments to Council. Softball Ireland look forward to continue working with Softball Ulster’s Chair Jay Slevin and her Council.
More details on the Softball Ulster 2019 Council may be found here
Softball Ulster at its 2018 AGM Softball Ulster elected its Council for 2019. Softball Ireland wish to congratulate to Phil Wallace (Chief Umpire), Andrew Craven (Secretary), Rachel Bourgault (Vice Chair), Glenn McKnight (Competitions Officer) and Kerry Gottschalk (Media Officer) on their appointments to Council. Softball Ireland look forward to continue working with Softball Ulster’s Chair Jay Slevin and her Council.
For more information on on Softball Ulster’s elections and their Council click here
Softball Ireland have today announced the formation of a Slow-pitch Development Working Group whose key objective is to develop a plan to support the retention and growth of participation in adult Slow-pitch Softball in Ireland.
Softball Ireland have appointed Katie Sadleir as the independent Chairperson of the Working Group. Katie is a high profile and experienced appointment with a broad knowledge in the sports world having shaped High Performance sport in New Zealand for a number of years. Katie is currently the General Manager of Women’s Rugby for World Rugby. Katie is a former Olympian and Commonwealth medal winner with New Zealand.
The other members of the Working Group will include representatives from Leinster, Ulster and Galway as nominated by the Regional boards. The Softball Ireland Executive members will also sit on the Working Group.
Speaking on the creation of the Working Group, Softball Ireland President Colum Lavery said:
“The retention and growth of participation in adult slow-pitch softball is Softball Ireland’s number 1 priority and we are delighted that the development Working Group has formed to look at retention and growth of Players in detail and I look forward to its work beginning. The Working Group has taken a little longer than planned to form but we are confident that under the leadership of an experienced Chair such as Katie we will make up the lost time.”
The Terms of Reference for the Working Group stem from the successful membership forum held in 2017.
The Working Group will report to the Softball Ireland Board and updates will be shared with the members quarterly.
Dodder Softball Club were crowned National Champions for the second time in three in years after a dominant display against Ulster League champions Belfast Softball Club (BSC). Similar to the 2017 final against TNT, BSC left themselves with a mountain to climb after conceding 13 to Dodder in the first inning. After conceding a run at the top of one, Dodder came out firing and went through the order scoring 13 through a combination of base hits and some power hitting over the fences. From there on in Dodder controlled the game keeping the score board ticking over and ultimately winning the game in the fourth on the runs ahead rule.
The Leinster league continues its dominance over the tournament and Dodder will be one of Softball Ireland’s two representatives at the 2020 European Super Cup.
The facebook live feed of the game can be viewed here
| Box Score | ||||||||
| Inning: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Total |
| Belfast Softball Club | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | X | X | X | 9 |
| Dodder Softball Club | 13 | 6 | 5 | 6 | X | X | X | 30 |