Annual Report to VSA

SALE WOMEN'S SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 1983-84

The 1983-84 season was another busy year for our association, but with the hosting of the Under 14 State Championships to come in Dec­ember, the small band of dedicated workers face an even busier time next season.

The big success of our 83-84 season was the experiment of including boys teams into our weekly competition. Although only four teams entered, a great deal of interest was created and we are confident that entries will be greater this year. We were particularly pleased with the great amount of support given by the parents of the boys.

We limited the boys to those attending primary school, but as many of these have now moved onto secondary schools and are still keen to play, we will no doubt have to raise the age limit. The boys began the season in the same competition as the Under 15 girls, but we found that most of the girls' teams were too experienced and were winning comfortably, so two separate competitions were arranged for the second half of the season. The boys were allowed to choose between shorts and knickerbockers for their uniform. Only about 25% chose to wear shorts.

Because of the drop off in numbers of senior teams, we had to combine the Under 17's and Open grades, and introduce an under 15 grade for the younger girls. This gave us 7 Open teams, 4 under 15, 4 primary boys, and 6 primary girls. This was a slight decline in the number playing the previous season. Planned coaching clinics in local schools during winter will hopefully re-vitalise our numbers.

Grand Final day provided the most exciting games seen for many years with two of the matches going to extra time and one result hinging on the last batter.

Winners were:-

Primary Girls: St. Mary's

Primary Boys: 545 Redbacks

Under 15: Sale High

Open: Squaws White

Best & Fairest Winners were:-

Primary Girls: Jill McGrath (Araluen)

Primary Boys: Craig Rowe (Araluen)

Under 15: Jackie Hunter (Sale High)

Open: Jenny McGrath (Squaws Rebels)

During the season, we competed in all grades of the State Championships and all grades of the Gippsland Regional Championships with mixed success. Thanks to the hard work of our committee, we were able to substantially subsidise the girls' costs.

The Under 17 girls, having won the C Grade title last season, were

keen to do well in B Grade, and certainly were not disgraced, narrowly missing the finals. They were also runners-up in the Gippsland titles. The Under 14 girls did well to finish third in the State Championships at Moorabbin, and the Primary girls were thrilled to make the final of the Regional Championships. The Open teams, as usual, were difficult to fill with dedicated players of adequate standard, which made it difficult to compete with success at Championship level.

An inter-town competition against Latrobe Valley teams was attempted to give the Latrobe Valley A Grade teams a wider range of competition, but this was not a great success as it was difficult to meet our own playing and umpiring commitments and provide a team of adequate standard for the inter-town match later the same day. If the number of senior players in both Associations continue to fall, a future amalgamation of the senior ranks may need to be considered.

We are now eagerly looking forward to hosting the Under 14 State Championships in Sale this December. The matches will be played at the R.A.A.F. Base, East Sale. This should be an exciting experience for the girls. He are working hard at making your stay in Sale a memorable one, and we are looking forward to welcoming you all here in December.

CUSHLA DEMUTH, DAVID McGRATH,
President. Secretary.

Season Summary

Sale Women's Softball Association

Season 1983 / 84

Grounds Mc Millan Park

Committee

President                  Cushla DeMuth

Vice President          Trevor Hair

Secretary                  David McGrath

Assistant Secretary  M Love

Treasurer                  Judy Joyner

Assistant Treasurer  C Benson

Records Secretary   Debbie Blackall

Property Officer       Frances McGrath

Publicity Officer        Wendy Buntine

Umpires Committee    Frances McGrath, Shirley Collins, Trevor Hair

Social Committee        Barb Pinkus, M Bosman, M Greening, Shirley Collins, D Krupa, E Hunter, J Taylor, David McGrath, Judy Joyner

Selection Committee   Wendy Buntine, Frances McGrath, Debbie Blackall, Shirley Collins

Final Ladders

Open Women

Squaws White 38

Rebels          32

STAGGS       32

Mixtures       26

Squaws Red 23

Redsox           8

RAAF              6

Under 15 Girls

Sale High      48

Sadida           32

Squaws         27

STAGGS         11

Primary Boys

Araluen Jets    28

Grammar         28

545 Redbacks  8

Pirates              7

Primary Girls

St Marys          48

Martians          32

Araluen           28

545 Swans      20

St Thomas       10

Grasshoppers   4

Finals

Open Women     Squaws White def Squaws Rebels  19-14

Under 15 Girls    Sale High def Squaws  26-9

Primary Boys    545 Redbacks def Araluen Jets 19-18

Primary Girls     St Marys def Guthridge Martians  25-20

Best & Fairest

Open Women     Jenny McGrath Squaws

Under 15 Girls    Jackie Hunter Sale High

Primary Boys     Craig Rowe Araluen

Primary Girls      Jill McGrath Araluen

Regional Championships

Primary Girls      Runners up to Bairnsdale

U14 Girls              Entered

U17 Girls               Runners up to Latrobe Valley at Traralgon

State Championships

Primary

U14 Girls              C Grade finished 4th / 8 teams at Moorabbin

U17 Girls              B grade finished 5th / 6 teams at Albury

Open                   Not entered

Season Highlights

The task of hosting the associations first Victorian State Championships, the U14 tournament in December 1984, as been accepted. Separate committees to look after accommodation, catering, grounds & general management have been formed.

Primary Boys competition started, Under 17 Girls and Open Women combined, Under 15 Girls competition formed.

Major fundraising activities included selling of bingo tickets, cake stalls & raffles.