Annual report to VSA

Annual report to VSA for season 1986/87

SALE SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION -ANNUAL REPORT TO VSA

The 1986-87 softball season has been a very busy one for Sale Softball Association, at times placing heavy workloads on the dedicated few. Greater participation by our membership in organisation, coaching, and umpiring will need to be one of our major targets next season.

Despite the lack of manpower our association hosted three Gippsland Regional events very successfully. These were the Gippsland Under 14, and Open Championship in November; the Gippsland Under l6,and Primary Championships in February; and the Bessie Frood Gippsland Club Championships in April.

Winners of these events were: Under 14 - Bairnsdale

Open - Latrobe Valley Under 16 - Sale

Primary Boys - West Gippsland

Primary Girls - Bairnsdale Club Championships - Bairnsdale Musketeers

Sale also competed in all Victorian Championships except the Under 14 having our most successful results for some time.

Our Open team had a great year, being runners-up in both the Gippsland and Victorian C Grade Championships. Having our top pitcher, Liz Foreman, back in full swing now that her family is growing up, gave our young team a big lift.

The Under 19 girls, without a recognised pitcher, performed very creditably at Hamilton after surviving an exhausting and eventful bus trip on the Friday night (perhaps I should say Saturday morning).

The inexperienced Under 16 girls surprised with a great win in the Gippsland titles, but unfortunately performed poorly in the State Champion­ships at Shepparton.

Our little under 14s were thrilled with their grand final appearance in the Gippsland championships, although soundly beaten by Bairnsdale. Similarly the under 12 mixed team that played in the tournament at the Werribee clinic were elated, and surprised by their win.

A big thank you to the officials who made it possible for the girls to participate in all these events-particularly our umpires, Bev Beard and Frances McGrath. The whisper is that Bev and Frances will be pressing for a place in our open team next season following their club team's great performances in taking out the premiership, and very nearly the Gippsland Club Championships.

Congratulations to Bev Beard on gaining her B Grade umpires badge-a well deserved achievement for a dedicated and hard working umpire, coach, player, and administrator of our association.

Congratulations too, to Sue Hair, who was awarded Life Membership. Sue has been involved as a player, official, coach, umpire, and scorer since the Sale association was founded in 1968. Sue and husband Trevor, have now left the district. Their contributions to Sale softball will be greatly missed.

It was great to welcome the return of our original Life Member, Claude Coupe. Claude has a lot to offer softball, particularly to the youngsters, so it has been great to see him continuing his interest with such enthusiasm.

Congratulations to Liz Foreman, Robyn McGrath and Jacki Donavan for their selection and dedicated participation in the Gippsland State League team. A big thank you also to Vin Bibby for his enthusiastic and untiring work as Regional co-ordinator and coach of the State League team. This was a major task to so successfully bring together the wide spread Gippsland associations to form a cohesive unit for the State League venture. The Gippsland team is certain to go from strength to strength following Vin's groundwork.

Our season concluded with a very interesting finals series involving several upsets and nail biting finishes.

Results were: Open; Squaws White d All Stars

Under 16: Sadida d Squaws

Best and Fairest: Open: Andy(Andrea)Ellis (Squaws White)

Under 16: Kate Taylor (Sadida)

Best in Championships:Open: Liz Foreman

Under 19: Robyn McGrath

Under 16:Kate McKenzie

Under 14:Penny Beard

David McGrath Secretary

Sale Softball Association

Season 1986 / 87

Grounds Mc Millan Park

Committee

President                   Leonie Wilson

Vice President          Jenny McGrath

Secretary                  David McGrath

Assistant Secretary  Bev Beard

Treasurer                  Cristine Fry

Assistant Treasurer  Michele Fry

Records Secretary   Marcelle Love

Property Officer       Frances McGrath

Publicity Officer       Wendy McKay

Umpires Committee Bev Beard, Frances McGrath, Nicole DeMuth

Social Committee     Jean Kemp, Wendy Mc Kay, Rowena Wilson, Jackie Harrop, Marcelle Love

Selection Committee Wendy Mc Kay, Marcelle Love, Claude Coupe

Teams

Open Women

All Stars

Sadida

Homecraft Bears

Squaws White

Huligans

Renegades

Under 16 Girls

STAGGS

Squaws

Chaos

Sadida

Final Results

Finals Open Women    Squaws White d All Stars  18-2

Under 16 Girls               Sadida d Squaws

Primary                        545 d STAGGS

Best & Fairest

Open Women     Andy Ellis Squaws White

Under 16 Girls     Kate Taylor Sadida

Regional Championships

U12 Primary Girls

U12 Primary Boys

U14 Girls                 Runners up to Bairnsdale at Sale

U16 Girls                 Won defeated West Gippsland 9-8 at Sale

Open                       Runners up to Latrobe Valley at Sale

Regional Best & Fairest

U14 Girls              Penny Beard

U16 Girls              Kate Mc Kenzie

U19 Girls              Robyn Mc Grath

Open Women      Liz Foreman

State Championships

U12 Primary Mixed    Won at Werribee clinic

U14 Girls                      Not entered

U16 Girls                      C Grade finished 5th / 5 at Shepparton

U19 Girls                      B Grade finished 3rd / 7 at Hamilton

Open Women             Runners Up C Grade 2nd / 7 to Maryborough 3-7 at Geelong

Season Highlights

Life membership awarded to Sue Hair for her involvement as a player, official, coach, umpire and scorer since the Sale Association was founded in 1968

Return of life member Claude Coupe to committee

Gippsland State League players - Liz Foreman, Robyn McGrath, Jacki Donavan, a number of matches played at St Annes & Gipps Grammar School grounds Sale.

Proposed new grounds at Stephenson Park / Rotary Reserve

Bev Beard elected to the Victorian Softball Umpires Association Committee of Management.

Open Womens team runners up to Maryborough at Victorian Open State Championships.

Team squad members -

Liz Foreman, Jacki Donovan, Jenny McGrath, Robyn McGrath, Marcelle Love, Cheryl Coffey, Gail Hankin, Judy Scholz, Joanne Taylor, Andy Ellis, Jacki Tudor, Nicola de Muth, Emma Taylor, Paula Merino, Coach David McGrath, Ass Coach Murray Fitzclarence.