MEDIA - CURRENT

 

Media release

 

3 February 2009

 

The campaign to win the Junior World Series in 2011 in Capetown, South Africa has begun with the naming of a 30 strong squad to compete in the Australian International Friendship Series in July 2009 at Blacktown Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia.

 

Head coach, Venita Hokai has selected a squad based on skill and performance seen at national tournaments this year. Overall, Hokai and assistant coach Kevin Gettins were impressed with the level of play and believe they have selected a squad that will be competitive in Sydney.

 

The Friendship Series will be held from the 12-15 July. Other teams expected to enter are the Australian Junior Squad, Australian State Teams and teams from the USA.

 

Nine of the selected squad members traveled with the NZ Junior Development Raw Sox Team to the Friendship Series in 2008. Hokai is looking to this group to provide valuable experience. The remaining 21 squad members will have their chance to test themselves at an international level.

 

The Junior White Sox Squad 2009:

 

Manager          Aroha Metcalf (Marlborough)

Head Coach    Venita Hokai (Auckland)

Asst Coach     Kevin Gettins (Hawkes Bay)

Two further assistant coaches and two scorers will be added to the squad.

 

Alice Jones

Canterbury

Jonelle Mase

Auckland

Anita Leeuw

Auckland

Jordan-Leigh Koni

Counties

Arahia Fowell

Hutt Valley

Katarina Hiku

North Harbour

Arnora Hesp

Canterbury

Kelly Huata-Hook

Hawkes Bay

Aroha Noanoa

Wellington

Korina Anderson

Auckland

Beth Stavert

Auckland

Kuraroa Ratu-James

Hutt Valley

Chance Warbrick

Manawatu

Mate Whitman

Hutt Valley

Charryl Moody

Canterbury

Nita Hickey

Auckland

Courtney Durr

Wellington

Rhiannon Dennison

Auckland

Danielle Tanoa

Wellington

Rita Hokianga

Hawkes Bay

Emma Scowcroft

Auckland

Robyn Hall

Canterbury

Gillian Wills

Auckland

Santana Harris

Auckland

Hinemoana Collier

Counties

Sophie Johns

Central Otago

Jardine Tipa

Wellington

Taina Wilson

Hutt Valley

Jessica Jowett

Wellington

Te Reo Powhiri Matautia

Auckland

 

Tuesday 13th January

Darren Davies still thinks he was probably better at cricket than softball.

That's an interesting comment from the PCU Devils club stalwart who has been a long-time Canterbury Red Sox representative (though sometimes sidelined with business commitments), and had two stints in the New Zealand Black Sox.

 

A late softball entrant, Davies played under-age cricket for Canterbury, including the under-14s with second cousin and future Black Cap Nathan Astle.
``Softball was just something to do on a Saturday morning really, but I thought I was going to be a cricket player. Funny how things turn out...''

 

As Davies has related previously, the now perennial first baseman and leadoff hitter batted at nine and was put out at right field when he first played softball in the under-19s.

 

He returned to his first sporting passion six years ago when the then Christchurch United did not field a premier team, playing the 2002-03 senior suburban cricket season with Harewood as a left-handed opening bat.

 

``So they must have thought I was OK I guess, or just a really slow scorer,'' he joked.

 

``I love playing cricket. I don't know if I'd ever go back to it again,'' said the 37-year-old. ``Maybe something like bowls in the future.''

 

For all those musings about his potential talent as a cricketer, Davies says he has no regrets about making softball his sport.

 He has won national titles with both his provincial and club teams.

``It was good to come back to softball (after the season with Harewood). I did miss being away from the guys I'd played softball with for 10 or 12 years, from that softball environment.''

 

Softball has taken him to the United States for around eight seasons and he played in the Netherlands a few years ago.

 

One of the US teams he played for, the FedLock Falcons, was managed and sponsored by Mike Groves, co-owner of Federal Lock and Safe from Washington, DC.

 

A self-employed consultant, Davies had a two-month delayed start to the current softball season because of work commitments in the United States. ``We're a new company off that (FedLock).''

 

He played for high-powered New York team Patsy's in the 2008 ISC world fastball tournament alongside Red Sox team-mates like internationals Travis Wilson and Daniel Milne, though as a ``sort of a late addition'' did not get much game time.
``It was impressive just to be part of that team and I think we'll do better next year (2009).''

 

First picked for the Black Sox for a three-week tour of North America in 2002, Davies was hugely surprised to be recalled for the four-test home series against Samoa in December 2005.

 

``It was good to be part of it. I feel comfortable in the team. You know being around those players certainly helps you to raise your own game. But I just think my time was five years ago, not now.''

 

So he does not believe he is anywhere in the frame for the 2009 men's world series in Saskatoon, Canada. ``I have no problem with that at all.''

 

But Davies did make himself available for the Canterbury Red Sox in the national league campaign beginning in North Harbour on January 17-18 and continuing in Christchurch on January 31-February 1.

 

``If I can help them get better results then maybe we'll get three or four guys picked for the world series.''

 

In the 11 previous world series only six Canterbury-based  players in total have made the final cut, including a high of two in both 1984 (Ray Marsh and Jimmy Hall) and 2000 (Marty Grant and Greg Newton).

 

Davies hit .500 for Canterbury in the South Island Jefferies Cup provincial tournament just before Christmas with one homer, a triple and two doubles, and is feeling good leading into the league series.

 

``The body's fine. I mean I had a good rest while in the States _ at the gym, did all the good stuff, enjoyed the summer there.''

 

Davies said he might come back fit and fresh again next year after the short season with Patsy's and play another domestic softball season, but  there was ``no way, no way'' he wanted to emulate PCU Devils team-mate and onetime Canterbury captain, Murray Lanini, still playing premiers at around 48.

 

``He certainly wants to play til he's 50. I don't know that he's ever going to actually own up to being 50, so this could go on for quite a while.''

 

More seriously, he said that Lanini belied his age both on the training field and the game field. ``It's pretty inspiring really. We give him a hard time, but he doesn't let himself down in any way at all.''

 

While agreeing it seemed unfair that cricketers were millionaires and softballers relative paupers, Davies said the situation was never going to change and top softballers never really thought about it.

 

``There are some things you just don't do for the money, you know. It's a shame, but I think people play softball because they love it.''
He was adamant that softballers like the lengendary Mark Sorenson and several current Black Sox players with all their natural ability ``would have been great at whatever sport they chose to play.''

Tuesday 6th January

LOCKHART BRINGS FULLY PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE FROM US COLLEGE STINT

Brooke Lockhart would have no hesitation recommending a college scholarship in the United States to any aspiring young softballer who gets that rare chance.

 

The Canterbury and New Zealand White Sox outfielder returned home last year from her four-year softball scholarship at Southeastern Louisiana University where she was an outstanding achiever academically as well as on the sporting fields.

 

After her final season where her power hitting helped the Lady Lions reach the Southland Conference tournament playoffs, Lockhart made third team selection in the Academic All-America squads. She had graduated from the university with an maximum 4.0 point grade average in her maths major.

 

``Yeah definitely, it was a really good experience. It gave me the chance to play at a higher level and play more often. And there were greater opportunities for training,''she said on the eve of a national league campaign with the Canterbury Red Hawks.

 

The training could fairly be described as full-on with workouts five days a week in the mornings _ three of them in the gym and two on a running track _ and softball practice for 3hr every afternoon.

 

And how much had her softball benefited?

 

``I think it's improved heaps, just from playing and practising so much,'' she said. Lockhart was a starter in all 52 games the Lady Lions played last season, finishing among the league leaders in several categories including eighth in the home run count with eight round-trippers.

 

Red Hawks coach Jason Kumeroa agrees, describing Lockhart as ``professional in everything that she does'' and having everything you wanted an elite athlete to bring to the game in Christchurch and New Zealand.

 

Other recent senior White Sox to have been given softball scholarships are pitcher Michal Tangaroa and catcher Jorja Bell while Junior White Sox Melanie Gettins and Stevie Hamiora were over in the States at present.

 

Brooke Lockhart says there are more opportunities at the junior college level (two-year universities) as opposed to the four-year universities like the one she went to.

 

``It's hard for them (coaches) to trust that someone's going to be good enough without seeing them play.''

 

A member of the Junior White Sox team which contested the under-19 world youth series in China in 2003, Lockhart made her full international debut as a 19-year-old in the home tri series the following summer. She has since represented the White Sox at tournaments including the 2006 world championships in Beijing (as a late selection) and the 2007 Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifier in Taiwan.

 

For Lockhart, a home run against Korea was a personal highlight in the qualifying series. ``Yeah it was the first time I'd hit a home run in international competition, so that was pretty cool.''

 

She was not one of those many softballers who follow family members into the sport. ``No, none of my family played softball. My mum's got heavily into it now in the management and scoring side.'' Lyn Lockhart, in fact, manages the Red Hawks and has had the same role with the White Sox.

 

Brooke said she started playing in the third form at Burnside High School because the PE teacher was White Sox catcher and captain Helen Townsend. ``So she coached the team and then I started playing for her club (Burnside) and then her team.''

 

For the now 24-year-old the appeal of softball includes it being a team sport, the fact that you were always involved in the game and that it was ``a bit unpredictable''.

 

``You never really know what's going to happen, not the same every time like running round a track five times in athletics.''

 

When she was younger, she used to play a lot of tennis but softball won when she had to choose between the two sports.

 

Because of all the time in the States, this will be Lockhart's first taste of national league in about four years, and that felt a bit strange _ ``although JK (Kumeroa) was the coach before I left and now he's the coach again.''

 

Unfortunately, Canterbury is about to lose Lockhart only just after getting her back in the fold with a move up to Wellington at the end of the month to start work as a trainee meteorologist with the NZ Met Service.

 

``I know, it's actually been sad. And my last club softball game for Papanui got rained out. I didn't even get to play that.''

 

Coach Kumeroa said it was a good move for Lockhart career-wise, though a bit unfortunate for Canterbury.

 

The Red Hawks would at least have her services through the women's national league series beginning in Christchurch on the weekend of January 17-18, apart from one Saturday when her sister was getting married.

 

She will be bringing some top recent batting form, having hit .647 (11-for-17) with two home runs, three triples and three doubles as a loan player for Nelson at the South Island Jubilee Cup tournament.

Thursday 18th December

Halswell's Raw Sox rep `the all-round package'

 

You've heard of the Black Sox and the White Sox and no doubt Canterbury's Red Sox and Red Hawks. But how about the Raw Sox?

 

That was the unusual moniker for the New Zealand junior boys development (under-17) team which contested the Friendship Series at the Sydney Olympics venue in Sydney this last winter and Halswell's James Johnston was the only Canterbury youngster on the roster.

 

Not that he could shed any light on the nick-name, apparently introduced last year. ``They called it the Raw Sox. I don't know why.''

 

Johnston, who turned 16 only an couple of weeks before this season started, enjoyed the experience of seeing what the international stage was like for his age group.

 

``It was good having that other level to step up to and to be getting to play for the Silver Fern, representing your country.''
  
Once the rookie New Zealand representative shed all his nerves, he felt he went pretty well, `being the first time I'd played something that big'.

 

He played 10 games in the batting line-up, hitting 0

CSA Major Supporters

Media