Six young Nelson softballers are facing an exciting three months, playing international tournaments on three continents with the ultimate goal of gaining selection for the Junior Black Sox team for next year’s World Series in the US.
Waimea College’s Josh Kelly and Gavin Peattie, Nelson College’s Louis Clarke and Nayland College’s Riley Power start their international campaign when they leave next Tuesday to play for the New Zealand International Softball Academy Under-17 team in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Josh will then be joined by schoolmates Josh Grant and Mardi McBride in the New Zealand Development Under-17 team in Sydney, Australia, for a tournament in the last week of June. Mardi will complete the final event on their international calendar when he joins the Junior Black Sox in Prague for the European Super-Cup in August.
The Nelson players were selected for the national squads following a series of impressive performances by Waimea College, Nelson and Upper South Island teams at tournaments around the country. Waimea College was third in the division one national secondary schools champs in Wellington in March, Nelson Under-17 won the South Island Mainland Shield in Christchurch in December, while the Upper South Island Under-17 team was fifth at nationals in Hastings in January.
Josh Grant says they are all looking forward to their international programme, although he concedes it has been challenging preparing for a summer sport in winter.
“It’s hard when you are playing winter sports and training for softball as well,” Josh says. “But we have all been lucky to have really good people like (former Black Sox star) Marty Grant and (former Junior Black Sox coach) Dennis Dolejs, who are committed to training us.”
All the players except Louis have also been named in the 36-player Junior Black Sox training squad for next year’s World Series in Michigan.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Riley says. “We’re all aiming to get in that final squad and, if we do, to win the World Series.”
