News

Three members of the Australian Women’s National Team will fly into Alice Springs to host a clinic in April to help support a fast-growing baseball community.

Emeralds star players Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) and Maddi Erwin (ACT) will be joined by World Cup medalist and current coach Samantha Hamilton in Alice Springs for a four-day camp which will support local baseball initiatives this April.

The Emeralds will assist in training camp for Northern Territory representative teams, ‘coach the coaches’ on high performance techniques for female athletes, run skill sessions at a few-school holiday camps, and deliver a keynote speech to coaches / admins in the greater industry in Alice Springs.

It comes after a big surge in participation in baseball in the Northern Territory.

There has been an 85% increase to female players and 205% increase to junior players. Overall, participation is up close to 30%.

Baseball Northern Territory General Manager Rob Gower says the state is just trying to keep things simple when recruiting new players. He says it’s all about creating a great experience for anyone who wants to play baseball.

“Over the past few years, we have had a fantastic senior level competition however declining junior competitions. So, recently, we have invested our resources in rebuilding the junior competitions,” he says.

“In all our programs, particularly in schools, we hold ‘fun-first programs’ that support players and ensure everyone learns new skills during fun activities and regardless of their skill level. From here we have set up numerous pathways that operate all year round, for people to play baseball knowing they will continue to get support and guidance while they play.”

An increase in juniors has also led to increased opportunities for Northern Territory representative teams. The NT Buffaloes will represent the state at the Little League Division 2 (U13) and Senior League (U17) Championships, competing with the best charter baseball players around the country.

Gower says this year will be the first time the entire representative team is filled with players solely from the NT – both from competitions in Darwin and Alice Springs. He says the organisation and structure has helped with this process.

“We are keeping things simple,” says Gower. “We know parents are juggling sports and timetables, so consistency and simplicity are key to our success. We play on the same days and the same time. You will see the same faces each week and we take time to plan out and execute well any new programs we implement. If it is not going to be easy for players and parents and done well by us, we will not do it.”

Alice Springs Baseball has garnered some increased media in recent times, too.

The ABC recently ran a great story featuring Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Blake Whitney, who is living in Alice Springs and playing baseball in the local competition.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said to the ABC. “Out here I feel like a little kid. It’s been a great time.”

Whitney has also been giving pitching lessons to juniors and helping out at the local community. He helps service all five clubs who play out of Lyel Kempster field in Alice Springs.

For Gower, that’s what this Emeralds Camp is all about – inspiring the next generation.

“Role models are so important for kids playing any sport. Seeing their heroes in action motivates them to keep playing and strive to improve their skills so they can play like their heroes.”

Gower adds this whole initiative began from a “Chance” meeting at last year’s Little League Division 2 tournament in Sydney.

“Some of our junior female athletes met three Emerald players and provided them so much inspiration that we wanted to replicate this experience for all of our female players in Alice Springs,” he says.

“Our plan for the Emeralds initiative is to not only inspire female and junior baseball players and help our coaches build invaluable skills on coaching female athletes but to spread these learnings beyond the baseball community to coaches of all sports with female athletes, improving the sporting landscape across Alice Springs.”

The camp will run from April 9-13 at Lyel Kempster Field. More details will be announced shortly on the Baseball NT website and Facebook page.

Pictured Below: Emeralds players with NT juniors at a recent national championship.