Category: ESF

by Colum Lavery

Irish Teams withdrawn from European Competition due to COVID

Further to the recommendation of the Softball Ireland Medical Committee, the Softball Ireland Board on March 15, 2021 agreed to withdraw all Softball Ireland National Teams and Club Teams from International Competition up to and including August 2021. The decision of the Board is athlete welfare driven to ensure those representing Ireland may do so in the safest way possible

The rationale for the recommendation of the Softball Ireland Medical Committee and the decision of our Board is as follows:

1. Ireland continues to be in a Level 5 (highest level) lock down which restricts movement and does not permit sport to be played bar for a very l imited number of sports. Softball (and Baseball) does not meet the criteria of elite sport in Ireland. At this point, we do not foresee Softball recommencing in Ireland before May 2021 earliest and therefore do not believe our athletes can be adequately conditioned or prepared to participate in an international tournament.

2. The continued spiking of COVID -19 across Europe together with the inconsistent vaccination roll out (including Ireland) has concerned our Medical Committee who formed the opinion that the risk of inf ection and the subsequent 14 day quarantining of infected player/staff continued to be too high a risk for amateur athletes. The concerns of the Medical Committee have been reconfirmed by the recent snap lockdowns in Italy and other European Countries coupled with the positive tests of an Irish athlete returning from the recent European Indoor Championships in Poland.

3. The on-going uncertainty around travel restrictions for athletes entering and exiting Italy, irrespective of nationality and the financial risk s associated with this.

4. In addition to the medical and logistical risks identified by the Medical Committee, the Irish government has also introduced a €2,000 travel fine ( per person) for non-essential International travel. We have been advised that travelling to compete in Softball European Championships does not meet the requirements to be deemed essential travel.

The decision to withdraw from international competition in 2021 was not a decision taken lightly by the Softball Ireland Board. However after discussions with the Medical Committee, HSE, coaches and athletes, the Softball Ireland Board has taken the position that our decisions would be taken with an abundance of caution and medically led by our Medical Committee.

Softball Ireland can confirm that the following teams have been withdrawn from 2021 events:
• Ireland National Team withdrawn from the Co- ed Slowpitch European Championships 2021

• Ireland National Team withdrawn from the Women’s European Championships 2021

• Dodder Softball Club withdrawn from the Co- Ed Slowpitch Super Cup 2021

by Colum Lavery

Pub Quiz: In aid of Team Ireland Fastpitch Softball

Come help us softballers fundraise for Ireland’s first-time ever appearance at the European Championships in July (Rosmalen, Holland) with a brain-testing pub quiz at the Hudson Bar!

Have a pint and some wings (seriously, they are so good), compete with your friends and learn a little bit about fastpitch softball 🙂

There will be a raffle and coin toss on the night (prizes to be announced] and all support is greatly appreciated! See you there for the craic!

Link to European Championship Site:
http://www.echw2015.nl/

Link to Hudson Bar:
http://hudsonbelfast.com/

Let us know you’re attending by clicking this link and finding the Facebook Event!

by Colum Lavery

Useful details for the XIX European Woman’s Softball Championship 2015

137 Days before the XIX European Championship Softball tournament starts!
From 19th – 25th July 2015, the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch will be for the third time host for the best softball countries of Europe. The official XIX European Championships Senior Woman 2015 promises to be an exciting event of international topsport.

21 teams had planned to be in the tournament but, unfortunately Belgium and Bulgaria have withdrawn.

On the Website and Facebook page below, you’ll find all relevant information concerning the preparations and actual information during the championship from day to day.

Website
http://www.echw2015.nl/

Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/EChW2015/

The organizing committee will be Stichting Gryphons Events & Promotions assisted by many volunteers of the Baseball & Softball club GRYPHONS.

European championship Tournament Logo
by Colum Lavery

European championship Pools Draw #ESFCEB15

The draw for the European championships has taken place today at the European Softball and Baseball Congress.

Scheduled for later this year, the European championship tournament will be played in Gryphons fields in Rosmalen.

Pool A – Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Israel
Pool B – Russia, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, France
Pool C – Ireland, Czech, Austria, Ukraine , Poland, Slovenia
Pool D – Italy, Great Britain, Slovakia, Switzerland and Bulgaria

#ESFCEB15

by Colum Lavery

Softball Ireland Welcomes 120 Delegates to Dublin

Softball Ireland welcome more than 120 delegates from across the world to Dublin for the European Softball Federation & Confederation of European Baseball joint Annual Congress.

The European delegates will be joined by the Presidents of the International Softball Federation and the International Baseball Federation.

Speaking on hosting the event Colum Lavery, president of Softball Ireland said “Its a wonderful opportunity for Softball Ireland together with Baseball Ireland to showcase our country and organisation to all our sister Federations. Mr Lavery added ” the hosting of an event like this would not be possible without the tireless efforts of the Softball Ireland members and the generous and support of our sponsors the Ballsbridge Hotel, St. Petersburg Clearwater Sports Commission. Musco Lighting, and Next Generation Recruitment”

Note – The ESF CEB Congress will be held in the Ballsbridge Hotel on Friday February 6 and Saturday February 7, 2015.

by Colum Lavery

Melanie Cunningham Appointed Fast Pitch Head Coach – Dates Confirmed

Softball Ireland Fast Pitch Programme Confirmed

Softball Ireland Fast Pitch Head Coach Announced

Softball Ireland have confirmed the appointment of Melanie Cunningham as Ireland’s first Fast Pitch programme. Ms Cunningham will be responsible for the development of Fast Pitch Softball and leading Ireland’s first national team in 2015. Ms Cunningham has over 30 years experience of playing both Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch Softball at the highest level of the Game in the USA, Ireland and the United Kingom.

Introduction to Fast Pitch to be held on Saturday August 9, 2014

Saturday August 9, 2014 will see the first introduction to Fast Pitch Softball Session. Coach Cunningham intends the session to be fun and cover the basic differences between Slow Pitch and Fast Pitch Softball. Coach Cunningham has extended an invitation to all Female Softball Ireland Players to join the session from 1100 am on the 9th. An all male session will be ran later in the Autumn.

It is also with great pleasure that Softball Ireland can confirm that it has accepted Baseball Irelands kind offer to use the small field at Corkagh Park. Softball Ireland has also extended an invitation to Little League Girls who may be interested in joining the session to learn about a different variation of the sport.

Speaking on Baseball Irelands offer. SI President Colum Lavery said “we are overwhelmed by the generosity of Baseball Ireland in making their field available to us” he added ” this is another small step towards working with Baseball Ireland on joint projects and provides Softball Ireland players an opportunity to learn Fast Pitch on an excellent surface. We look forward to welcoming Baseball Ireland Board Members and Little League Players to our introduction day”

Players planning to attend are requested to email president@softball.ie in advance

About Corkagh Park

Irish-American Peter O’Malley, former owner and President of the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball organisation, first met with the Irish Baseball & Softball Association in 1994. Havingalready developed baseball fields in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and China, O’Malley pledged $140,000 to the building of an Irish Baseball facility.

Building on the site began in June of 1997 and both fields were officially opened for play on July 4th, 1998. The facility incorporates a regulation sized adult field and an international standard Little League field. The fields are located in Corkagh Demesne Park in Clondalkin, West Dublin.

The fields are the centrepiece of Baseball activity in Ireland and play host to regular season league games for adult and youth teams as well as international fixtures.

How to get there
 

Take  the N7 (Naas Road) West. Make a right turn  at Newlands Cross Intersection – there is a Bewley’s Hotel on the right hand side. Go through two intersections with traffic lights
and make the first left hand turn AFTER a pedestrian crosswalk that has a small set  of lights. Follow that road (St Johns Road)  To the right and it will lead you straight to the entrance of Corkagh Demesne Park.

Follow 
the signs to the car park. After parking, to the right of the car park, there is a MAP of the park and where the baseball diamonds are located. Follow the footpath into the park. When you come to a fork in the road, go to the right. Walk for about 5 minutes and the fields will be located to the right past a row of trees. If all else fails, ask someone in the park and they will undoubtedly know where the baseball fields are.

by Colum Lavery

Kegs Progress – Day 3 Schedule – Link to Streaming

Kegs hold on to qualify for elite stage

Kegs made hard work of Day 2 of the ESCCS but held on versus German team Hangarounds to win 17-16 and qualify for the elite stage of the tournament. In Kegs other game of the day they lost 17-16 to a powerful Chromies team. Kegs finished third overall in their group and have progressed to the elite stage of the tournament.

Kegs will open the Elite stage playing current BSF champions H2O. H2O is managed by Oddsox Green’s Stephen Patterson, with Ireland’s Brian Connolly, Jenny Patterson and Muireaan Grooms. H2O have had a powerful start to the tournament and progress to the elite stage on a 5-0 record and omniously only conceding 5 runs in total as they progressed. Kegs second game is against the stronger of the two German Teams UCE Travellers (GER).

To follow Kegs click the video link, alternatively follow @softballireland for updates

Today’s Schedule

1345: Kegs v H2O (GBR)
1645: Kegs v UCE Travellers (GER)

How the Elite Stage Works:

Each teams takes their head to head results against the two teams in from their Group who have qualified for the elite stage. This means Kegs start Day 3 on 0 and 2 record (having lost to Chromies and Linz) and need 3 wins to guarantee their way to the Page System. Below is the table as it currently stands.

photo

 

 

by Colum Lavery

Kegs Have Solid Start

Ireland’s Kegs have had a solid start to the ESF ESCCS in Mlade Buky sitting 2 & 1 after Day 1.

The day started with a close 13-12 victory over tournament hosts Sparks Mlade Bucky and was followed by a comprehensive 26-11 win over Belgiums Champions Mortsel. After such a strong start to the tournament, tiredness caught up with the Kegs in the final Game as the lost 12-7 to Austrian Champions Linz in a game the Kegs were good enough to win.

That said 2 wins on day one put Kegs in a position to control their own destiny as they move into day 2 of the tourmanet. The schedule for day 2 is tough starting off with 2012 UK Champions and Ireland Coach Moe Flett’s Chromies (1130 Irish Summer Time). An added spice to this game is that a number of the Kegs play for the Chromies in the UK. Kegs then finish the Group stage with a game versus Germany’s Hangarounds (1545 Irish Summer Time)

All to play for the Kegs to ensure they stay in the top 3 in their Group and make sure they qualify for the medal tournament on Thursday & Friday.

You can follow Kegs progress here on the Official ESF Play by Play website

Or watch it live here on the streaming

Day 1 Standings

ESCCS Standings Day 1