COACHING EVENT IN OCEANIA REGION
2006-08-03

Softball coaches of all levels from across New Zealand will be converging on
Wellington this weekend for a convention.

Softball New Zealand (SNZ) National Coaching Director Naomi Shaw has been overwhelmed by the response to the convention, with 60 coaches registered to attend. Shaw says all the coaches registered have a desire to improve their knowledge with the focus of the convention on growing the game of softball.

The importance of a coach cannot be underestimated, Shaw believes, but there is more to the role than knowing the game and skills required. Another key factor is managing the athlete.

“If you have a confident and skilled coach in front of a team, the chances of that team staying in the game are much higher,” Shaw said.

The convention is two-pronged: one aimed at the entry level, grass roots coach, and the other targeting the sport’s elite coaches.

Included in the weekend will be a range of workshops covering all aspects of the game from the basics of pitching, hitting, and catching, through the more advanced technical side of the game and planning & preparation.

Those at the workshops will be a relative “who’s who” of New Zealand softball legends, from past Black Sox coach Don Tricker through to his successor Eddie Kohlhase. Black Sox legend Mark Sorenson will lead a session on the art of catching, while Black Sox infielder Dion Nukunuku will offer advice and ideas on hitting and fielding. The presentation from Tricker will focus on the approach to coaching and not what to coach but how to coach.

There will also be workshops from current and past international players and coaches such as Nardi Leonard, Lynda O’Cain, Kiri Shaw, and Naomi Shaw.

The coaching convention will also see presentations from SNZ National Pitching Director Debbie Mygind and SNZ Regional Coaching Coordinators Graeme Gollan and Ian Saunders.

The convention will be held from tomorrow evening through to Sunday afternoon.

Source: Softball New Zealand