Softball Victoria recently launched a new tournament which will see four teams compete in six matches, followed by a final series. The competition will bring together elite players of the game each team lead by one ambassador.
Photo credit: Softball Victoria
Vicsport intern James Godden sat down with Nick Frayne, CEO of Softball Victoria and discussed the new competition and what lies ahead.
The reason behind this event came from a lack of competitions/events at the female elite level. Not only this, there is also a general lack of attention around softball in Victoria due to the large gap between local club level and interstate and national teams/competitions. Of which none of these events are broadcasted and only sometimes streamed online.
Approach:
The competition was created by establishing a need. What was the sport missing and how can we fill the void? Once the need had been established, finding a venue becasme the next priority followed by recruiting elite players and coaches, ensuring the competition was of a certain standard.
From here it was about putting structures in place to mitigate risk and getting the marketing and promotional work underway. This was achieved through securing someone to create the branding for the event whilst writing promotional articles on the homepage/websites, posts on their social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Outcomes:
The outcome of this event is to create an event where young participants and fans of softball can come watch a high standard of play. The significance of viewers and audience members for this event is that will create a greater need for players looking to get involved in softball, in return this in increase participation rates for the sport. The competition will also increase sporting icons and heroes that junior players can look up to and aspire to be. The event also raises the standard of play for softball in Victoria, this competition has been created for the most elite players and isn’t a competition that any players or participant can get into. As a result of this, the drive and desire to become better is increased, as more participants will want to be involved in this elite event. This competition is also in its pilot year. With a successful year can mean greater resources for the competitions thereafter, creating a greater pool of talent that exists in the Victorian softball community.
Challenges & Key Learnings:
Like many events, this one wasn’t without its challenges. Nick stated that many of challenges faced stemmed from a lack of overall resources. Softball Victoria relies heavily on its volunteers who help out for the love of the game. “add quote on the importance of volunteers”
Further challenges were trying to find the right ground, as these matches are played on Wednesday evenings pitch lights are essential. Many softball grounds do not have this due their game being played during the day.
James Godden
Intern, Vicsport
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