On Saturday night the 12th of December our Victorian Junior State teams received their game caps at the Melbourne Aces Game. It is a special moment each year and this night was no exception.
Melbourne Aces players and former Victorian representatives Jon Kennedy, Daryl George, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay and General Manager Justin Huber presented the caps to this years teams. With the Baseball Victoria board Craig Armstead, Scott Dawes, Sonia Heath and president Myles Foreman on hand to congratulate the players.
Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman also spoke during the ceremony:
"Gathered in front of us today are 115 baseball players ranging in age from 13 to 17 who have been selected to represent Victoria.
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
On Saturday night the 12th of December our Victorian Junior State teams received their game caps at the Melbourne Aces Game. It is a special moment each year and this night was no exception.
Melbourne Aces players and former Victorian representatives Jon Kennedy, Daryl George, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay and General Manager Justin Huber presented the caps to this years teams. With the Baseball Victoria board Craig Armstead, Scott Dawes, Sonia Heath and president Myles Foreman on hand to congratulate the players.
Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman also spoke during the ceremony:
"Gathered in front of us today are 115 baseball players ranging in age from 13 to 17 who have been selected to represent Victoria.
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
We are sure that this will be another fantastic year for our state teams with Victoria's vibrant and strong development program producing ever more successful athletes. We wish them luck for the National Championships in January and beyond. Keep checking the Baseball Victoria website for all the information you will need to know about the state teams.