Baseball Victoria is calling for expressions of interest to join the BV Coaching Panel for the next two years as part of a new initiative aimed at increasing coaching opportunities in Victoria.
Those appointed to the panel will have opportunities to coach within the Victorian State Team and BV Performance Pathway programs, including:
- Australian U16 & U18 Youth Championships (AYC)
- Interstate & international friendship series
- Possible national squad programs and camps
- A three-tier pathway including Futures (U12/U14), Prospects (U16/U18), and Select (National Squad/college commits)
- The inclusion of a women’s pathway training program
- Education and training for athlete well-being and resilience program
- Emphasis on increasing the talent pool of male and female players in Victoria
- Creating a learning environment where players can improve their decision-making processes while performing under pressure
The BV Coaching Panel will meet monthly to assist with the development of Performance Pathway programs and provide input into the development of the state coaching curriculum.
Other benefits of the BV Coaching Panel include:
- Development of a greater number of potential elite men’s and women's coaches
- Opportunity to upskill and develop coaches in specific areas
- More nationally aligned men’s and women’s coaching panel, working within the performance training environment at state level to deliver nationally aligned training for athletes
- Greater levels of athlete monitoring/reporting and individual performance plan supervision and mentoring
- Succession planning in the appointment of state team head coaches and assistant coaches
Coaching panel appointments will run through 30 June 2025. To apply for the coaching panel, the following requirements must be met:
- A minimum of ‘Baseball Australia National Coach Accreditation’ level
- Current Victorian Working with Children Check
- Online application submitted HERE by COB Friday 7 July 2023.
For further information, please contact BV Performance Pathways Coordinator David Nagy at performance@baseballvictoria.com.au.
We are excited to get the 2023 State Winter Championships underway with seniors next weekend in Geelong.
Dandenong, Geelong, Melbourne City, and North Eastern will all compete in the senior men’s while we are thrilled to have Bendigo, Dandenong, Geelong, and MWBL participating in our first-ever Senior Women’s State Winter Championship.
BV Diamond Partner Field of View will also be on hand to photograph the event, so stay tuned for team photos and action shots from Geelong Baseball Centre. Our friends at Ausport will be making a special appearance, too!
Well done to Mariners and Rangers on an awesome week of baseball at the 2023 Australian Junior League Championship in Adelaide.
Both teams finished 3-2 and displayed excellent team spirit and determination throughout the week which was a pleasure to watch. We are proud of their efforts and look forward to seeing what their future holds.
Catch up with all the #AJLC2023 results on Facebook and stay tuned for the Australian Little League Championships starting 7 June in Blacktown.
Vicsport, Volunteering Victoria, and Regional Sport Victoria have teamed up to launch a new Sport Volunteer Project, which provides resources and tools to support sporting clubs statewide.
A dedicated Sport Volunteers webpage has been created to house the full range of factsheets, toolkit items, and case study videos.
Explore resources to help your club thrive with volunteer support: https://www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au/sport-volunteering/
After becoming the first female to pitch in the Australian Baseball League, Genevieve Beacom’s player hat is now displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum!
Beacom made her ABL debut with Melbourne Aces on 8 January 2022, throwing a scoreless inning against Adelaide Giants.or the Melbourne Aces in a game against the Adelaide Giants.
Congrats to Genevieve on another amazing accomplishment – we can’t wait to see what her future has in store!
Baseball Victoria’s commitment to women’s baseball development continues with the appointment of Samantha Hamilton as BV Performance Pathway Coach.
A decorated Team Australia Emeralds alumni, BV Life Member and women’s head coach, Hamilton joins the Performance Pathway team for weekly training with the Prospects and Select programs. She will bring her wealth of playing and coaching experience to the field, helping some of Victoria’s brightest baseball talent take their game to the next level.
The appointment follows a sizzling summer of baseball in Victoria that produced stellar results on the field, in addition to the introduction of several exciting new initiatives through the Women’s Pathway Working Group.
At the recent 2023 Australian Women’s Championships, Victoria won silver in the senior event and bronze in the Youth Championships to stand alone as the only dual medallist across both tournaments.
Victoria will be well represented on the international stage in 2023, with the state boasting 10 of the 25 player selections to the Team Australia Emeralds squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup qualifier where Hamilton will also serve as assistant coach and Ursula Howard will be EO.
As Victoria shines on the highest stage, women’s participation in the state’s winter and summer competitions has also exploded with a 22% rise since 2021.
Youth girls are getting more chances to build new skills and develop their game. BV Belles embraced the Little League State Championships and will be the state’s first all-girls team to represent at the Division 2 Little League Nationals. Victoria will also return to the Barclay Cup in October after a strong showing at the 2022 inaugural national tournament for junior girls.
BV also plans to introduce a Women’s and Girls Performance Pathway Program in August 2023 to offer even more opportunities for talent development, with Hamilton leading the way.
“We are thrilled to have Samantha Hamilton on board for the Performance Pathway program. She has made fantastic contributions to our sport as a player and coach, and we are grateful for her leadership as women’s head coach over the past two years,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “Samantha is a valuable asset to our organisation as we focus on our strategic priorities of increasing women’s teams and participation numbers. We wish her all the best and know she will do great in this role.”
Hamilton is ready to hit the ground running with a talented group of Victorian baseballers.
“I’m excited to continue my coaching career with the BV Performance Pathway, particularly working with our Emeralds players headed to the Women’s World Cup in August,” Hamilton said. “It’s an honour to work alongside Damian Shanahan and Keli’i Zablan to help talented athletes unlock their full potential. I’m grateful to be a part of such impressive development for women’s baseball in Victoria as we build a bright future for our great game.”
Baseball Australia has announced the Under 16 National Camp invitees, with 10 Victorians earning a spot. Congratulations to Ty Daniels, Jordan Ellis, William Hardy, Will Kent, Andrew Land, Mitch Langworthy, Hudson Pallay, Nathan Rumbelow, Robinson Smith, and Zak Stafilis!
The camp is set for late September and will see 40 players from across the country enter into the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, completing the National Junior Program’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Players were selected based on performances at the 2023 Australian Youth Championships this past January.
The camp will offer a combination of on-field skill development and workshops with world-renowned AIS staff, giving players the chance to test their development against their peers in a series of squad games.
Stay tuned for more updates from BA's National Camp.
It was a big week for Maribyrnong Sports Academy, winning both the Senior Boys and Intermediate Boys SSV State Finals.
Well done to head coach Tony Schibeci and the following MSA Baseball Academy student athletes:
- Senior Team - Jayden Kim, Andrew Land, Lachlan Schumann, and Declan Speirs (BV Performance Pathway)
- Intermediate Team - Roman Coote, Sam Land, Oliver Bergin, Robinson Smith and Josh Bence
Congrats to all on a great year with SSV programs!
Well done to Mariners and Rangers on a great week at the 2023 Australian Intermediate League Championship in Mildura.
Mariners gave it their all against tough competition and finished with a fired-up offense earning a big win and a draw. Rangers picked up two wins and stayed competitive throughout the week, making amazing memories along the way. We hope everyone had a great time and we are excited to see what comes next for these hardworking players.
We would also like to give a special shoutout to the three Victorian umpires who attended the tournament. Thanks to Neil Douglass, David Mackie, and Taylor Field for all their efforts to ensure a safe, fair and fun game!
Catch up with all the #AILC2023 results on Facebook or the official event hub.
