Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Blue Mountains Softball Club have just been recognised as one of the premier Australian softball clubs in two separate awards. The Blue Mountains Softball Club were announced as the 2018 Club of the Year at the recent Softball New South Wales awards ceremony, but they are also a Softball Australia Homeplate Ladder champion club for 2017-18. Homeplate Ladder is judged by Softball Australia on clubs putting in place best practice governance and good management, getting membership growth, and retaining members.

Clubs also get recognition for members engaging in volunteer training and accreditation courses, and that's actually been the key to success for the Blue Mountains Softball Club. They've had a three-year strategy. It's all been about making sure people are there to have fun as well as play softball and—as you can see—become winners. The fun aspect has really paid off. They have also encouraged people to get involved. Over the last three years, they have had a massive increase in the number of people volunteering, so they've got parents, relatives and older juniors taking up coaching, umpiring and scoring to gain accreditation. It's been a great turnaround for the club.

Now, I can't catch a softball to save myself, but I'm pleased to say that the Blue Mountains are full of talented players. I'm even happier to say that now they're having fun, and I want to congratulate all of those involved: the committee, the coaches— (Time expired)