Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The year 2020 marks 25 years of softball in the Hornsby Shire. The Hornsby District Softball Association started in 1995 to give women in the shire the opportunity to play softball. The association runs competitions for players of all ages, from T-ballers as young as four participating in the Batter Up program to senior social softball in the afternoons. They also have state, national and international representative players. In 2007, the association relocated to Hayes Park in Galston. When they first arrived, two back nets had already been constructed, but since then the HDSA has been working hard to raise funds to fund the construction of bat nets on the remaining two softball diamonds to complete their field. The first of those was erected in September 2018.

I was pleased to have been able to present the HDSA with $9,000 as part of the Stronger Communities Program towards their fourth and final softball diamond, which was finished at the end of last year. I was delighted to cut the ribbon and throw out the first pitch at their newly constructed softball back net and dugout at their last game for 2019. It was great to see so many players from the nine affiliated clubs across our region—the Hills Hawks, the Hornsby Wildcats, the North Rocks, the Rouse Hill Rams, the Thornleigh Blue Jays, the Epping Eastwood Tigers, Stealers Softball, the Greenway Giants and Mount St Benedict College—all on the field making the most of the new addition. Now that all four corners of Hayes Park have permanent back nets, the association has the opportunity to market Hayes Park as the premier softball field in the shire and promote softball in our local community. The HDSA is looking forward to focusing on the grassroots to grow the sport of softball.

The Australian women's softball team is going to the Tokyo Olympics. This presents a fantastic opportunity to promote softball as a sport in our area. I want to thank the hardworking, dynamic president of the association, Paige Hyslop, and the executive for the work they've done to enable women to play softball socially and competitively in our region. I'd also like to acknowledge the men who helped upgrade the grounds—Richard Gatt, Simon Fitzhenry, Simon Tilley and David Dunk—and who coordinated the fencing contractor, ensured the diamond measurements were correct and put hours into relocating existing pitch and home plate mats.

Finally, let me acknowledge the HDSA's numerous representatives who competed over the summer in championships around the country—Chelsea Gleeson, Madeline Kemp, Hannah MacKean and Caitlyn Wilde—who were members of winning teams in their respective competitions and age groups, as well as John Neilson and Damaras Clarkson, who coached and assisted the under-18 New South Wales women's team to their victory. Let me also congratulate Jacynta Eisermann, Annalise Kemp, Gisele Petalio Conte and Teoni Lamb, who represented the HDSA, as well as Aiden Kajan, Hayden Matthews, Liam O'Leary and Kieren O'Leary, who represented the Hornsby district for the new men's team. I look forward to seeing a bright future for softball in my area as the association goes from strength to strength over the next quarter century.