Thanks for the 2015/16 Season
From the President’s Desk, February 29, 2016
Every Sunday for the last 4 weeks the Rookie Teams have been scrimmaging in preparation for the BNSW Tournament next weekend at Manly. I went to watch today and I can’t commend highly enough the work that has been done by the various coaches and their assistant coaches. In many cases the development of the players has been remarkable. I have attended many 10/1 matches this season and the standard of those teams is impressive but when the best players from each of our four geographic divisions are combined together into a single team the standard rises even higher. The contest between the Cronulla East and Cronulla South teams today saw 6 innings played in an hour and ten minutes. On the other diamond North and West were hard at each other. Good luck to them next Sunday. I have no qualms they will represent us with distinction.
The previous 5 Sundays I have been hanging out with the Little League Development squad as they played various opponents from other Associations. Again the standard of the CSJBA teams was most impressive and the coaching staff also deserve commendation. As with the Rookies the players looked smart in their Development uniforms and for the most part performed far more capably than their opponents. Only Ryde North appear to present a challenge to either of our teams although we did get rained out against Manly and Hills didn’t enter their top team which is preparing for the State Championship independently.
A lot of hours of training and coaching have gone in to produce these outstanding squads and the CSJBA is grateful to the volunteers who have contributed to this achievement.
Further to this topic of standards I assisted with the selection of this years Sydney East Secondary Schools team to attend the CHS Championship in mid March at Belmont. The standard of the younger triallists was better than I have ever seen in my previous 12 years of involvement. Although the team almost entirely Year 12, 11 and 10 students the younger boys demonstrated impressive knowledge and skills. As most came from the CSJBA nursery it is credit to their former coaches how well these young athletes are developing. There is good work being done in our Association.
Zooka (Machine Pitch) and Tee Ball had their last round this past weekend. Baseball is up to the “business end of the season” with some teams eliminated for this summer but hopefully looking forward to another crack next summer
Semi finals concluded yesterday and there were some nail biters, some surprisingly one sided matches and lots of excitement not to mention tension. Performing competently when under pressure is a learned skill and competitive sport provides just such an opportunity. Fortunately, if you lose in a game, it is only a game and the consequences aren’t permanent or fatal. Just participating and not falling on your face is an invaluable developmental process for the children in our care. Did you win is less important than did you play well. If the other group played better but you played well then parents would be satisfied and grateful for the social and physical training that enabled their child to achieve this outcome. The next pressure situation may be academic at school, a public speaking occasion or a difficult social situation in the playground or family but the children who have played and coped with the demands of competitive team sport will be better prepared than those who have not had this sort of experience. Thanks to all the coaches, managers, scorers, canteen workers, ground supervisors and their helpers, club officials and committee members who have made his season happen. The children thank you as do their parents.
We have CSJBA teams in the Little League State Tournament coming up in April and the Junior League Nationals in Adelaide in June. Good luck to both groups. The website will keep you posted on their progress.
Finals this coming Saturday and they are spread across the large geographic footprint of the CSJBA with games at Chifley, Sylvania, Jannali and Barden Ridge. Hopefully supporters can attend some of the venues and watch the second last round of matches for 2015/16. The Bonnet Bay club are working industriously to get their grounds ready for Grand Final Day which we envisage will again be at the traditional home of Cronulla Sutherland Junior Baseball. In fact they have taken their fields out of competition this coming Saturday and have a working bee scheduled to ensure the diamonds are at their best for GF Day. Whilst on Bonnet Bay Club – I am led to believe that the Cronulla Grade Club are using the facility for training this winter and moves are afoot to see them playing their home games there next summer. Access and parking at the traditional home field of Tonkin Oval have become increasingly unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. The input of the Grade Club to the facility is most welcome.
Yours in sport,
Peter Barrington