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YEAR IN REVIEW DI S T R I C T AS S O C I A T I O N S B   The 2010/2011 season presented the Associa on with some significant challenges. Not

the least of which was simply comple ng scheduled fixtures. Despite the ‘summer horribilus’, with its persistent rain, flooding and severe weather pa erns the Associa on was able to complete all fixtures and finals matches. The Fixtures Sub‐Commi ee did a marvellous job fi ng in all rescheduled matches within the regular season window; ensuring players did not miss a single playing opportunity due to weather. Facili es  BSA con nues to operate eighteen diamonds on Downey Park which include the following;

• 1 Interna onal skinned diamond under lights • 1 senior diamond under lights • 9 Senior Diamonds • 7 Junior Diamonds

A high quality ba ng facility is also offered to clubs, teams and individuals on a hire basis.  Improvement of facili es at Downey Park con nued with major ini a ves undertaken including:

• Remodeling of the canteen to improve layout, service facili es and refrigera on. Improved food quality and menu op ons have also seen increased patronage of the canteen and BBQ facility;

• Introduc on of the Bumble Bee food cart. This has significantly enhanced food and drink services to outer diamonds, QGSSSA fixtures and other events across Downey Park;

• Expansion of the bar area to facilitate increased capacity;

• Expansion of the ‘Pig pen’ area to include a designated smoking area; and

• General amenity of the area has also been improved through ongoing improvement to gardens and improved drainage.

The on site Leading Edge Pro Shop ini a ve con nues to prove successful and is now a well established feature at Downey Park, providing so ball equipment and clothing services to players and officials.

Grants Grant applica ons submi ed included: Telstra Community Volunteers Received

$1 000 Woolworths Community Grant $5 000 Unsuccessful Community Gambling Fund $25 000 Unsuccessful in 1st round Brisbane City Council Flood Assistance Received $5 000 Dept of Families and Housing – Volunteers Grants Program Unsuccessful Sportscover Sponsorship Fund Unsuccessful Compe on Women’s and Men’s compe ons were again held in summer and winter respec vely. Club par cipa on was encouraging, although player registra ons were down on season 2009/2010. The Associa on experienced difficulty a rac ng junior players in par cular and this will be a major focus of the Associa on in the coming season. Teams compe ng in the Women’s summer compe on included A1, A2, A3, B1, and B2. C1, C2, U17, U15, U13, 3‐Pitch/Fas rack grades. The Men’s compe on con nues to grow with par cipa on in the winter compe on involving 16 teams across A, B and C Grades. It is par cularly pleasing to see players and teams from other Associa ons joining the compe on. Club and team contribu ons to Associa on compe ons were: Men’s 2011 Women’s 2009‐2010 Winter Compe on Summer Compe on Club           Teams  Club           Teams Bruins 3 Wilston Grange 4 Redsox 2 Devils 6 Dodgers 1 Jaguars 1 Devils 1 Panthers 8 Jaguars 1 Redsox 7 Wilston Grange 1 Saints 9 Ramblers 1 Bears 7 PK 2 Waratahs 6 Wildcats 3 Springwood 5 Royals 1 Samford 4 BSA was also pleased that Downey Park was chosen by QGSSA as the venue for its Saturday morning inter school compe on and we welcome them back in 2011/12.

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Zillmere as a venue con nues to improve with Devils So ball Club doing a marvelous job of preparing and maintaining the venue. Reloca on of a fourth diamond from old Zillmere to the current site managed by Devils So ball Club has added to the success and a rac on of the Men’s compe on. BSA also hosted Yellow Socks Day in conjunc on with the Brisbane Broncos and Play for a Cure Founda on. This special event was a tremendous success, despite appalling weather condi ons, with approximately 2000 people a ending to witness a marvelous charity event involving elite So ball and Rugby League players. Significant funds were raised for the Play for A Cure founda on and junior so ball development. Nego a ons are currently in progress with the Broncos to hold the event again in 2011. Academy The Brisbane Academy con nued to develop under the stewardship of Dave Elder and later Mick Gregory. Successful Under 15 and 17 programs were conducted. An Academy pitching and catching clinic was ini ated post ladies season which has seen more than 27 players par cipate. Originally planned for 6 weeks, interest and par cipa on has been so great the program has been extended indefinitely. Plans are also in place to showcase the skills acquired by par cipants as part of 2011/12 season recruitment. Special thanks go to Shane, Mick, Tyson and Michelle for this excellent ini a ve. Associa on Objec ves The Associa on con nues to work toward achievement of its Strategic Plan objec ves which will ensure its con nued success. Key to future success is increasing par cipa on at both junior and senior levels. The Associa on con nues to explore opportuni es to increase par cipa on in exis ng formats as well as offering other compe on formats in order to a ract new par cipants.  

B   Membership The Bundaberg So ball Associa on maintained steady registra on numbers for the 2010/11 season. The

associa on operates on a club concept and caters for T‐Ball, U10, U12, U14, U16, A & B Ladies and Men. Bundaberg So ball Clubs include:

• Across the Waves • Bargara • North Bundaberg Eels • South Sluggers • Western Suburbs • Brothers United

Decreases in team numbers for the season a ributed to both natural a ri on and player eleva on to high divisions. The increase in overlapping sport seasons and compe on from other spor ng codes con nues to present a challenge to the associa on. Our strong Junior base con nues to shine with player selec ons to both State and Na onal Teams.  Grants Department of Communi es ‐ Ac ve Inclusion Program $5000.00 ‐ Technical Development (Coaching & Scoring) Bundaberg Regional Council ‐ Young People In Sport ‐ $100.00 per representa ve player Community Gambling Fund ‐ Unsuccessful Department of Families and Housing ‐ Volunteer Grants Program ‐ Unsuccessful  Highlights – Representa on Representa ve Teams: Bundaberg fielded teams at the following State Championships:

• Under 15 Boys • Under 15 Girls • Under 17 Boys • Under 17 Girls • Under 19 Girls

State/Na onal Selec on:  QLD Under 17 Boy's Team ‐ Tyrell Priestley, Sam Field, Adrian Taylor QLD Under 19 Men's Team ‐ Sam Daff Australian Under 19 Men's ‐ Sam Daff Australian Under 17 Boys ‐ Adrian Taylor Publicity/Promo on Bundaberg So ball con nues to receive excellent media coverage from the Bundaberg News Mail, Win TV and Channel Seven. The coverage includes highlights on the Six O'clock News and weekly back page exploits providing an arena to showcase the sport. Just Sports website provides the associa on and clubs the pla orm for weekly informa on including a weekly wrap provided from one of its sub clubs. Technical Areas Coaching – Members are encouraged to complete Level 1 and 2 qualifica ons using the SQI courseware. All Bundaberg coaches are required to complete a basic principles coaching course prior to the commencement of the season if they have no formal coaching qualifica on. Scoring – Three (3) scorers were upgraded to Level 2 a er comple ng assessment at the Under 19 Women’s State Championship in Rockhampton. Bundaberg also had an upgrade to a Level 3 in 2011.

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C   Membership Membership numbers were difficult to maintain this last year due to such a limited playing season because of

weather. The Women’s division 2 compe on managed to play only 8 games out of a 20 week season. We have hopes that a planned Oz‐Pitch winter season will help boost so ball’s profile in Cairns.  Sponsorship/Grants CDSA was successful in obtaining a development grant from Sport and Rec QLD which is allowing us to help develop Umpires, Coaches and Scorers. Amongst other ac vi es it allowed us to have 3 guest umpires in Cairns for our the grand final day. These umpires worked hard, both with on diamond du es as well as conduc ng training for local umpires. Thanks to Dazza, Buddha and Pinky for coming to Far North QLD. Highlights CDSA 2010 – 2011 season winners Secondary School Minor Premiers – Redsox Sparkies Least runs scored against – Redsox Sparkies Premiers – Redsox Sparkies Runners up – Panthers Player of the Final – Jayme Reddacliff Most Catches –Callum Cha o & Keara White Season MVP – Roma Gabrang Award for Poten al & Sportsmanship – Caitlin Hodgman Women’s Division 2 Minor Premiers – Premier Hooters Least runs scored against – Premier Hooters Premiers – Premier Hooters Runners up – Redsox McCoys Player of the Final – Stacey Reynolds Most Catches –Kelly Hodgman Season MVP – Mel Reddacliff & Vicki Irwin Women’s Division 1 Minor Premiers – Ivanhoes 1 Least runs scored against – Ivanhoes 1 Premiers – Ivanhoes Runners up – Hawks Player of the Final – Bonnie Minniecon Most Catches – Kym Henley Season MVP – Jayme Reddacliff CDSA had a good year with representa ve teams at State Championships with our Open Men’s team ‐ Runners Up for the President’s Cup and our Open Women's team State Champions.

Umpiring – Bundaberg So ball had seven umpires involved in the Red Shirt Program with six being upgraded to Level 1 at the comple on of the 2010/2011 season. The associa on also had two junior umpires upgraded to Level 2 at the 2011 Under 15 Boys State Championship. Both of these juniors also umpired at the Secondary School Girls Championship, with one being selected as the QLD Team Umpire and the other selected for the Na onal Primary Schools Championships. Bundaberg So ball has been successful in funding from the Department of Communi es, Ac ve Inclusion Program. This will be used to develop more Level 1 and 2 Coaches and Level 1, 2 and 3 Scorers. Junior Development The associa on conducted a skills tes ng program that targeted Under 10 and 12 players. Data collected will assist in genera ng player profiles linking into regional academy programs. The forma on of the Wide Bay Regional So ball Academy has provided the pla orm for 28 Bundaberg Juniors accepted into the program. A number of Academy and Satellite training sessions have been conducted to date. Bundaberg So ball is suppor ve of the Bundaberg Inter School Sports Program. This saw four teams compe ng in an open mixed compe on with Bundaberg State High School being the winners. The Bundaberg State High School Boys Team recently won the Zone Golden Glove Challenge and we wish all the luck at the State Golden Glove Challenge.  Facili es Bundaberg So ball complex consists of four diamonds, two with deco running tracks and two with grass running tracks. This season saw the comple on of new dugouts in partnership with Gin Gin State High School. Ongoing facility maintenance will include clubhouse repairs, pitching mats, diamond rewiring/fencing and a storage room. Partnership with Across The Waves Sports Club will see training ligh ng being erected over one of the diamonds. Future The associa on looks to provide strong leadership and good governance prac ces to ensure its viability in the community. Building the profile of the sport to increase memberships and a ract local sponsorship will be a priority for future seasons. Social Marke ng provides the key in the promo on and marke ng of the sport.

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Addi onally 5 of our U15 Girls from the newly started Northern regional academy were selected to play in the Australian U15 Regional Championship.  Publicity & Promo on CDSA is working closely with the new Sport and Rec liaison officer appointed by the Cairns Regional Council to promote so ball in Cairns and the surrounding districts. Technical Areas CDSA is u lising a Sport and Rec grant to further the skills of our umpires, coaches and scorers. The aim is to have at least 5 people in each area either newly accredited or having advanced their levels. We wish Adam Redacliff all the best with his level 3 Umpire accredita on. Junior Development The North QLD Regional Academy is finally up and running with both U15 and U18 par cipants. Cairns is opera ng the academy at the moment but looks forward to Townsville joining us in the near future. Facili es CDSA is working closely with the new Sport and Rec liaison officer to look at improvements to our playing facili es. Future CDSA is currently re‐nego a ng the lease on our playing fields with the Cairns Regional Council.

 G   Membership: Our member numbers remained on par to last season. The 8 week Diamond Ball programme proved popular with the li le kids and we had enough numbers to field 4 mixed teams in the Tee Ball division, along with 4 mixed teams in the U13 division. As happened last season, we only had enough players to fill 2 teams in the U15 division and again these members were recruited up to the B Grade division. In doing this, our B Grade division was extended to a 6 team compe on. The A Grade compe on began with 4 teams but finished with only 3 teams. A team from Rockhampton, travelled down each fortnight to play a double header but unfortunately the flood soon brought that idea to an abrupt halt. The Men pushed hard to recruit for their compe on and did a great job “mentoring” our younger male members. Although team members were very scarce, they did manage to play a few games during the season. Sponsorship/Grants The ac ve pursuit of money through sponsorship and grants was well below par for the season. There was a

“changing of the guard” on the commi ee last season and those new to commi ee posi ons were on a steep learning curve. This short coming is realised and processes are in place to train our new commi ee members with new skills. We did however have our usual sponsors which included, Di man & Associates, Gourmet HR, Lister Motors and Nicholson Plasters. Highlights   Gladstone did not have any representa ve teams but several of our members linked up with other Associa ons to play at State Championships. Michael Ludkin was selected in the Queensland Primary School Boys Team. Publicity/Promo on Radio promo on featured heavily in our campaign to recruit members, along with the usual flyers, no ces in school newsle ers and signs erected along major traffic routes. Technical Areas   Coaching – we had a few new faces join us this season. As part of our development programme our “old hands” mentored our “greenhorns” this season and the plan is to con nue this development by ge ng higher accredita ons. Scoring – we are very light on in the scoring department. We do have an official scorer for our A Grade matches and some very competent scorers for our B Grade matches. We hope to get the parents more involved in this facet of so ball. Umpiring – we had some of the junior members step up and be counted. As part of our development programme the “old hands” mentored our “greenhorns” and the plan is to con nue this development by ge ng higher accredita ons. Junior Development  We will con nue to run the Primary School Programme that has been so successful over the past few years. Par cipa on in this programme is well supported by the local primary schools and we will be aiming to recruit heavily for our local compe on. Facili es Gladstone currently has 4 diamonds (1 – skinned and 3 grass). Shade covering over the benches on the grass diamonds has been a welcome improvement. Upgrading the sprinkler system and top dressing to try to level the playing fields are a slow but definite improvement. Future Innova ons Plans are s ll underway for the construc on of a new skinned diamond. The council began assis ng with the Grant Applica on for this project but it appears that the

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grant money has been diverted to “flood assistance”. GSA has decided to “go it alone” and start with very small steps. It is hoped that this season we can get the back‐net built, have basic dugouts and a level, grassed playing field. We plan to enclose the open areas of the clubhouse with weldmesh. This will help make the canteen more user friendly allowing for more tables and sea ng. This will not impair the view of the playing diamonds and should keep the vandals at bay. Last season we recruited heavily at the Tannum Sands / Boyne Island area. This was very successful with 3 teams coming on board and this season we aim to target the Calliope area.  

H  B   Membership Par cipa on Numbers are considerably fewer

than last season. There were no Men’s teams as they did not wish to play Friday night. HBSA con nues to operate with 3 clubs plus a Goolas team comprising mainly indigenous players. There were 10 players who par cipated in a skills/games situa on in U10, 5 mixed teams par cipated in U14, 3 mixed teams of U16 and 5 women’s teams. A survey shows players/supporters wanted all games played on the same day, so for 2011/12, games will be played on Saturday beginning at 1pm and finishing at 8pm. Sponsorship/Grants HBSA received a grant from Sport and Recrea on QLD to support and promote so ball in schools. Two sets of gear and teaching lesson plans (Junior Pathways Program) are available on loan to schools. Two holiday skills programs will be conducted in the Spring holidays. An a er‐school inter‐school compe on was conducted with 5 teams compe ng. A grant from the Fraser Coast Regional Council will be used to improve the playing surface of our fields. Highlights HBSA sent teams to U17 Men’s, U19 Men’s, Open Men’s, U15 Girls’ and U15 Boys’ State Championships. Shaun Mitchell was chosen in the U17 Boys’ QLD Team which won the U17 Na onal Title. Nathan Caulley and Brad Mitchell were selected for the U19 QLD Men’s team. Jason Smith was chosen in the QLD Primary Schools team which won the Na onal Title for the first me. Publicity & Promo on This area is a weakness in our organisa on. Local television sta ons will only cover senior games and the daily newspaper gives HBSA scant cover.   

Technical Areas  Coaching — HBSA contributed $1000 to the establishment of the Wide Bay Regional Academy. Administra on is in place, coaches have been appointed, weekly training has started and monthly regional training is in place — all tes ng has been done. Scoring: — Kirsty Andrew’s devo on to this area has been rewarded:

• April 2010 — team sta s cian for Na onal U19 Women’s team at the Southern Cross Challenge at Redlands.

• August 2010 — recorder at So ball Queensland Masters at Logan

• September 2010 — QLD Scoring Representa ve at U17 Boys’ Championship at Noosa.

• January 2011 — Sta s cian for QLD U17 Boys’ Team in Adelaide.

• March 2011 — Sta s cian for U19 Women’s team to Japan but this trip was cancelled due to an earthquake in the region.

Umpiring — A sadly neglected area in our Associa on. Facili es Geoff Godfrey So ball Complex consists of four diamonds in a wagon wheel layout with full infield deco. Two diamonds have full ligh ng. The canteen is situated in the centre of the diamonds for convenient access. All diamonds have spectator sea ng. Future Our aim next season is to double our player numbers through:

• Holiday clinics • Free provision of gear • Expenditure on adver sing • Incen ves to current members — sign on a friend • Payment of course costs for coaches, umpires,

scorers • Through Regional Academy, the provision of a

Development Officer for Wide Bay

I   The summer season of 2010 – 2011 saw Ipswich So ball registra ons decrease slightly again in both team numbers and players numbers. In the

current environment of increased compe on from other sports, value for money and the ever‐present challenge of finding disposable income for recrea on and sport, we consider our con nued membership to be more than acceptable but it is a worrying trend that we are inves ga ng and hopefully turnaround. In an effort to find answers we sent out survey forms E.g. Summer/ Winter season, What other compe ons could we run to

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a ract more players etc. Most forms came back with the response to stay with a summer season. Our members also wish us to run social Compe on or a master’s compe on throughout the winter which we are looking into. Unfortunately this season was one of the most challenging in recent mes with rain playing havoc on game days and then the January floods. But to the credit of the hardworking management team and volunteers we managed to get the fields playable with the loss of only two weeks which we were able to make up by playing on a Sunday. Our grand final day was held on the 19th March and there were some very entertaining games with most games being decided in the final innings. The Junior finals were completed by lunch me and the presenta on commenced straight a er. In the last couple of seasons we have been able to make Grand Final day a special day for all our juniors players receiving par cipa on trophies, Winners trophies and Runner Up trophies. Unfortunately the rain once again played havoc on the day and we were forced to postpone some senior games to the following weekend. In the representa ve arena we unfortunately could not field teams in all divisions at State Championships and from an Associa on point of view this was very disappoin ng. From these Championships we are proud to boast several State Representa ve players. These players have not achieved selec on by accident; Ipswich So ball has a very strong development program for any player wishing to improve their playing skills. The Ipswich players selected for representa ve posi ons are proof of the commitment from our players, parents and coaches and the success of our programs within our Associa on. Over the last twelve month we have endeavoured to maintain a closer rela onship with the schools and their so ball programs. We have the district schools playing at our grounds on Fridays and holding their selec on trials etc. By all reports they are very happy with our facili es and are apprecia ve of all the assistance that we provide to ensure that all the schools events are a complete success. Over the last year we have been working with the Ipswich City Council to achieve a closer working rela onship and the results have been posi ve. We now have shade structures erected around the grounds. This will be followed by the erec on of a shed with the view of ba ng cages off the side and finally a roof over the balcony at the canteen. None of this would have been possible if not for the hard work from the management team and the support from the Ipswich City Council.

Through sound business principles and strong financial management our District Associa on has again shown a slight financial profit. This financial surplus will allow us to con nue to invest in our players through addi on training and development assets and improving our playing facili es. I would like to acknowledge the fine work done by our coaches, administrators and volunteers, and in par cular our very strong, commi ed and successful Management Commi ee without whom we would not be in such a strong posi on. Finally, I believe that Ipswich So ball Associa on will con nue to be a powerhouse of so ball in Queensland.

 M   Mackay recovers from Cyclone and flood damage yet again. Once again we have been hit with a cyclone and non stop rain which le us with a massive clean up, by the me it was dry enough to get the mowers on to

the fields the grass was 3 foot high and once again our good group of volunteers set to work and we had the fields ready for the Masters. Mackay Masters weekend is proving to be one of the good Men’s/Women’s social weekend of So ball in Queensland with many ex‐interna onal players coming up to play. Membership Mackay have six clubs which include; Rebels, Dragons, Hawks, Angels, Magic and Whitsunday. These are divided into four Men’s teams, four A‐Grade teams, eight B‐Grade teams, four C‐Grade teams and two U12 teams. This season our junior nomina ons are down for the 2010 season and we also have lost two B‐grade teams. People up this way are feeling the effects of months with no work due to constant rain and floods. People that work outdoors in the housing, building and mining contractors were without work for many weeks and are s ll trying to catch up. Whitsunday numbers were well down for the last season as well. Sponsorship / Grants We were successful in obtaining a grant from the Sports and Recrea on for $3 800 for Club Development which has enabled us to do our accredita on courses. We also were successful with the Gambling Community Benefit Fund for a Grant to put power down to the bore pump at the back of the fields and to irrigate the fields. We also received $18 000 from Sports and Recrea on Disaster Relief Fund to assist us with the rebuilding of our fields.

 

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Highlights Mackay hosted a very successful May Day Regional Masters Weekend in 2010. Debbie Carey the Mackay Treasurer for the last 10 years was awarded Life Membership, during her me she has also served on various commi ees. A great 2010 So ball season. Publicity We have weekly write‐ups with photos in the local Daily Mercury.  Technical Areas Coaching – Coaching Coordinator Linda Parry has been busy with her new coaches that are coming through and she has a new group ready to do their Level 1 and a couple of others ready to do their Level 2. Umpiring – Peter Baxter is always training his young new umpires that are coming through the ranks. He has quite a good keen group ready for this season. Scoring – Val Cross has had 7 new Level 1 Scorers pass their Level 1 exam. Junior Development The Mackay Development Squad is back in full swing with weekly training sessions. Junior development is proving to be very difficult due to the drop in our Junior ranks. Facili es Mackay have 4 Diamonds, 2 of them have lights. All diamonds are grass with Deco bases. We have a ba ng / pitching enclosure. Future Our threats are the other high profile sports that all play on Saturday’s and lack of Juniors. We are hoping to start a Twilight Friday Come and Try Day on Friday evening to see if we can boost our Junior numbers.

M   Highlights The highlights for the MSA in 2010/11 were:

• The Under 17 Girls representa ve team (combined with Mt Isa) won the President’s Cup and were crowned Country Champions at the State Championship

• Further development of our facili es was under taken, par cularly the extension of the playing areas for diamonds three and four

• Seven players were selected into the inaugural Wide Bay Regional Academy. They were Dylan Mallam and Hayley Hinchliff from Sparx, Dylan Hard, Aaron Clifford, Seth Muller and Tayla Barron from Incas and Brooke White from Aztecs

• Growth in our junior compe ons was achieved with an addi onal five teams par cipa ng (35% growth)

• The Men’s compe on was re‐established, albeit on a small scale.

MSA Award Winners in the 2010/11 season were: 

AWARD  AWARD WINNER 

Most Poten al Under 15 Female Brooke White

Most Poten al Under 15 Male Dylan Mallam

Most Poten al Under 17 Female Kimmy Ison

Most Poten al Under 17 Male Josh Hard

Female So baller of the Year Ashleigh James

Male So baller of the Year Cameron Butcher Female Junior So baller of the

Year Brooke White

Male Junior So baller of the Year Hayden Green

Most Improved Junior Team Sparx Scorpions

Best Junior Team Performance Incas Comets

Best Senior Team Performance Aztecs Apaches

Sportsmanship Award Darlene Green

MSA Award Les Ison Margaret Hyne Memorial

Trophy Alana Aspinall

Junior Umpire of the Year Brooke White

David Metekingi presents an Aussie Steelers Walk out shirt to Mackay President Val Cross. This shirt will be cased and take pride of place in the MSA club house.

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MSA premiership records for 2010/11 are as follows: 

 Priori es for 2011/12 and Beyond The MSA has established the following priori es to support ongoing growth and development:

• A focus of growing our senior women (A and B Grade), senior men (compe ve and social), OzPitch, Under 11 and Diamond Ball compe ons

• Celebra ng our 60th anniversary • Development of a new Strategic Plan and

Cons tu on • Providing leadership to the further development

of the Wide Bay Regional Academy • Further development of our facili es with a focus

on the canteen, toilet facili es, Tee Ball/Diamond Ball Diamonds and dugouts

• Progressing the establishment of an inter‐city T‐Ball carnival in the Wide Bay region.

 

M  I   Membership Membership for the 2010 Season declined due to a couple of factors. With Junior league rever ng back to playing Saturday Compe on saw the growth we had in 2009 drop back to the same figures as 2008 (170 Juniors). Whilst we

improved our numbers for T‐Ball to U12, our biggest impact was U15 and U17. We lost the players we gained in 2009 back to junior league along with our regular players as there was no U17 compe on this season. We also saw the disbandment of Komodo Dragons. Whilst this was unfortunate, the up side of the disbandment saw most of their juniors and seniors filter into the other clubs to make them stronger and more compe ve.

GRADE PREMIERS RUNNERS UP

MINOR  PREMIERS

Senior Women

Aztecs Apaches

Sparx Hyne

Aztecs Apaches

Senior Men

Incas Warriors

Aztecs Indians

Incas Warriors

U15 Incas Wildcats

Sparx S ngers

Incas Wildcats

U13 Sparx Scorpions

Aztecs Avengers Aztecs Atoms

T‐Ball  Div  1

Aztecs Aces

Incas Comets Incas Comets

T‐Ball  Div 2

Aztecs Ants

Aztecs Angels Aztecs Ants

MISA has con nually promoted the junior compe ons and has provided flexibility in running the various levels to ensure maximum par cipa on of all junior players. Feedback from Clubs in 2009 suggested that T‐Ball to U12 level was not providing enough s mulus for players. MISA made a number of changes this season e.g. playing for points, finals and changes to the rules which saw a huge improvement in game par cipa on, less forfeits, skills development and enjoyment. However, there remains a problem where younger players drop out from the sport during the season. Whilst there can be many reasons for this e.g. family reloca on, other sports, school commitments etc, MISA does recognise this situa on and should be looking at plans and ini a ves to retain players at all levels. Whilst senior player numbers dropped (28), some would have been due to Komodo Dragons disbandment, overall not too bad considering. However there is s ll a trend for Clubs to nominate members in the lower Grades in both Men’s and Women’s compe ons, which MISA has a duty of care to address. Whilst we don’t want to lose membership, we do have to consider our less developed juniors coming through and our ageing members both male and female who s ll want to play our great game. Another concern for MISA is our inability to fill some of the MISA Execu ve and Commi ee posi ons. Whilst the Associa on does con nue to func on sa sfactorily, the workload on some members is forever increasing in order for us to con nue to move forward. I encourage those people who are considering nomina ng for the commi ee to commit to their role, it can be very rewarding and imagine what we could achieve if we all did our bit. Whilst I acknowledge these are unpaid posi ons, some posi ons require ac oning for the en re 12 months for us to func on effec vely, MISA may have to consider funding for a paid posi on/s. This situa on needs to be addressed and does form part of our forward planning. Sponsorships/Grants The following organisa ons remain/have become Sponsors of Mount Isa So ball during the period.

• Carpentaria Buffalo (Buffs) Club • Southern Cross Television Breakwater Island

Community Benefit Fund $4 297.03 office, kiosk and grounds equipment

• Gambling Community Benefit Fund $27 272.69 – top dressing oval/ba ng nets/drinking taps and paint kiosk, toilets, shed and change rooms

• Lions Club Mount Isa • Mount Isa Insurances

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It goes without saying how important the successes of these grants applica ons are to the con nued improvement of our facili es. It is a credit to all involved and the effort of all is very much appreciated by all MISA members. The various Representa ve teams of 2010/11 also acquired sponsorship and dona ons from a large number of businesses within the Mount Isa community. It is a credit to these companies who con nue to support the sport of So ball in this Region.  Representa ve Teams The following teams represented Mount Isa during the period

• 2010 U15 Boys – Toowoomba – Finished 2nd out of 12 Districts

• 2010 U15 Girls – Logan City – Finished 8th out of 14 Districts

• 2010 U17 Boys – Noosa – Finished 5th out of 11 Districts.

• 2010 U17 Girls – South Brisbane‐ Finished 4th out of 10 Districts. Country Champions and President’s Cup winners.

• 2010 U19 Men – Ipswich – Finished 7th out of 7 Districts

• 2010 Open Men – Redlands – Finished 9th out of 17 Districts.

We were again well represented by our aged teams and some great so ball played. Well done everyone. Congratula ons to all our Development and State Representa ves you have done us proud. U15 Development Selec ons Jaymon King, Alex Cleary, Nikki Byrne, Tahnia AhKit, Jacinta Heggarty and Kirra Dempsey Richards. State Representa ves Ma hew Hovi, Bre Loccisano and Jason Morgan Again it was disappoin ng to not field a Ladies team. It has been several years since our Ladies have represented. I believe MISA needs to encourage our women to field a team, and the future benefits would be a stronger compe on and somewhere for our up and coming talented juniors to aspire. It was good to see our men more organised this year but there is s ll room for improvement. Thank you to all the officials who give their me to help make this happen. Publicity/Promo ons During the period we have been ac vely involved with further promo ng the sport of So ball in Mount Isa. Media coverage has con nued to prosper during 2010 with the following part of our rou ne media involvement

• Weekly reports, draws and features with Northwest Star newspaper

• Weekly segments with ABC Radio Northwest as part of their Saturday morning Sports Saturday Program.

The signing of a 3 year Sponsorship agreement with Southern Cross television commenced 2010. The contract includes television and radio adver sing the period. This has been a huge boost to the promo on of our sport, not only in this region but in other rural areas of Queensland as well. Technical Coaching – The shortage of qualified coaches con nues to be a concern within MISA. Despite a large number of applicants for past Level 1 and 2 courses, only a small number have completed these on‐line courses. Clubs once again struggle to a ract sufficient numbers of qualified prac sing coaches, which in turn leads to a reduc on in the quality of coaching within our associa on. Work commitments, shi work and family pressures are but a few of the reasons for the decline in coaching numbers. In 2009, a Coaching Commi ee was formed, headed by the MISA Coaching coordinator Joy MacPherson, to address these issues and formulate a plan to further promote the role of coaches within our district. However, lack of commitment from club coaches and failure to support, saw no improvement in this area. With only one new Level 1 Coach this season. In going forward I would like MISA to consider encouraging/enforcing that all coaches must acquire their Level 1 Coaching accredita on or renew by mid season to help grow and retain the knowledge within our associa on. Current coaching accredita ons within MISA and affiliated clubs:

• Level 3 x 6 • Level 2 x 6 • Level 1 x 10

Note: Based on current SQI lis ng (There are a number of current members within our associa on with expired accredita ons)  Scoring – During this season, there has been an increase in the number of scorers within MISA and affiliated clubs. As it is now a requirement for each team to supply a scorer. Training by MISA will be necessary to help with development of exis ng and new scorers. As part of our planning process, this season Robyn Sloman ran a well a ended Level 1 course, followed by an exam with excellent accredita on results. Late in the season SQI Sta s cian Ma Denkel conducted a Level 2 Clinic with approximately 12 a endees. 5 sat their Level 2 exam with 4 passing. Excellent work.

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We need to ensure this is an ongoing process to con nue to grow our knowledge within our associa on. At the combined SQI Forum July 2010 MISA was presented with a key ring for their dedica on to suppor ng their Level 1 scorers and acknowledging the high test results in comparison to other centres. Well done Robyn for your hard work and dedica on. Current scoring accredita ons within MISA and affiliated clubs:

• Level 3 x 4 • Level 2 x 4 • Level 1 x 24

Umpiring – This year saw the introduc on of paid umpires, this was a huge success. Umpiring Coordinator Brian MacPherson conducted 3 Level 1 clinics along with a number of Rules mee ng, which resulted in 13 umpires obtaining their Level 1 accredita ons. Well done Brian for all your hard work. I believe next season for this to con nue MISA will s ll need to rely on the support of each Club to help in the development of these new umpires to obtain skills and confidence to complete their Level 2 accredita on and encourage them to umpire in higher grades. Current umpiring accredita ons within MISA and affiliated clubs :

• Level 3 x 1 (List from 2009) • Level 2 x 3 • Level 1 x 23

Note: Up to a further 20 members are past qualified up to Level 1. Junior Development MISA will need to con nue to focus on:

• Involvement with School So ball (mainly at the coaching level)

• Successful So ball Academy • Low fees as compared to other sports • Availability of funding (through Grants etc) for

Clubs • Promo on of So ball as a family sport

Despite our good rela ons with local schools, the Northwest Queensland Schools Sports Associa on has been moving away from so ball as a preferred school‐based sport in the Region. At a mee ng held with the NWQSA coordinator in December 2008, it was indicated student interest and school based player numbers were in decline. Other sports such as Aussie Rules were being taken up in preference to So ball. Despite this, MISA con nues to work closely with our School Sport Officials, in par cular assis ng with coaching and training of the various School Representa ve Girls teams. Margaret Cleary in par cular has been doing a tremendous amount of work to turn about our rela ons

and par cipa on level with Boys School So ball. It is hoped with her con nued efforts we can further extend our standing with School So ball. Coaching coordinator Joy Macpherson con nued her involvement with the “Sport for Bush Kids” program run through the Mount Isa School of the Air along with Girls School So ball. This is proving beneficial in a rac ng junior members to par cipate in our rou ne fixtures. Facili es 

• With the success of acquiring the Mount Isa Lead Alliance grant in 2009, the planned upgrade of the irriga on system was completed prior to the start of the season, along with our new bore and water tanks helping with less water usage and excess cost.

• Concre ng of all dugouts was also completed which has improved condi ons for our members.

• Skinning of the diamonds was completed late in the season bringing our playing facili es in line with other District Associa ons.

• The comple on of the shade over the playground, benches and gardens has now given everyone a pleasant comfortable area to be enjoyed by all.

Thank you to Vaughan Wakefield and his band of merry men and women who have completed many projects over the year, your hard work has not gone unno ced. I also extend a thank you Joy MacPherson and Wayne Dredge for your behind the scenes work and to all those people Shane Proud, Phil Horne, Ryland Proud, Ron Pick‐ering, Ray Wilson to name a few who a ended working bees during the season, your me was appreciated. Thank you to groundsman Brian MacPherson for his hard work in maintaining the oval and surrounds. Mount Isa City Council (MICC) (Facili es leasor) has now recognised their role in assis ng us to maintain the Alexandra Oval facility. However, it is noted MICC have yet to complete a number of major tasks including the urgent repair of the ladies ablu on block and the main water line on the Barkly Highway along with replacement of exis ng fence. MISA extends our sincerest apprecia on to Mark and Leanne Bellamy (North West Crane Hire) for their con nued support to supply equipment and Shane and Chris Wright (Outback Forkli s) for ongoing servicing of our ride on mower. New Innova ons 2010 Pre‐Season Come and Try  The inaugural Mount Isa So ball Pre‐season Come and Try Day was held over two weekends prior to the season commencement 27th February 2010. The Come and Try Day was open to all grades from T‐Ball to seniors.

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Unfortunately the first week was postponed due to 18 sprinklers being stolen and having to replace sprinklers and bringing oval back up to a safety standard. The concept of the Carnival was to allow clubs the opportunity to help prepare for 2010 season by ge ng their past members together, start collec ng registra on money and forms in a relaxed non‐compe ve manner. It also gave new players the opportunity to experience the sport of so ball before commi ng to signing on with the various clubs. Future The Mount Isa So ball Associa on Development plan was updated 25th May 2010. Affiliated Clubs as well as MISA Execu ve and Commi ee members provided input to the document. The revised five‐year plan is in line with our future ideas and the challenges we may face in the future. Key items iden fied include:

• Con nue to upgrade diamonds • Install ligh ng to at least one diamond • Increase par cipa on by hos ng Carnivals/Special

Event func ons • Increase use of the Facility during the off‐season • Recogni on we will lose a large number of

experienced long‐serving Club and MISA members within the next five years and the urgent need to address this

• Promote and expand our Coaching, Scoring and Umpiring base

• Source grants/sponsorship to improve our overall facili es including the building of a Club House

In conclusion, the sport of So ball con nues to grow and prosper in the Mount Isa Region. The future remains posi ve thanks to the dedica on of the small band of members involved at both Club and Associa on level. Although we face a number of challenges in the future, our forward planning will ensure we can con nue to move forward in the years to come. To my execu ves James, Kaye and Judy, all other Commi ee members, club delegates, officials, Gate Keeper Mrs Thomson, Kiosk Convenor Gloria Brennan and staff, I sincerely thank you for your support and assistance during my me as MISA President. I firmly believe MISA has a great future, and I wish you all the very best for 2011 and beyond. You will s ll see me at the park off and on. Progress to May 2011 In addi on to Karen’s report I would like to add that with the new execu ve commi ee, we con nued to hold the Come and Try Days in the pre‐season, which saw us signing up a few new members, however, club par cipa on was disappoin ng. I personally have a focus

of unifying the en re Associa on as a whole in the hope we can all work together to increase numbers and improve the atmosphere, and a few new ideas may just bring this to frui on. In our midst we have Liahni Holt, our Rotary Rodeo Queen entrant, who proposed a monthly Twilight Market to be held at our so ball grounds with the idea to u lise our facility’s and draw people to the field to watch our main game of the day. She is kindly u lising her adver sing with the Radio and Newspaper to promote this. As well as this, one of our local Masters Clubs, DJM, has proposed hos ng promo onal challenges held between our veterans and the Representa ve teams, as well as local businesses pu ng in teams to par cipate, as fund raisers for our rep sides. The new commi ee coming into this 2011 Winter season have big shoes to fill and I am a complete novice at my role as secretary, but we endeavour to promote and improve the game of so ball in The Isa. A er a rocky start, we are ge ng the hang of it with the constant and welcome support and advice from Mrs Karen Dredge. We have received a few more grants that were applied for by the commi ee last year. One for the purchase of a laptop, printer and so ware as well as new desktop computer and digital camera. Another for new top dressing for the fields, both much welcomed funding, as is all grant and sponsorship money. Mount Isa So ball now needs to focus on applying for larger grants to purchase and install lit diamond/s, which I believe will be a huge avenue to a ract more members to our fantas c sport, as well as afford our current members who are shi workers more game and training

me. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Kate Sternes to our town and associa on. So far this season she has been an integral part of our academy, lending her exper se to the juniors and giving Joy MacPherson a much welcomed helping hand. She is a wonderful role model for our kids, as well as anyone who is contempla ng becoming a coach. We are all looking forward to seeing her influence on the game here this season. Here’s looking forward to another season of so ball in the Isa.  

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MOUNT ISA SOFTBALL MEMBERS ‐ 2009 & 2010 

MOUNT ISA MEMBERS ‐ 2010 Club  Junior  U15‐U16  Senior  Non/Players  Total 

Red Devils  39 18 63 7 88 Wanderers  32 15 74 9 140 Pirates  31 12 44 1 109 Rebels  16 6 79 4 104 M.I.S.A.  2 3 3

TOTAL MEMBERS  118 53 260 24 455

MOUNT ISA MEMBERS ‐ 2009 Club  Junior  U14‐U16  Senior  Non/Players  Total 

Red Devils  28 17 43 0 88 Wanderers  26 24 83 7 140 Pirates  20 25 62 2 109 Rebels  20 16 67 1 104 M.I.S.A.  3 3

TOTAL MEMBERS  113 85 289 14 501

TEAMS 2010 TEAM  Red Devils  Wanderers  Pirates  Rebels  TOTAL T‐Ball  1 1 1 1 4 3 Pitch  1 1 1 3

Fast Track  1 1 . 2 U15  1 1 1 3

C Ladies  2 2 1 1 6 A Reserve Ladies  1 1 1 3

A Ladies  1 1 1 1 4 A Reserve Men  1 1 1 1 4

A Men  1 1 1 1 4 TOTAL  10 10 7 6 33

TEAMS 2009 TEAM  Red Devils  Wanderers  Pirates  Rebels  TOTAL  T‐Ball  1 1 1 1 4 3 Pitch  1 1 1 1 6

Fast Track  1 1 2 U14  1 1 1 1 4 U16  1 1 1 1 4

C Ladies  1 2 1 1 6 B Ladies  1 1 1 1 5 A Ladies  1 1 1 3

A Reserve Men  1 1 1 1 5 A Men  1 1 1 1 4 TOTAL   9 11 9 9 43

MOUNT ISA SOFTBALL TEAMS ‐ 2009 & 2010 

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R   Introduc on  This year we have undertaken general upkeep of the grounds

in prepara on of the U15 Girls State Championship and applied for a grant to purchase a tractor. Our membership con nues to remain steady as we seem to have leveled out with our player numbers. Membership  RLSA has remained stable since the previous year. Once again we had a total of eight clubs fielding 68 teams in the summer season. 30 x junior teams

• 5 x T‐Ball with a total of 44 players • 8 x U13 with a total of 93 players • 9 x U15 with a total of 96 players • 4 x U17 Girls with a total of 37 players • 4 x U17 Open with a total of 41 players

29 senior Women’s teams

• 6 x A Grade with a total of 64 players • 5 x A Reserve with a total of 55 players • 7 x B1 Grade with a total of 79 players • 7 x B2 Grade with a total of 45 players • 4 x C Grade with a total of 43 players

9 senior Men’s teams

• 9 x Division 1 with a total of 97 players In the winter season there are 9 Women’s teams with a total of 92 players. Highlights  Fixture Commi ee  We are a emp ng to diversify the membership to the Fixture Commi ee. It is a very difficult job and requires much input and pa ence for those involved. The Fixture Commi ee is an essen al part of the Associa on needing dedicated and hard working members. My recommenda on to this commi ee is to consult with the membership. U15 State Championship  Early in the year RLSA hosted the U15 Girls State Championship. Prepara on works in the weeks leading up to the weekend were completed by a small number of members. During the Championship a small group manned the canteen and store and undertook field works. I would like to acknowledge those people who gave their me to the Associa on.     

Grants  Redcliffe Leagues Club  RLSA has con nued its ongoing sponsorship agreement with the Redcliffe Leagues Club with an annual provision of $10,000. . Minor Equipment Grant  A grant applica on was made for a replacement of the mower. We have missed the first round approval in May. However, we may be considered for second round approval in August. The grant is to purchase a $30 000 tractor for the fields. Facili es  General Upkeep  In prepara on for the U15 Girls State Championship a small group of members undertook general upkeep works on the fields including works to fences and diamonds. Master Plan for Tallobila Park  The Master Plan for Tallobila Park con nues to be delivered by the Council. Other works will include further car parking areas, street ligh ng and footpaths around the Tallobila Park area.

 

R   Membership Redlands So ball compe on con nues to be strong; the 2010

winter season is being played with seven clubs suppling 71 teams. This year’s break down of membership shows that par cipa on has increased in the T‐Ball, Under 12 (combined Boys and Girls) and C Women par cipants, the Men’s numbers remained the same and a decrease in the number of women. We believe the financial implica on with the rising costs of living has contributed to the reduc on of members Redlands So ball has been seeing over the past 3 years. Our male numbers are struggling which we feel has been a ributed to the inclusion of baseball over so ball in many QLD High Schools. We are currently developing a 2 year plan to promote so ball within the Primary and High schools in our surrounding areas. Sponsorship Redlands City Council remains one of the major sponsors and supporters of the Associa on; with the Redlands So ball and the Redlands City Council con nuing to maintain a strong working rela onship. The Council has installed a street sign that gives the associa on the ability to adver se upcoming events while promo ng the exis ng partnerships with Redlands Boxing and the Gateway Ladies District Bowls Associa on thus making the grounds a mul ‐sports complex.

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Highlights The Associa on was represented by 9 teams in the State Championships with some great success. The Senior Men’s Green team, Under 19 Men’s, Under 17 Boys were successful at their respec ve Championships bringing home the trophy, with the Under 19 Men’s win bringing up the 10th consecu ve State Championship Title. Our Under 15 Girls, Senior Women’s team, Under 17 Girls & Under 19 Women’s teams were Runners Up a er nail bi ng finals, our Under 15 Boys team were compe ve in a very strong field. Senior Men’s Red team finished 4th and Julian Jemmo was MVP of the Grand Final and is on the Lester Nathan Memorial Trophy. Our excellent results in the State Championships again translated into a very significant number of players and officials gaining State representa on, with a number of players also gaining selec on in Na onal Squads and in Na onal Teams.  Under 17 Girls ‐ Sara Caterson Bri ney Flint Alicia Prybyszcuk Sean Francis Under 17 Boys ‐ Carlin Anderson Tyler Chappell Marshall Kronk Ryan Merriman Aaron Whitefield Lexie Pearce Edda Cailo o Under 19 Women ‐ Myia Boxall Bri ney Flint Tammy McMillan Stacey Webber Tara Speakman Under 19 Men ‐ Danny Kronk Marshall Kronk Jeremy Jemmo Ben Porter Mitchell Daly QLD Heat ‐ Jade Wall, Jodie‐Lee King Kelly McKellar‐Nathan Bri ney Flint Apeira Stone Amanda Torrington Stacey Webber Ngamoko Hiku Dawn McKell

QLD Patriots ‐ William Bailey Andrew Blackshaw Shaun Goffer Julian Jemmo Luke Van de Griendt Guy Covacin Jason Nathan Josh King Ngaire Huston  2011 AUSTRALIAN SQUADS Under 17 Girls ‐   Bri ney Flint Eva Carless Sara Caterson  Under 17 Boys ‐   Carlin Anderson Aaron Whitefield  Under 19 Women ‐   Stacey Webber Bri ney Flint  Under 19 Men ‐   Marshall Kronk Ryan Merriman Jeremy Jemmo Mitchell Daly  Senior Women ‐  Jade Wall Stacey Webber  Open Men  ‐  Andrew Blackshaw Shaun Goffer Guy Covacin 2011 AUSTRALIAN TEAMS Under 19 Women ‐   Stacey Webber Bri ney Flint  Aussie Spirit Team ‐  Jade Wall Peter Stanton was our Volunteer of the Year for the many hours he spent maintaining our gardens and assis ng our Groundsman. Sadly Peter passed away in late January and will be sadly missed in our so ball community. Technical Areas Scoring ‐ we didn’t have any official Scoring Director for the 2010 season, but have since appointed one who has already run a Level 1 course and has great plans for more courses throughout the year.

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   Fraser  Mariners  Raiders  Scorpions  Sharks  United  Wildcats  2011  2010 

T‐Ball  1 1 1 1 3 7 5

Rookie Ball  1 1 1 1 1 5 6

Under 12  1 1 1 1 1 1 6 5

Under 15 Boys  1 1 1 3 3

Under 14 Girls  1 1 1 1 4 6

Under 17 Boys   1 1 1 3 3

Under 17 Girls  1 1 1 1 4 5

C Men  1 1 1 1 1 5 5

C Ladies  2 1 1 1 1 1 7 6

B Men  1 1 1 3 3

B Ladies  1 1 1 1 1 5 6

A Reserve Men  1 1 1 3 4

A Reserve Ladies  1 1 2 2 1 7 7

A Men  1 1 1 1 4 3

A Ladies  1 1 1 2 5 4 Team Totals  5 9 12 14 18 7 6 71 71

Umpiring ‐ Our Umpiring Directorate Norelle Thomas ran a very successful Green Shirt Program which completed with all 9 applicants a aining their Level 1. One of those par cipants went ahead and achieved a Level 2 in her own me. Four out of the nine par cipants are s ll opera ng on the diamonds with our blue umpiring alloca ons. We have a mentoring program in place for all umpires to communicate and exchange knowledge. Coaching  ‐  Redlands So ball again ran a number of programs to assist in the development of our players.  Junior Development

• A Queensland Ba ery Program for U12, U14 and U17 was run by Lexie Pearce, was a huge success for our players and coaches.

• The con nued success of the Redlands Regional Academy in developing U15’s and U17’s players

by the enhancement of their playing skills. • The Redland Emerging Development Squads

‘Reds’ for our developing U14’s has allowed the Associa on to focus on talent development, which is used in the prepara on for the Under 15 State Championships.

The Associa on con nues to support school so ball with the grounds being made available for rounds and finals of Golden Glove, Metropolitan and District Schools So ball compe ons.

Facili es Redland So ball maintains one interna onal diamond at 250’ as well as five fully fenced diamonds at 225’, one fully fenced diamond at 200’ and one unfenced diamond at 200’. The interna onal diamond and three other diamonds are also fully lit. Our canteen is located in the main building along with toilets, umpires room, groundsman’s room and administra on areas. The building also houses a community hall, board room and club room area with kitchen. Our indoor facility offers indoor ba ng and pitching facili es, Pro shop and office space which is leased, along with a boxing/gym area. Future The con nued development of the facili es is always a priority for the Associa on. Our primary goal is to rec fy our severe drainage problems which have been brought to our a en on from the weather that SE Queensland has seen in the past 6 months. We are working in conjunc on with Redland City Council to rec fy this issue. Over the next 2 year period we hope to secure grants to enable us to upgrade playing surfaces and facili es.

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R      

Membership 2005      2010    2011       as at 28 May 2011 

Senior Players 126 Junior Players 65 Non‐Players 13 Players Totals: ‐    303  215    204 Total Clubs: ‐          5              3    3 

A new Management Commi ee was elected in December 2010.

Work being done to update and revamp the Associa on Rules, including posi on manuals to assist future change over of volunteers through the Management Team.

A new Canteen Convener appointed along with a new menu to encourage members to purchase from the canteen and therefore support the associa on financially through this avenue. Clubs are rostered to man the servery/sales area, with weekly stock‐takes being undertaken and records being compiled for the future management of this area.

Sponsorship / Grants Grant #1: Sport & Recrea on Project Title: Provision of official accredita on & sports psychology training Approved Funding: $3 945 Acqui al Date: 30/06/2011 Grant #2:  Sport & Recrea on Project Title: Replace Training/Playing equipment Approved Funding: $1 036 (GST Exclusive) Acqui al Date: 30/09/11

Grant #3:  Sport & Recrea on Project Title: Repair fields & replace storage facility Approved Funding: $60 000 (GST Exclusive) Acqui al Date: 30/09/11 Grant #4: Commonwealth Bank Project Title: Reskin 2 diamonds affected by flood waters Approved Funding: $20 000 Acqui al Date: 31/12/11

Highlights Awarded the inaugural 2011 Australian Under 15 Girls’ and Boys’ Regional Championship to be held from 6 to 10 July 2011. Working on the provision of grounds and 6 diamonds, umpiring area in conjunc on with AFL complex and catering facili es. Publicity / Promo on Limited exposure in local newspapers. The Policy Manager is providing results and following week fixtures, along with game informa on, however no media ar cles have been placed in the local paper to date. Con nuing to provide informa on and contact the paper representa ve to organise ar cles. Technical Areas Coaching –

• Have 7 x Level 3, 1 x Level 2 and 7 x Level 1 accredited coaches currently ac ve in the Associa on.

• Iden fied five members to complete their Level 1 coaching accredita on, with one already finished and providing assistant coaching du es to representa ve teams.

• Iden fied two members to complete their Level 2 coaching accredita on.

Scoring –

• Working on increasing the number of sta s cians within the Associa on.

• Currently have 3 x Level 1, and 4 x Level 3 sta s cians who have completed their accredita on levels.

• Iden fied a further seven people to complete Level 1 and one to complete Level 2.

Umpiring –

• Umpiring Coordinator, Garry Wright appointed and working to organise a Basic Umpiring course to be held in June 2011. Approximately 20 people nominated to a end course.

• Working with Representa ve team players to increase their knowledge of rules to enhance their understanding of the game.

Junior Development 

• Extra Training sessions provided for Under 15 players selected in the Australian U15 Regional Championship.

• Training con nuing for all players selected into State teams.

• Increasing knowledge base of juniors in the field of Umpiring.

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Facili es • Suffered flood inunda on of two diamonds from

the January 2011 Rockhampton floods. Temporary fix to get diamonds opera onal for use, with a full re‐skin planned to occur in October a er the Open Men’s State Championship.

• Working on replacement of the two Dongas currently used for storage of tools and equipment, with a new rock block storage facility to be placed under the Shade Structure in the middle of the diamond complex.

• Currently awai ng quotes for installa on of shade structure roofing.

New Innova ons In conjunc on with Clubs and Members, compiled the “Business Focus 2011 to 2013” report for the Associa on.

• The Principals and Values of the Associa on are highlighted.

• The report iden fies goals for the Associa on to strive for, including Business and Governance, Rules, Marke ng and Promo on, Volunteer Involvement, Compe on structure, Development and Club involvement.

• Outcomes are supported with proposed strategies to effect achievement of goals

Fundraising opportunity offered to Representa ve Teams and Clubs to operate a BBQ at Associa on grounds of a Saturday a ernoon. Future 

• Iden fying methods to increase membership across both Junior and Senior divisions.

• Working to complete construc on of the Shade Structure/Storage building located in the middle of the four major diamonds.

• Con nue to apply for grants/funding to complete a large number of enhancement projects iden fied for the facility, including home run fencing, marquees, canteen equipment, ride‐on mowers, ba ng cages, extra grand stand sea ng, spectator mounds etc.

• Working with council to include a 5th diamond in the main area of the so ball grounds.

 

S ‐H   Membership  Membership for 2010 season 186 Our associa on offered the following compe ons:

• Women’s: B grade – 4 teams • Mixed U15’s – 5 teams • Mixed U12’s – 5 teams

Grants Grants submi ed and approved: Sport & Rec – Club Development Educa on & Training $2969 Volunteer Grant – Training aids for Umpiring, Scoring & Coaching $3714 Sunshine Coast Regional Council ‐ Line Marker $1200 & Simple So ball Program $2000 Gambling Community Benefit Fund – Spor ng Equipment for new Associa on (Burne ) $2737 Highlights Burne So ball Associa on was formed late 2010 out in the South Burne area (Kingaroy, Kumbia, Nanango, Murgon, Cherbourg) and we were lucky enough to have them come under our wing. They ran an Oz Pitch compe on on a week night with approx 60 players and started a junior comp of a Saturday morning with 5 U15 teams, 2 of them coming from Cherbourg. This was a great accomplishment for the guys out at Kingaroy. Technical Areas Through the successful grant applica ons we were able to put people from both Suncoast and the Burne through the different courses in the following areas. Coaching Level 1 – 10 Scoring Level 1 – 5 Junior Development 

• We held a Simple So ball program this past year at Suncoast, and another out at Kingaroy; 40 in total a ended.

• Three junior members of our associa on a ended the Regional Academy Camp in 2010 and selected in the squad.

• Ten of our junior members (boys & girls) all made district school teams, 5 making the regional team, then 2 of these making state teams, Mitchell Woodworth and Tahlia Randall. We are extremely proud of all our junior members who made their respec ve teams.

Future Finally we see light at the end of the tunnel with our con nuing ba le with ownership over our grounds. Our local council has finally reclaimed them, so things are looking up for us. Big improvements are heading our way!!

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T   I wish to thank everyone for all they have given to this season for Toowoomba So ball. It has been a

season which saw flooding; causing diamond damage, great success of representa ve teams and the sad loss of members or their rela ons. TSA is made up of 5 clubs making up the 63 teams that par cipated in our season for 2010/2011. These included teams in the following grades: U6, U8, U11 (mixed), U13 boys and girls, U15 boys and girls, U17 boys and girls, B Grade Women, A2 Men and Women, A Grade Men and Women. Westco were welcomed aboard as our TSA representa ve sponsor which enabled us to purchase new playing shirts for all grades. We are also well supported by the Toowoomba Regional Council and local businesses during our season and when we run State & Na onal Titles. Funding has again been a success for TSA. We received $34,000 from CBGF for new spectator sea ng for around our diamonds. As a joint venture, TSA together with Toowoomba Touch and the Kearney Springs Management Commi ee are now installing sea ng for the whole complex and when finished we would have installed $70,000 worth of sea ng. Final building permits are being obtained for these and they will be up and running come the start of next season. We also received $8000 from the Commonwealth Bank flood appeal to help re‐surface our diamonds that were damaged during the floods in January. Diamond work will take place in the off season ready for the Primary School Boys Titles in September which we will host. TSA will also replace fencing on Diamond 1 before the next season is to commence. Fence replacing on all diamonds will take place over the next 4 years (one each season, if needed) TSA u lise 3 skin, 1 cut‐out and numerous grass portable diamonds. We gave the dugouts a faceli with a coat of lacquer, we are replacing the top ne ng on diamond 1 and we topped up the granite on diamonds 1, 2 and 3 for the Na onals. Diamond 1 will receive a major faceli during this off season. The biggest highlight for TSA this past season was the victory of our U15 boys at the State Championships. The Open Men gained third place and other representa ve teams competed well. Our State representa ves included: Lewis Codd (U17 Boys), Chris Edards (Assistant Coach U17 Boys), David Wilkinson (Assistant Coach U19 Men), Mark To (Umpire)

Service award recipients 2010 / 2011 included: TSA Service Award Narelle Donald Katrina Gierke Sue Wilkinson Chris Edards So ball Queensland Sandra Gierke Chris Edards Sue Wilkinson Sharon Prouten So ball Australia Service Award Sharon Prouten Sue Wilkinson TSA, in conjunc on with Darling Downs and Queensland School Sport, successfully hosted the 2011 Na onal Secondary School Girls So ball Championships. Feedback from players, coaches, parents and officials was exemplary. So much so that Russell Miller, Secretary of Australian School Sport So ball will be recommending to So ball Australia, that TSA be considered for future Na onal Championships. Our next venture is to host the 2011 Primary School Boys State Championship in September. Prior to the commencement of this season, TSA a empted a new publicity venture, a le erbox drop. Over 7000 flyers were delivered, this resulted in 3 rained out a empts for the HAG (Have a Go) day. On the fourth a empt, TSA were 100% successful in ge ng the “a ender” to sign up. (Yes 1). Money well spent!! We are a emp ng the HAG Day and Ba er Up programs later again this year. Despite the valiant efforts of our Junior and Senior publicity officers, the Toowoomba Chronicle and WIN TV are yet to embrace so ball. Our junior development was boosted through a endance at our Friday Night Academy. This saw junior players put through their paces by a different representa ve coach each week. We have finally got our South West Regional Academy formed and are presently finalising future tes ng dates and academy calendar events. A con nuing challenge for TSA is the rela onship and/or dealings with Toowoomba Touch Associa on as Kearney Springs is a shared spor ng venue. A future focus for TSA in the 2011‐2012 season will be the celebra on of 60 years of Toowoomba So ball plus the goal to play more so ball since a lot of it was a wash out during the past season. This year actually saw us cancel our Grand Final day because of rain. The kids got to play and had a great me in the rain but by lunch me the grounds were just too wet to con nue play.

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Although a hard decision to make, the right one was made with the rain falling even heavier in the a ernoon. It was good to see though, even though the games were cancelled celebra ons s ll lasted well into the night. My personal thanks to each Execu ve member and posi on holders within the Associa on. There are numerous jobs and events which occur within our Associa on and within your own clubs. I applaud your tenacity to keep on going even when it can some mes seem too much. Again I put forward the call for members to stand up and become Execu ve members or to take on a role within the Toowoomba So ball Associa on. This will allow for new ideas and thoughts to come forward so that our Associa on con nues to flourish. I acknowledge that although we don’t always see eye to eye or agree on every topic/issue, the members of the Toowoomba So ball Associa on are all working towards the be erment of our sport and Associa on. Finally, I thank you for allowing me to be President of the Toowoomba So ball Associa on for the past season and wish you all the best in future seasons.

W   Wynnum So ball Associa on, for

the period 1 May 2010 – 30 April 2011 has experienced a number of highlights which will be included further in the following report. Membership Increase/Decrease: Wynnum So ball Associa on has experienced an increase in membership in the period of 1 May 2010 to April 30 2011. As at 31 March 2011, Wynnum So ball Associa on can report the following registra ons:

• 55 Senior Male Registra ons • 50 Senior Female Registra ons • 11 Junior Registra ons

 Whilst registra on numbers for our current playing season which commenced in April this year are not yet finalized, it is an cipated that we will experience another increase in next year’s annual report. Number Of Clubs/Teams/Grades: Wynnum So ball Associa on has 4 affiliated clubs, these being Hooters, Marist, Springwood and Te Arohanui (TAN). Our current 2011 compe on which

commenced on 16 April is senior men’s and senior women’s compe on with seven men’s teams and eight women’s teams, as well as two U15 mixed and two U17 girls teams. Other than junior development programs and the like, these are the first junior teams to play fixtures on our diamonds in the past five years and we are hoping to build on this in the next 12 months to make this a stronger and more viable compe on for these and any new players.  Highlights State Appointments: Aaron Clarke was selected as a member of the QLD Patriots team as well as Lisa Anderson being appointed Manager of the same team. The QLD Patriots finished second at the Na onals in February 2011 which was hosted by Redlands. Steve Anderson was appointed the posi on of Head Coach and Debbie Clarke was appointed the Manager of the QLD U19 Men’s team for 2010/2011 with the team finishing third at the Na onals in January 2011. Scoring— Debbie Clarke, our scoring coordinator successfully obtained Level 4 scoring accredita on throughout the year and was an official scorer at the Open Men’s and Women’s Na onal Championships in February 2011. Umpiring— A few men onable highlights for Wynnum umpires over the past 12 months include:

• Andrew Compton a ained his Level 3 accredita on at the U17 Girls State Championship in September 2010.

• David Casey a ended U/17 Boys and U/19 Men’s Na onal Championships. Further to this David was selected by So ball Australia Ltd to be one of two Australian umpires to the Trans Tasman Umpiring Exchange. Through this exchange program, David was appointed to the New Zealand Men’s Open Club Championships held at Hu Valley, New Zealand in March 2011.

• Darren Sibraa won the 2010 Vivienne Triple Umpire of the Year Award. He also umpired at the Open Women’s World Championships in 2010, was a presenter at 2011 ISF Cer fica on Clinic conducted at Redlands and also a ained Level 8 umpiring accredita on.

Host Associa on – Open Women’s 2010 Wynnum hosted the Open Women’s State Championship in September 2010 which was very rewarding for as we entered a women’s team into the championship, the first in a three years, with the team finishing third going into the finals and fourth overall. This was pleasing to have the team finish so well on home turf.

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Host Associa on – U15 Boys 2011 Wynnum was fortunate to have the opportunity to host the QLD U15 Boys State Championships in April. The weekend was a great success with a number of visitors providing posi ve feedback regarding the success of the event. The weather was not so kind on the final day of play however all games did get played which was a great testament to players and team officials as well as our dedicated grounds staff. U15 Girls Rep Team We had an U15 Girls team enter into the State Championship in April with the team finishing second overall. As the first junior representa ve team since 2006, the team did our Associa on very proud and we are looking forward to entering teams into future junior State Championships. Facili es Wynnum So ball has 7 grassed, open diamonds. In the past 12 months we were fortunate to have some works done to our main building as well as brand new pipes and roofing on our Diamond 1 dugouts. We also had a previous shade area which was very old and worn replaced, all of which are important to the con nual improvement of our facili es for our members and guests. Future  ‐ Challenges & Plans Further into 2011 and 2012, Wynnum is looking at a number of primary focuses being: Junior Recruitment – this is a main focus for the coming 12 months. With juniors now playing again at our fields, we are keen to recruit new players to assist in retaining the current juniors registered by giving them more teams to play against and improve their skills and the like and in turn strengthen our junior numbers overall. Facility Improvements – following applying for applicable grants, it is hoped we will be able to erect shade structures around some of the diamonds as well as some new machinery to prepare the diamonds for play. Recruitment and Reten on of Players and Officials – the recruitment and reten on of players of all ages, as well as officials, is something we thoroughly understand the importance of. We have a number of officials who have shown interest to further their own development and a ain higher levels of accredita on, which Wynnum is very keen to support as much as possible. Officials, whether it be coaches, scorers, umpires, managers etc, are a crucial part of our game and the benefit in suppor ng further development in turn benefits the team overall.

Volunteer Support and Recruitment – as a primarily volunteer based organiza on, one of the biggest challenges we have to face is the acquisi on of new and reten on of current volunteers to assist on a day to day basis. In the coming 12 months this will be something we will also be looking into. We are excited about our plans for the coming 12 months and the opportunity to build and strengthen our Associa on.

News Ar cles — 2011 John Reid Shield & Gilley’s Shield Final