Fastpitch @ Farnham Training Sessions Start this Weekend!
Tue 11 May 2021
BaseballSoftballUK is happy to announce Fastpitch @ Farnham – a summer full of fastpitch softball training opportunities at Farnham Park! Whether you’re a veteran player or just starting your fastpitch journey, these training sessions are open to all ages and abilities!
Register here.
Training will be delivered by expert BSUK coaches, led by Fastpitch Development Manager and professional player for Olympia Haarlem, Alyson Spinas-Valainis. Each session is designed and based around a carefully conceived programme of all-skills development. Sessions will be designed to get players game-ready and maximise their preparation and skills for the 2021 outdoor season!
There are two types of sessions:
- Open Invite Sessions: for anyone 14 and up and feels comfortable with the format
- Youth Sessions: for anyone 14 and under who are either beginning their fastpitch journey, are in in-school sessions, or midweek youth sessions.
If you have questions about which one you are best fit for, please feel free to ask and give it a try!
These fastpitch sessions will use the coaching and training principles developed over the past few years at the Academy, High Performance Academy,, and previous fastpitch sessions.
About the Instructors:
Lead instructor Alyson Spinas-Valainis (they/them) is the current Fastpitch Development Manager for BaseballSoftballUK and the British Softball Federation as well as a professional player for Olympia Haarlem in the Netherlands’ Golden League. They are also the pitching coach for the Great Britain Mens’ National Team and co-head coach in BSUK’s Academy and High-Performance Academy (HPA).
Julie Spittle is the manager of the Under 13s National Team and leads BSUK’s midweek Youth Programme, as well as an Academy and HPA coach. Julie has years of slowpitch softball experience as well as fastpitch, and has been working in development for a number of years, both in schools and at Farnham Park.
Ieuan Gale is the President of the British Softball Federation and a member of the Mens’ National Fastpitch Team. After first playing fastpitch softball at a school session years ago, he has dedicated his time and efforts as not just a national teams’ player but as a development coach as well.
Sian Wigington grew up playing fastpitch softball and went through the GB Women’s programme, starting with U15 and working her way up to the U22 team. She is an assistant coach for the GB U15s Women’s National team and is the co-founder of The Mix, a fastpitch club team that competes in European and other International competitions.
Topics
Training sessions will cover the following: fielding, throwing, batting, short-game, pitching and catching.
Each session will end with scrimmage in the afternoon post-training, subject to numbers and availability.
Insurance cover and water will be provided. Players should wear personal playing kit and bring gloves and their favourite bat if they have one. The rest of the equipment will be at the field. Sessions will be held outdoors regardless of weather, so please dress appropriately. Each session will include a lunch/snack break.
Dates
Further dates to be announced
YOUTH SESSIONS:
- Saturday, June 12th, 9:00-13:00
OPEN INVITE SESSIONS:
- Sunday, May 16th, 13:00-18:00
- Sunday, May 23rd, 12:00-17:00
- Sunday, June 27th, 11:00-16:00
Venue
All sessions will take place at Farnham Park National Baseball & Softball Complex, Beaconsfield Road, Slough SL2 3BP.
Showers, changing rooms and toilets are all available onsite.
COVID-19
All sessions will run under BaseballSoftballUK’s Return to Play guidance, available here.
Cost and registration
The cost for attending is £10 per session.
Please note that payment must be made at the time of registration and you will be directed to Paypal to pay at the end of the form, although an account is not required. No payment will be accepted on the day of the session or on site.
Once you have registered and your place has been confirmed, the team at BaseballSoftballUK will be in touch with next steps.
Register here.
