By Nick Creely
The Springvale Lions Baseball Club will run its second ‘Diamond Girls’ baseball academy program in March, aimed at bringing secondary school aged girls from various schools, backgrounds and areas together to enjoy the sport.
The club is hoping to draw more players from diverse backgrounds into not only the club, but also the sport in general through its free four-week, Friday night program at K.H Wearne Field in Dingley Village, which will begin on 5 March and conclude on 26 March.
With the sessions to start at 6pm, dinner will be provided each Friday night, as well as a free hat and t-shirt. All equipment needed to play will be fully provided by the club at no charge.
The program is aimed at having fun and helping create some more social networks for secondary aged girls between 12 and 18 years of age, with an all-female coaching staff, including current and former Australian level players set to lead the way. All participants will then enjoy a free dinner.
In a huge boost for budding female baseballers in the region, the program’s coaches included Australian Baseball Hall of Famer Simone Wearne, Australian player Shae Lillywhite, Youth Women’s state coach Siobhan Taylor, and two-time World Cup player Sinead Flanigan.
The sessions are going to be a modified version of baseball, 45 minutes to one hour, with suitable equipment, music and a focus on participation.
Lions committee member Gabby Bevan said it was exciting for the club and the local community to have the program run again, after it was interrupted in 2020.
“We did the program in 2020 and it was really successful but unfortunately we had to shut it down due to Covid,” she said.
“So hopefully this year we won’t have to shutdown.”
Bevan said that the focus on bringing the program to the local community, and for free was about encouraging teenage girls to give baseball a go – regardless of skill, athletic ability or experience.
“It’s all about promoting the sport of women’s baseball, it’s largely unknown in Australia,” she said.
“We found that it’s the perfect age to start at 12 or 13 years of age – you don’t need to be athletic, we just want the girls to have fun.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn the basics, like throwing and hitting, but also to make some great friends.”
The Lions have a successful female program already in place, and Bevan said that the idea to attract secondary school girls was about not only introducing them to baseball, but to ensure the future of their club was in good stead.
The club is hoping for 30-plus participants to take part in the program over the course of the four weeks.
“Women’s sport is on the rise, so we thought we’d jump on board and help promote the game,” she said.
“We’ve got three female teams, and have done for quite a few years.
“But we want to stay successful, and bring in future generations, and that’s targeting local schools.
“We usually rely on word of mouth to get players, but we’ve now decided to start targeting schools.”
Bevan said that baseball was the perfect sport for girls looking to have fun without expectation.
“It’s accessible for everyone, when I look at our teams at Springvale, we’ve got people of every background, shape and size, and when you chuck them on the field you make it work,” she said.
“As long as you give it a go you can play baseball.
“That’s what makes it such a great sport, you can just rock up and play which is great.”
For more information, you can go to the Springvale Lions Facebook page and contact the club through there, or head to bigcatswomensbaseb.wixsite.com/diamond-girls
