Junior female softball players falling under the New Providence Softball Association's (NPSA) umbrella are expected to take full advantage of a five-week training program, that will swing into action this month.
The fundamental training sessions are apart of the NPSA's Junior Development Ladies Softball League. The re-introduction of the summer league is just one of the many programs NPSA President Godfrey Burnside will bring to fruition before his two-year period comes to an end. The summer league will run from June 24-July 28, with play being held at the Bankers Field, located at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.
"The NPSA has had an established junior softball camp that started in the late 1990s and came to an end around 2005, that's when the Churchill Tener Knowles stadium got demolished," said Burnside. "Even though this is the same program, designed to enhance or improve the skills of our junior female athletes, it is an upgrade to what we once had. I am glad that we are going to have this program again. It is much needed as we try to develop the skills and talents of our junior players, as well as try and qualify for more international tournaments."
Interested persons between the ages of eight and16 years are asked to meet at the park on Saturday June 24 for registration. The three days selected for training are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A three-hour session will be held on Saturdays, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 12 noon. The scrimmage games will be played just before the first game of the 2013 NPSA regular season.
Burnside said: "There has been a deterioration in the level of play, especially when at the international level. There are some very skilled and talented young ladies in the league now, particularly in Grand Bahama and in New Providence. If we are able to work with these players, help to improve their skills and correct their forms at a very early age, the level of play will increase. What we are going to do, especially on Saturday mornings, is go through the basic skills, that are fielding, throwing, gloving, hitting and base running. There will be opportunities for them to play in real games, showcasing exactly what they have learned. Those games will be played before the women's match."
Burnside is hoping to have representation from a number of the junior and senior high school programs here in New Providence. He is currently in communication with the president of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) Alfred Forbes. A number of meetings have also been held, discussing the way forward for the program and the interaction of the physical education teachers.
The NPSA is also working closely with the Bahamas Baseball Federation (BBF) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology so that the sport of baseball can be added into the curriculum, as soon as this coming school year. The reconstruction of the Churchill Tener Knowles National Stadium is another one of the projects that is expected to get off the ground this year. By the time it is officially opened, Burnside is hoping to have a vibrant junior softball league which will be a feeder system to the night league.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian