Most Clubs have a range of good events and programs to meet most of their members' requirements and expectations. However, to keep those members and to attract new members, existing events and programs must be reviewed and updated regularly, and new ones must be developed and introduced.

Softball Australia, working with our Member States, has developed a number of Softball programs to assist Clubs retain and attract various types of participants, including children, schools, members of  the Indigenous community and people with disabilities. These programs can be adapted by your Club to meet your local requirements.

Softball Batter Up

Softball Batter Up is an 8 session program offered to participants aged between 4 and 12 years. It is flexible in its delivery to reflect the individual abilities and experience levels of each participant. The sessions are run by qualified, accredited coaches and are loads of fun. To find out more, go to the Softball Batter Up website.

Active After School Communities Program

Active After School Communities Program (AASCP) is an ASC initiative that provides primary school children with free access to structured physical activity programs between 3.00-5.30pm. The program gives children a positive first experience with a variety of sports and builds the basic skills they need to play sport at Club level. The program is currently running in over 3,200 schools and after-school care centres across Australia.

The AASCP provides a great opportunity for Clubs and Associations to grow their junior membership and improve their resources and long-term viability by providing opportunities:

• For Club members to introduce Softball into local schools and to inspire young people to join their local Club
• To gain coordinated access to schools and families
• To increase junior membership and establish new junior teams through coordinated access to schools and families
• For Clubs to apply for grants for new equipment to assist with the delivery AASCP activities
• For Club coaches to access free professional development through AASCP’s Community Coach Training Program
• For coaches to receive payments for the programs they deliver
• To increase the number of coaches  through the training offered by the free Community Coach Training Program
• To promote the Club and its programs and activities to teachers, students and their parents.

The AASCP is supported by AASC Online,a website built specifically for AASC program deliverers, and a network of AASCP regional coordinators funded by the ASC. Contact us for more information about the AASC Softball program.

Indigenous Softball Program

The Indigenous Softball Program (ISP) delivers structured Softball activities in Indigenous communities throughout Australia. We are committed to expanding those programs in targeted urban and rural and remote areas across Australia. The ISP aims to increase opportunities for participation by indigenous people of all ages, gender and abilities in all facets and levels of Softball including playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, administration and governance. If your club or association is interested in participating in the ISP, please contact us for more information.

The Elite Indigenous Travel and Accommodation Assistance Program (EITAAP) provides travel and accommodation expenses for Indigenous sportspeople selected into State teams or into Australian teams. It is an incentive that Clubs can leverage to attract and retain the best Indigenous athletes.   

• Softball 4 All is a program designed by Softball Australia to increase opportunities for people with a disability to be involved in Softball. The program is a partnership between Softball Australia, our Member States, the ASC and SportsCONNECT. The latter is a national framework that aims to build pathways for people with a disability to get involved in sport, by creating and developing relationships between sports and disability organisations.

The Inclusive Coaching Module has been developed as part of SportsCONNECT to provide all coaches with information that will assist them coach people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

• Special Olympics Australia (SOA) is working in partnership with Softball Australia to foster the development of Softball for people with intellectual disabilities at local, state, national and international levels.

This year Special Olympics Australia hosted their National Games in Adelaide. Softball was 1 of 12 sports represented. More than 60 athletes plus support staff participated in the Softball competition. The Special Olympics National Softball side will be defending their 2007 Gold Medal win at the Special Olympic World Games in Athens, Greece in June 2011. [Back to top]