Do you remember when there were thriving Softball competitions in regional communities like Shepparton and Bairnsdale? Thanks to VicHealth’s Future Healthy initiative, we’re bringing it back!

Over the next 12 months, Softball Victoria (SV) and VicHealth will be re-igniting Softball in the Goulburn Valley and East Gippsland regions, with plans to branch out to other areas soon after.

Our project begins by delivering Home Run Heroes programs in regional schools. Home Run Heroes is aligned with the SportAus Playing for Life Philosophy, where junior participants are engaged in game sense activities that develop a life-long love of sport.

48% of Australian kids aged 5-14 don’t currently participate in organised sport or physical activity outside of school hours, and we want to engage with these kids and get them off the couch, off their devices, off the streets, and onto the diamond. We think Softball is the most fun sport to play, and we want to see kids smashing home runs across the State!

From there, Softball activities will be set up in the community for kids and their families, and over the next 12 months there will be a range of options in place for young and old:

• Tee-ball or Machine/Coach Pitch for 10-12 years old
• Under 14s modified fastpitch
• Under 17s Youth fastpitch
• Mixed Social Competitions

The project will be community lead, allowing young leaders to emerge and take ownership, to ensure we provide what the community wants.

SV and VicHealthwill also provide everything required to create successful and sustainable Softball communities in regional Victoria, including:

• Training and education for coaches, umpires, scorers, and administrators.
• Equipment and facilities to create sustainable Softball competitions.
• Support resources such as marketing collateral and experienced volunteers.
• Athlete pathways to state or national representative levels.

For Softball to be around for future generations, we need volunteer teams behind the scenes working with local government and community organisations, including coaches, umpires, and scorers on the diamond, and presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and competition coordinators off it.

We are also seeking local businesses and community organisations to support this project at any level, from sponsoring a team through to providing a venue for training and education.

Softball Victoria Participation Coordinator Jo Schutt said, “I’m incredibly proud and excited to be part of this project. Not only are we bringing softball back to regional Victoria, but we are also engaging with youth to get them involved in sport.

“This is a rare opportunity to get involved with a history-making project on the ground level, and I encourage anyone who wants to give something back to the community to get in touch and be involved in something special.”

SV and VicHealth are seeking anyone interested in driving grassroots sport participation in the Goulburn Valley and East Gippsland regions to please complete this FORM and help us get to first base!

For more information about Re-igniting Softball in Regional Victoria, please contact Jo Schutt on 0425 785 161 or jo.schutt@softball.org.au, or follow any of the following Facebook pages and groups:

• Bairnsdale: East Gippsland Softball and East Gippsland Softball Community Group
• Shepparton: Goulburn Valley Softball and Goulburn Valley Softball Community Group

The Big Connect is part of VicHealth’s ground-breaking Future Healthy initiative, supporting the mental wellbeing of our young people, by creating opportunities for them to reconnect with their friends, families and communities in ways that work for them. More information can be found here: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/funding/the-big-connect