Softball: Under-15 girls lift trophy in Auckland

The WBOP under-15 girls' softball team came back from an Auckland tournament with some unexpected silverware. Photo/George Novak

The proof, in the form of trophies and top-three finishes at junior tournaments, is very much in the pudding for Western Bay of Plenty softball.

The association's junior teams recently returned from a tournament in Auckland with silverware and broad smiles to show for efforts that caught plenty of people - coaching staff included - by surprise.

The under-15 girls' team beat out teams from Auckland, Waikato, North Harbour and Counties to claim overall honours, while the boys' under-15 and under-13 teams both recorded top-three finishes.

The girls' team was undefeated in three pool games before claiming the trophy on points with a 5-5 draw against Takanini in the final.

"It was one of the best finals I've ever seen for kids," WBOP softball junior coordinator Helen Buchanan said.

"They played a lot better than what we thought they would and pulled together.

"There were three babies from intermediate in that high school team - they played awesome."

Buchanan said Tyresha Robertson and captain Trachelle Harawira were the standout performers in front of the biggest crowd many of the team had encountered.

The result led to a raucous trip home for the excited bunch and the resolve to continue building on the strong foundations laid in the past year.

"There's a national tournament in December that we will be going to, so we will keep them together and develop them.

"In Auckland the kids play for the club instead of their schools - we want to start doing that. These girls want to stick together to form a team, so they will be able to go through the age groups together.

"The under-13 boys did really, really well. They had a 10-year-old pitcher - he was the tiniest boy there and people were just overwhelmed by him. He was awesome. They had tight finals after losing their first game, brought it hard and ended up coming second."

The under-15 boys' team finished third, with Buchanan vowing the girls' team at least would return to the Papakura tournament again next year.

Players will contest secondary school nationals before the representative nationals in December, and will train through the winter to keep sharp.

Late-April marks the beginning of the winter T-Ball league, which is being run in the Bay of Plenty for 4-7-year-old for the first time.

Buchanan encouraged those interested in playing to search for the association's Facebook page, and wished to thank Linda Thurlow and Harriet Watson for their tireless work in resurrecting what was last year a struggling junior programme.

"They've seen it through right from last year with me, and it's been a long journey for us.

"The tournament that we just went to was a big eye-opener for everyone; it showed there is plenty going on here for the kids. That's what we are all about.

"If you had seen it last year ... it was terrible. This year it's booming." The association is currently seeking sponsors to help with uniforms.