Overseas travel a bonus with academy selection

Putting in the practice: Tairawhiti softballer Daeleigh-Michelle Waihi, 13, is prepared to put time into practising her pitching at Gisborne's Waikirikiri Park. Picture by Paul Rickard

GISBORNE teenager Daeleigh-Michelle Waihi is looking forward to her first trip overseas — to an Australian softball tournament at which she will compete this month.

The Lytton High School student is in a New Zealand academy under-14 girls' team taking part in the Blacktown Junior International Challenge Tournament in Sydney.

Daeleigh-Michelle, 13, is a pitcher who is prepared to devote time to hone her skills.

She plays for Rovers in the Tairawhiti senior softball women's league and was part of the Tairawhiti u15 girls' team who played in a tournament at Christchurch in January.

The New South Wales Softball Association invited the ISA New Zealand academy to send u14 boys' and girls' teams to the tournament at Sydney and Daeleigh-Michelle is the only player from Tairawhiti in either squad.

The players will fly to Australia early on March 17, take part in skills camps and warm-up games and then a two-day tournament on March 21 and 22.

Their itinerary includes a visit to the Sydney Opera House and a drive across the harbour bridge.

The trip is expected to cost each player about $3000, money that families had to find at short notice, but Daeleigh-Michelle's mother Felicia Whittington said it would be “totally worth the money”.

Her daughter chose to put a lot of time into practising, she said.

Softball mentor Hutana Campbell taught Daeleigh-Michelle different pitching grips and said she practised her drops and risers often.

“She's got heaps of pace and trains through the winter,” he said.

People can keep up to date with how the tour is progressing through the Just Softball ISA Facebook page.