Flaxmere Softball Club punches above its weight

Dean Tamati (centre left), with Darryl Tamati from the Flaxmere Softball Club. Photo / Duncan Brown

June brings together a group of people from all walks of life who have come together to build a strong community-based club in the sport of softball.

In 1975 the Flaxmere Softball Club was formed with the help of a few dedicated families: Tamati, Chase, Glenn, Wilson and Stubbs, to name a few.

Although, with the sport on a decline, it was revived again in 2005 and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

Starting with two social senior teams, the club blossomed to five last year, with two senior teams, a social and competitive team, and three children's teams.

Club president Luke Herrick said, "The whole club has done well to achieve where it is now and we are gradually getting better.

"Our goal was to slowly build the Flaxmere Softball Club back up to where it was in the 80s have more and more teams and give people an opportunity to play something different in the summer."

Kids from as young as 4 and adults past the age of 50 are part of the club - which has set its roots firmly in Flaxmere.

The first Senior A Grade final in the club's history was the pre-Christmas 2016 final.

Although they fell short to the Saints, they came back in the post-Christmas final and won the club's first Hawke's Bay Senior A Men's Title.

Included in that team were three females; Rita Hokianga, Mel Gettins and Allyssa James, all of whom are looking to make the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

They aim to let nothing stop children from giving the sport a go, providing all the equipment, so all that is needed is for the players to turn up.