Former Black Sox representative Corey Matakatea, pictured with son Shade, is coaching Levin Intermediate's new softball team.
Former Black Sox representative Corey Matakatea, pictured with son Shade, is coaching Levin Intermediate's new softball team.
A former New Zealand Black Sox representative has found himself slap-bang in the middle of a softball renaissance at his old school.
Corey Matakatea, a pupil of Levin Intermediate School during the late 1980s, recently put his hand up to coach a softball team there and has been heartened bythe response.
Boys’ and girls’ teams have quickly formed. There’s been a rally around for gear such as bats and gloves, and new uniforms have just arrived. The boys have been practising for their debut game in Whanganui next week.
“Hopefully they enjoy it and carry on. You have to start somewhere. It’s just good to see how enthusiastic they are about it,” he said.
Levin Intermediate has formed representative softball teams again with new uniforms arriving just in time for their first game.
For Matakatea, who grew up in an era where it seemed every kid knew how to play softball, it was good to see the next generation getting excited about a sport that gave him so much.
He played junior softball for the Kotuku club in Levin and for Horowhenua teams before playing for Porirua City. He was selected for the Black Sox in 2005 as a catcher/outfielder and played three international matches.
“Softball in Levin was always strong and there were a lot of players that played for New Zealand teams over many years. In my era, there were the likes of Maahi Simpson and Carlos Spencer that also represented New Zealand juniors,” he said.
Corey Matakatea, (back row, third from left) played his club softball in Horowhenua for Kotuku before making the Black Sox.
Softball participation had waned in Horowhenua since those halcyon days, but there were signs the sport was in good heart with a club scene returning and increased interest at junior level.
Levin Intermediate was also looking to enter a Palmerston North league next season and would engage with other schools in Horowhenua to explore the possibility of playing local tournaments in Years 7 and 8.
For most of the students who play a variety of sports, they couldn’t wait to represent their school in softball.
Matakatea spent the best part of a decade living in Australia and moved back home late last year. He was been keen to keep playing softball himself and joined up with the Levin United Men’s team, who play in the Manawatū league each Saturday.
Meanwhile, local businesses Comfort Sox and Kingswood Apparel contributed to supplying the Levin Intermediate team softball uniforms that were designed by Waiopehu College student Oscar Bland, while Kylie Tamakaha helped organise gloves.
