“It’s quite a big achievement, it’s something I’m quite proud of, and I’m looking forward to playing on that type of stage.”
Bradley is a shortstop first and back-up pitcher.
The Cullinane College head boy has been playing softball since the age of 5.
He said he got involved because his father, Hayden Bradley, played, and his friends wanted a new challenge after transitioning from rugby.
Te Huatahi played for Athletic Softball Club until he was 13, when he started playing for Pirates Softball.
He has played representative softball since he was 10.
He said his enjoyment came largely from the family-oriented atmosphere of the sport.
“When you go to softball, there’s certain families that you see a lot, and the same people coming back.”
The non-contact nature of the sport meant he could play with older players, such as his father and his father’s friends.
“There’s a vast [range] of age groups at play and being able to play with those different people, regardless of age and ability, is quite cool to be a part of.”
Sport Whanganui’s Paula Darlington helped with his development in softball.
“She has been one of my main representative coaches, coming through the grades, and she has been with me for quite a while,” he said.
He believed the sport was growing in Whanganui because of the success of its players and those who had played at a national level.
“To see them get chosen puts the idea out to our peers to show that there are pathways.”
His “pinnacle” goal is to qualify for the U18 World Cup in Czechia next year and make the Junior Black Sox squad.
His sister, Awatea, also made a representative side after being selected for the Under-15 White Sox squad.
Awatea, 14, will travel to American Samoa in July to compete at the WBSC Under-15 Women’s Softball World Cup Oceania qualifier.
The siblings’ mother, Renee Bradley, said she and their father were “incredibly proud” to see their children selected to represent New Zealand.
“I think, for my husband in particular, that was his dream to represent New Zealand, so we were over the moon.”
The announcements of the siblings’ selections were just a few days apart, which was “quite overwhelming”, she said.
Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
