Our own Tyson Zamora has been invited to the Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program which is held at Palm Meadows Baseball Complex on the Gold Coast, Australia. Started in 2001, the program is sponsored by Major League Baseball and Baseball Australia (formerly the Australian Baseball Federation). 

Now in its fourteenth year, the MLBAAP was the first of its kind and now serves as a model for two other MLB Academies operating in Tirrenia, Italy (est 2005) and Wuxi, China (est 2007). 

The main goal of the Academy is to provide a pathway for elite players from the region to improve their skills, as well as prepare them for the rigors of professional and international baseball. It serves to enable the MLB clubs to sign and develop young Australian players in their native country in preparation for the eventual move overseas to play baseball. 

The Academy this year is running for three weeks, with the 75 participants split into three teams. Games are played Monday through to Saturday, and depending on their position the players also participate in field, pitching and batting exercises.

To find out more about the Academy visit the MLBAAP page on baseball.com.au or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

The Club is seeking members to register thier interest in taking on team coaching or Umpire roles this season.

WE NEED YOU

COACHES WANTED

We are asking for those interested in Coaching a Junior or Senior team this season to reply by email expressing their interest in taking on coaching a team or assisting in coaching a team.

Coaching courses are available for those who feel they need some help in becoming coaches or better coaches. It is Club Policy that the Club will pay for the costs of coaching courses for our members. The Club ideally would like to have a minimum of 2 coaches for every team

We are after team coaches for the following teams:

Seniors - 3 teams

Juniors - Under 20's - 1 team         Under 16 - 2 teams      Under 14 - at least 2 teams      Under 12 - up to 3 teams      Under 10 - 2 teams

Teeball - Teeball manager

UMPIRES WANTED

The game of baseball does not procede without umpires. Regrettably the sport does not have sufficient umpires so each Club must provide umpires for most of their games.

The Queensland Baseball Umpires Association are ready and willing to conduct umpire coaching courses providing Clubs have a minium of ten people willing to take the three (3) hour course. This qualifies the person to become a "Green" shirt umpire who is able to umpire most junior age group games and some lower level senior games.

It is Club policy that the Club will pay the costs of umpiring courses so the only cost to you is your time.

Please reply by email if you are interested in umpiring or becoming an umpire for our Club for the new 2017/2018 summer baseball season.

Please reply by return email expressing your interest in coaching or umpiring as follows;-

Rodney Gaunt      r.gaunt@informplastics.com.au

GET STARTED VOUCHERS

The Club is registered and can accept Get Started vouchers - provide your voucher to the Club and once we get the money, you will receive a refund to the value of the voucher once your playing fees have been paid in full.

• Round 10 opens for voucher applications on 12 July 2017.
• Round 10 will close when all available vouchers are issued. If the voucher allocation is not reached the round will close on 27 September 2017.
• Vouchers must be presented to a registered club by 13 November 2017.

Get Started Vouchers - funding to help young people participate - click the link below

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/getinthegame/getstarted/

PRESS RELEASE

Brisbane City Council has advised Dave Carr that work will start on the building on our top baseball field early in June.

The old green container has been removed and works have commenced on the building.

NOTE: It is imperative that no member enters the area within the fenced off section around the  building - this is a work site and it is illegal to enter this area.

The downstairs walls will be replaced with a mesh wall which will prevent any buildup of gases from the old underground rubbish tip.

Keep your fingers crossed and we are hoping the building will be ready in time for us to use as our Clubrooms for the 2017/2018 season.

Well done Dave on your long and hard work working with BCC to achieve this wonderful outcome for the Club.

Wests have struck an Alumni cap for the Alumni reunion - see Wests Facebook page for more information

All Members are invited to the following scheduled Club (Committee) meetings:-

• 5th July 2017, Wednesday, at the Centenary Community Hub at 6.30pm
• 21st July 2017, Friday - Venue TBA - either the Hub or Mount Ommaney Library
• 4th August, Friday 2017, - Venue TBA - either the Hub or Mount Ommaney Library
• 25th August 2017, Friday - Venue TBA - either the Hub or Mount Ommaney Library
• 8th September 2017, Friday - Venue TBA - either the Hub or Mount Ommaney Library
• 22nd September 2017, Friday - Venue TBA - either the Hub or Mount Ommaney Library

Once the season commences, the meetings will move to monthly meetings - hopefully in our Clubrooms.