West Midlands Softball Training

On the 23^rd October the Bobcats undertook their own marathon in the heart of the city– although theirs did not cause traffic chaos! 

In preparation for the Monmouth Tournament the Bobcats invited the Leamington Hawks, NFU Stratford and the West Midlands Razorbacks to Hallfield for a training session and friendly game.  Unfortunately the training was held on the same day as the Bupa half marathon, which had closed most of the roads in and around the city centre.  It was tough enough for the Bobcats to get to their usual ground never mind for the Hawks and the Razorbacks.  For Stratford it proved too much and after an hour of driving round the city they were defeated.    

Quentin started the afternoon with a series of warm up exercises – ranging from the norm to the extreme. 

 Bobcats (left to right): Ross, Trent, Jeff, Chris, Jayne and Chad

 The Pterodactyl!

Although it is hilarious to watch, take my word for it – it was tough. 

And this was just the start!

After warming up there were several throwing and batting practises.  The teams were split up into small mixed groups with the intention of teaching each other new techniques and skills. 

 Throwing practices - tip: when throwing ground balls do not put camera on the floor!

 Players from the West Midlands Razorbacks and Leamington Hawks doing some batting practices

 Hawks and Bobcats

Bobcats, Hawks and Razorbacks all training as one!

Everyone found the experience rewarding.

Quentin then spilt the group into three teams for a game.  Everyone played really well – both on an individual basis and as a team. 

Jayne hits to third and makes it to first!

 Saps at the plate.

 Meg (Bobcats) at second, surrounded by Nathan (Razorbacks) and a Hawk

Quentin (Bobcat) as umpire and Pete (Razorback & Bobcat) as catcher.

It was fantastic to get three different teams playing, coaching and developing their skills together over a beautiful afternoon.  We hope to do more afternoons such as this next year so we can develop not only our softball skills, but also unite to create a stronger baseball and softball presence in Birmingham and in the West Midlands. 

The Leamington Hawks

The West Midlands Razorbacks

The West Midlands Softball and Baseball Teams

A big thank you to the Razorbacks, Hawks and NFU Stratford for joining us for a fantastic afternoon.