Inner Circle

Softball New Zealand: Q & A with National Team Coach Kevin Gettins

Softball New Zealand

How much do we know about the game outside the United States? We had a chance to have a conversation with Softball New Zealand National Team Coach Kevin Gettins.  New Zealand has produced some great talent and numerous players and coaches who have and still are making an impact in the United States. Coach Gettins gives us a glimpse of what softball in New Zealand is all about.

FPN: Some people in the US may not realize that New Zealand has a strong history in the game. Can you tell us a little more about where Softball has been and is going in New Zealand?

Kevin Gettins

Kevin Gettins

Gettins: New Zealand has a strong tradition in Softball. The New Zealand men’s team, the Black Sox are multi-time World Champions and the Women, the White Sox have won the World title once. The sport had a very strong following through the 1990’s and into early 2000. It’s fair to say the playing numbers have plateaued since then, although we are now showing signs of growing. The sport is played by a large cross section of people in New Zealand.

Ironically softball was introduced to New Zealand in the early 1950’s by an American who come over from the USA and worked for the Ford Motor company. Softball is also very much seen as a family sport in New Zealand with people of many ages playing.

In New Zealand, players continue playing competitively into their 30’s and often in some games daughter and mother or son and father play in the same teams, although at a lower level than the premier. Next to no slow pitch is played in New Zealand.

FPN: In the US we have a ton of clubs and community teams that youth can be involved in. After that, there are opportunities to play at the college level. Could you explain to us how things work in New Zealand?

Gettins: In New Zealand, the softball structure is very much around clubs.

Our school structure is not strong as many schools do not provide a structured softball program and have limited opportunities to play in a school competition. In New Zealand, we refer to schools as High school which is attended up to the age of 18. New Zealand has four Universities in total and they have no structured sporting competitions, unlike the USA. These are purely educational facilities all based in the larger cities.

On weekends our school players will play for a local softball club. So players are aligned to a club in their town or province. Some towns have many clubs so they all play against each other in the local competition. Out of all these club teams , a provincial team is selected to represent the province. They attend the National Fastpitch Competition which is the premier tournament in New Zealand Softball for men and woman. This is the open age with no restriction. Setting aside this is the National Club Tournament where all the clubs attend a tournament to find New Zealand’s Top Club softball team in Men’s and Women’s.

There is also national Age grade Interprovincial tournaments. These are contested at U15, U17 and U19 level for Boys and Girls.

On my visits to the USA, I am always very envious of the facilities that are available to players. The majority of schools I have visited have outstanding facilities.

FPN: You have been re-appointed for another two years as the New Zealand National Team Coach. What are your goals for those two years?

Gettins: With softball being accepted into the Olympics our focus is very much targeted at qualifying in the top six in the world so we get to Tokyo.We finished 8th in the recent World Cup and World championships and had some creditable results along the way. We are scheduled to visit Japan in 2017 as part of the buildup to the 2018 World Championships which is the first Olympic qualifier. Currently, Softball New Zealand is in discussions with a top USA College team to bring them out to New Zealand in December 2017 to play our National team as part of our build up.

Over the next two years, we will continue to build our player depth and create opportunities to compete against strong opposition, this will involving playing Australian teams. The challenge for our program is we select our National team from a current player base of around 30 players spread across the World. On our recent trip to the World Cup in Oklahoma, we arrived three days before our first game and that was the first time the team had been together and in fact, some players had never met each other before. We are working to grow our player base with more numbers and greater depth to drive internal competition for spots.

The other big focus for us is to reduce the cost to our players. We operate in a purely self-funded program, which means our athletes have to pay to attend camps, clinics, and tournaments. Not having any support from a sponsor or any government funding makes it difficult for our athletes, but with the passion, players have to represent our country we find a way to make it happen one way or the other. Our National players also purchase their own playing equipment bats and gloves, helmets and catcher’s gear.

FPN: New Zealand has had many strong players come to the United States to play in the college system. The New Zealand website even has an entire section dedicated to how a player could do that. Do you believe we will start seeing more and more players from New Zealand coming to play college softball and why?

Gettins: Over the years there has been some very good New Zealand players head to the USA and go through the college system. It is an option that is being looked at by players more with the recent success of Lara Andrews (Delaware and Pen Rebellion) and Rita Hokianga who pitched West Texas to the College Division 2 title a couple of years ago.

The SNZ website has set up a section to promote this and at various age-grade girls tournament players who have been through the USA college system have held briefing nights to promote the concept.

I think there will always be players keen to head to the USA college system. However, it can be quite tough for NZ players to align with a USA college or school. Where it is difficult is for USA based coaches is to gauge the ability of a player in New Zealand. There are video options and on ground contacts but I believe the risk of recruiting an unknown talent does impact on recruiting opportunities for New Zealand players. I think this is why the Junior College option is where the majority of New Zealand players will enter, it is the opportunity to prove yourself before you can move up.

Next to this is the financial cost to the New Zealand players family. It is very unlikely that New Zealand players will get a “full ride” or even a large % of their scholarship funded so this falls back on the family to fund. Travel from New Zealand and back is the next cost to be taken into account. Foreign exchange rates also impact on the cost.

Mike White, Oregon

Mike White, Oregon

However, all this can be offset by an incredible life experience and softball experience for players along with getting an education and ultimately a degree. The educational opportunities are great and as we know these are for life. I know a number of players who have gone through the College system and speak glowingly of the experience through the people they meet, the opportunity to travel, the education they receive along with the opportunities to train and play softball.

New Zealand also has some very good coaches in the USA college system with Mike White at Oregon, Mike Roberts at Washington and Peter Meredith at BYU.

FPN: In your opinion, why should college coaches be looking at international players as a whole?

Gettins: I think International Players bring a different dynamic to a team. They often have slightly different ways of executing when playing softball, they can think a bit differently about the game which doesn’t do any harm at all. I know the New Zealand players who have gone over have been very well received , they seem a little less intense than USA players, love to a have fun but work hard. Some of the New Zealand girls have been quite naive to life in the USA and I know that has created a number of humorous experiences. I think this comes from not such an intense upbringing in New Zealand whereas softball through U14, U16, U18 in the USA is very intense for players and parents. However, in saying this there is not doubt the USA system produces very good players.

There is also the opportunity for the USA based players to learn about different cultures from around the world if they have an International player playing on their team.

Our oldest daughter Melanie did her Degree and softball scholarship at Iona College in New York. Two years after she finished school three of her college teammates came out to New Zealand to stay with our family and continue playing softball. They stayed for 6 months played softball traveled around the country and had a lot of fun. These are the types of opportunities having International Players on a team can create post-college. They were fantastic girls.

FPN: Overall your team had a strong showing at the World Championships, tell us more about your team and where they are at now from a development perspective.

Ellie Cooper, FSU

Ellie Cooper, FSU

Gettins: Our national team is relatively young and a number of the players have come through our junior program which has delivered some consistent performances over the last three U19 World championships. This positions us well as we build toward the 2018 World Champs and ultimately the Olympics. Our National Team captain is Elle Cooper who plays at Florida State.

We currently have eight players who are USA based, including Taylor Paige Stewart who has just completed her senior year at Wisconsin, Hailey Breakwell who graduated from Idaho and a number of players spread around the USA. The balance is made up of domestic players who compete in the local competition in New Zealand.

Within the domestic players, we also have a core of five players who have attended a number of World Championships so the blend of youth and experience is a successful mix for us currently. We also a have three ex-pat American ladies on our team who came to New Zealand, settled down and gained citizenship. They contribute to the solid player base we have .

Supporting the Senior program has been a successful junior program.

FPN: Softball will be at the 2020 Tokyo Games, what does that mean for softball in New Zealand? Also, what do you think the long-term chances are that Softball will stay in the games past 2020?

Gettins: Women’s softball is on a high around the world at the moment. Softball New Zealand are busy promoting it as a pathway for athletes to get to attend the Olympics, The profile of our sport is lifting and our recent performances at the World Cup and World Championships also improved the profile within New Zealand for our team. The latest WBSC world rankings that have New Zealand as 5th in the Woman’s and 1st in the men’s has also lifted the profile further within the country.

I think WSBC have done a fantastic job in promoting Women’s softball and ultimately getting our game back into the Olympics. I like to think going forward given the excitement of the sport, the participation levels, the quality competition between countries it will be in the 2024 Olympics… but you never know

FPN: You have a daughter (Courtney) playing for Florida Southwestern State College and was also named the NJCAA Division 1 Pitcher of the year last season. What has that experience been like and what kind of impact has that had on New Zealand softball?

Courtney Gettins

Courtney Gettins

Gettins: Courtney has had a great year at Florida Southwestern State College and Coach Robert Iamuri has guided her well, she has had plenty of pitching time. She has thoroughly enjoyed the experience in Florida and is on her way to obtaining a degree and making countless new friends. The other big difference Courtney has had to adjust to the increased amount of training they do compared to New Zealand.

Courtney was fortunate two of her U19 New Zealand teammates Mikayla Werehiko and Kayla Rangiawha joined her at Florida Southwestern so there was always a feeling of home being not too far away.

When we talk about New Zealand players getting recruited by USA Colleges, Courtney’s recruitment pathway shows how difficult it can be for New Zealand players to get recruited by USA colleges. Courtney put together her CV and sent it to a number of schools, to be honest replies were lukewarm.

Courtney was struggling to get recruited until a chance meeting Coach Iamuri had with one of Courtney’s friends at a showcase tournament in Florida why she was driving a golf cart transporting coaches around the diamonds. Coach Iamuri asked Courtney’s friend if there were any pitchers in New Zealand who want to come and pitch, he was told of Courtney. Coaches daughter Ryan Iamuri got on Facebook and messaged Courtney, from there it was to youtube to watch a video of her pitching, then to email exchanges and she was recruited from the other side of the World. A great story about how technology can assist in something like recruiting.

Within New Zealand, the achievement has been acknowledged within the softball community but has flown under the radar a bit mainly with people outside of softball or who don’t have an understanding of the achievement or an understanding of the competition with the USA college system.

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