He was very proud of the players; they behaved well and played well. The progression through the State Championship and the hard games the team had encountered there certainly stood the team in good stead. The team had good pitching depth but did not bat particularly well. The food at the accommodation was ordinary, Baseball NSW paid for the cheapest menu. Mr. Giffin would like to have a pitching coach added to the coaches. Mr. Yard advised we are limited to four adults (three coaches and a Manager). Any coach being added to the team would need to have been involved in the Hills Little League competition.

The meeting moved back to Standing Orders

Little League

Congratulations Hills you are Australian Little League Champions. The score in the final being Hills North 3 d Adelaide 2. Throughout the tournament the team was able to ‘scramble’ and maintain its nerve when in trouble – twice winning games on virtually the last pitch of the game. Once in offence when Isaac Whatson was able to come up with a base hit to drive in the winning run with two out and full count and the other in defense when Hayden Bray was able to run down what would otherwise have been the tying run.

We are delighted not just because the team won - but in the way they presented themselves as a Hills team. Just as importantly we should be proud of how we handled the confusion of the Little League competition this year. We went ‘one out’ embraced the Little League in its true concept (to our knowledge were the only organization in Australia to do that). We organized a competition including operating a player draft to select players into six approximately equal teams and we played a competition over 15 games (in addition to our ordinary season) mainly in the January School Holidays before we selected two representative teams. That was perhaps more important to us than victory... having said that victory is indeed sweet. Not only did we win but we also produced another highly competitive team that would have easily performed as well had it been in the same situation.

The local competition was offered at no cost to the players. And the trip to Queensland was at little cost to the representative team.

We have known our Development Program and competitions are second to none, last Sunday we proved it on the National Stage.

Whether we go any further is now problematical with key players Zachary Shepherd and Hayden Bray being selected in the ABF team to play in the Cal Ripken tournament. The dates of Little League World Championship and Cal Ripken clash. Irrespective we have earned our place in the tournament in Hong Kong between 18th to 25th July.

Other matters

I am asking clubs to consider what they need in the way of equipment this season. We will be buying supplies of the Kenko C Class ball and K500 in ‘bulk’ for resale at cost. I am also quite prepared to use my contacts to save clubs money – you do the ordering and paying. I don’t want to do that part.

The 10” leather gloves that are ideal for newcomers in Under 8 are again available at $ 20.50. A little bit down the track I will be looking at buying more of the baseballs again in bulk to take advantage of the quantity we order. Same deal with player’s gloves and helmets. Tonight I will have a sample of a Brett helmet I bought for $29 – same helmet as MVP that costs $ 38.

To save on freight costs I only want to make one order – so you may need to organize yourself reasonably quickly.

If clubs don’t want to do it individually– we will set up a ‘garage sale’ where player’s equipment that is now too small or no longer used, can be sold. This is an attempt to keep the sport relatively inexpensive. Probably advertise the items on our website.

٠ We are offering two three day camps during the July school holidays. They are available for players aged 9 to 12 years of age. Cost of the camps is $40. The dates of the camps are 8 to 10 July and 15 to 17 July. 9.30 to 2.30pm. The venue is yet to be confirmed but most likely Castle Glen.

٠ Following our success in Little League I am anxious that ‘we spread our wings’ and represent NSWJBL in the 5th Asia Boys Nankyu Baseball Championship in Singapore. It for players (born after 1 January, 1996).

It is a high standard competition with teams from Japan, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine, Thailand and, Singapore. It is a high standard competition

Dates are 6th – 12th or 13th October. Cost is approximately $2,700 includes all costs including accommodation and uniforms. The timing is good as it falls within October school holidays.

٠ We were shocked to hear that Dennis Castle, a former President of Cumberland, suffered a severe stroke a week ago. Dennis is in Blacktown Hospital. Unfortunately he is paralysed down the left hand side of his body but is said to be in very good spirits – the Dennis we have always known.

٠ Applications for positions of Hills Representative Coaches for season 2008/9 are being invited. The applications close with J Yard on the 7 July, 2008. Applications are to be submitted on the Hills Application for Officials form which is included in the Administration Documents (Form A16) in the library on the Hills web site. www.nswjuniorbaseball.com.au

٠ The Board still has to decide upon the distances over which the Under 14 Peter Street South competition will be played..

٠ There is pressure to have Hayden Bray and Zachary Shepherd decide between playing in Cal Ripken or Little League.

٠ Nominations for the Hills’ Executive close at the completion of the meeting. There is a nomination in the mail nominating the existing Executive.

٠ It is proposed that we change our training top, mainly because the combination of the material and the navy colour fades to a ‘dirty’ shade of navy. A sample shirt was shown and quotations will be invited.

٠ Following the problems with use of Softball bats in Little League Nations – Mr. Yard foreshadowed that the Hills Playing Rules will declare softball bats as illegal.

The Secretary’s report was accepted.

• Programs for Under 12, 13, 15 and 16 have been selected and training in underway
• There was a request for Associations to submit a report for inclusion in the NSWJBL Annual Report
• The nominations for the Executive closed at the conclusion of the meeting. The nominations were: President – Mrs. Barnier: Vice President – Mark Farrell: Secretary – J. Yard: Treasurer – P. Royce.
• Pacific Friendship Tournament will again be conducted this year. USA has withdrawn but hopefully China will be attending. There has been an Expression of Interest issued for the tour to Singapore in October.
• There were three reports from three different Associations of players changing Associations, with all players going to Ryde.

The next meeting is a ‘Coach's debrief of the Representative Season’

• Statement of Financial Position was presented.
• Payments were approved.
• Debtors and liabilities were disclosed.

Coaches meeting: Mr. Guy enquired as to regarding that meeting. Mr. Yard advised that the meeting will beheld, however no date has been set.

Recruitment areas: Mr. Frew requested information for the recruitment areas for Oakville and Hawkesbury.

Kings Langley: Mr. Blundell reported that Kings Langley has conducted its Annual General Meeting. He was re-elected as President. There are some ‘new faces’ in the Committee which is a good thing, to enable the work load to be shared