Softball: New coach of White Sox has little time to settle in

Dean Rice

Former international Dean Rice acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead when named the new coach of the New Zealand women's team yesterday.

He succeeds Mike Walsh, who guided the White Sox since 1998 and was one of four shortlisted candidates for the position considered by New Zealand Softball officials.

Auckland-based Rice comes into the head White Sox coaching position with a wealth of experience.

He represented the Black Sox from 1988 to 2000, winning two world championships gold medals and then was Walsh's assistant coach with the White Sox from 2002 to 2005.

NZ Softball board chairman Rex Capil said Rice was an outstanding candidate for the job because of his experience as both a player and assistant coach.

Rice said the head coaching position was one he had considered seeking since his term as assistant coach.

"Probably, like a lot of other assistant coaches, I want to see if I can make it as a head coach and if what I have to offer works."

Rice said he learned a lot as a player when he worked under some very good coaches - Walsh being one - and alongside some great players.

He was now looking to bring it all together in one package.

He does not have much time to settle into the new role, with the announcement yesterday that the 2008 Olympic qualifying series for the Asia-Oceania region will be held in Taiwan on January 8-12.

Rice said he had a tough job to get the team back into the top tier of the sport internationally, but it was not a challenge he shied away from.

New Zealand's international stocks took a hit at the world championship in China last month when the White Sox finished outside the top eight.

"If the players turn up with an open mind and are prepared to push themselves like they haven't been pushed before and do everything they possibly can, then I think we are good enough to be a competitive international team," Rice said.

Capil paid tribute to the departing Walsh.

He said Walsh had made an outstanding contribution to the sport since starting on the international scene as national men's coach in 1981.

He also said the decision to overlook Walsh for the position was a very tough one but the board felt the time was right for some fresh ideas.

"It is a bitter-sweet decision for us because we are saying goodbye to a coach who has made an incredible contribution to the game in the last 20 years and we are promoting someone we see as an exciting young coaching prospect," Capil said.

- NZPA