Softball: Spruced up and set to go

By JULIE ASH

New seats have been hauled in, the scoreboard, dugouts and entranceways have been revamped, and new lights installed.

Christchurch's Smokefree Ballpark is ready for the start of the men's world softball championships next month when 16 teams will be chasing the title. For the Black Sox, aiming to become the first team to win three back-to-back titles, playing at home is like a dream come true.

Cheryl Kemp, the Canterbury Softball Association and the Christchurch City Council put together the successful championship bid.

Kemp, a former New Zealand pitcher and coach and chief executive of Canterbury Softball, knows what is needed to make such a tournament successful.

"It is huge for Christchurch," Kemp said. "The interest within the city is great, and there is the impact it will have on the game as far as development.

"If we look at when Hutt Valley hosted the men's event in 1976, and when Auckland hosted the women's event in 1986, we can probably expect [about] a 30-40 per cent increase in playing numbers.

"Our biggest concern is having strategies and infrastructure at club level to cope with it," she said.

Born in Auckland, Kemp credits Mt Roskill's Wesley Intermediate for steering her towards softball.

"It was a strong softball school and had a good mentor in Vicki Lowry, who introduced several New Zealand players to the game.

"I started as a catcher. Sharmane Inder was a pitcher for our school team. One day we were winning convincingly and thought it would be a bit of fun to change positions.

"We both loved it. Sharmane when on to catch for New Zealand and I went on to pitch.

"Mind you, that was a game we were in front 14-0, and we ended up winning 14-9, so initially it wasn't that great a move."

Kemp made the Auckland team when she was 15. The same year she was also named in the national team.

"I was selected for the trials and I remember flying home afterwards, getting off the plane and saying to my parents how terrific it was that I had made it to the trials.

"They said, 'Oh that's really good, but the team were named when you were in the air and you made it."

With 10 years of international softball behind her, the highlight of Kemp's playing career came in 1982 when New Zealand won the world championships in Taiwan.

" That year was hard to beat.

"Canterbury started by winning the national provincial title in January. Then in March, Albion, the club team I coached, won the national club title.

"In July we won the world title and in August I was named New Zealand player of the year.

"It was a magical year."

The world title is New Zealand's one and only in women's softball.

"I can vividly recall our arrival home. We were travelling with some New Zealand exchange students who were returning from overseas.

"When we got off the plane in Christchurch we could see this crowd in the terminal with banners and things, and I can remember turning to one of the Cantabs and saying, 'Isn't that neat they have really turned it on for these kids coming home, isn't that fabulous?'

"But when we walked in we were absolutely staggered. It certainly wasn't for the exchange students."

Kemp's international playing career ended in 1986 after the world championships in Auckland, where New Zealand were third.

Her focus then turned to coaching, guiding Canterbury for six years before becoming a national selector in 1988, the New Zealand under-19 coach in 1992, and the New Zealand coach in 1994, a position she held until 1998.

Her involvement with Canterbury Softball spans 10 years.

As chief executive she played a key role in helping Canterbury to gain the championships ahead of the Czech Republic and Canada.

"Everybody asks me what made the difference? My answer to that is everything made a difference.

"It was just after September 11 ... New Zealand as a safe country made a difference.

"Our currency at that time made a difference, the Black Sox being world champions made a difference - everything made a difference."

While Kemp's main focus during the tournament will be ensuring it runs smoothly, as a proud New Zealander she would love nothing more than to see the Black Sox win.

"They are working hard towards that and I know that [Black Sox coach] Don Tricker's preparation is second to none."