ECB United Softball Club eNewsletter - 13 June 2026

Kia ora,

Softball never really sleeps! It’s been fantastic to see so many of our older juniors and senior players out on the diamonds on Sundays, taking part in this year’s NHSA Winter Slowpitch competition. If you haven’t made it down yet, you can catch some of the action via our Facebook Live streams, which are also available to watch later on YouTube.

There are some great development opportunities coming up, and in this newsletter you’ll find:

Easter Classic 2027 – Expressions of Interest for U14, U17 and U20 players
Freyburg Park - weekly throw around
Scorers’ clinics with Andie
North Harbour Softball Battery (Pitcher & Catcher) Development Clinics (U9–U13 and U13–U19 recommended)

EASTER CLASSIC 2027

It might seem early to be thinking about Easter Classic 2027, however, Auckland Softball Association has already reached capacity for this tournament and are now seeking deposits for teams.

Under 14 Boys & Under 14 Girls
Under 17 Boys & Under 17 Girls
Under 20 Boys & Under 20 Boys

Before we commit to paying non-refundable deposits for East Coast Bays teams, we need to ensure we have strong player interest to support entering teams in this tournament.

As a result, we are now seeking Expressions of Interest from players who would like to play for East Coast Bays at the Auckland Softball - Easter Classic Tournament 2027. If you’re interested in taking part, please register your interest below.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST EASTER CLASSIC 2027

WEDNESDAY EVENING THROW AROUND @ FREYBERG PARK

Troy Smail has secured Freyberg Park to hold a casual weekly throw around under lights.

For those who love the idea of an endless softball season, this could be just the thing for you. These sessions are not structured training; instead, they're casual get-togethers that provide a great opportunity for self-motivated players to keep active, practice, and continue developing their skills throughout the off-season.

Those that want to attend please join the Team Reach
Winter Slow Pitch (The Endless Season)
Group Code: ECB2023P (turn your notifications on)

Wednesday Nights from 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Freyberg Park, Woodlands Cres, Auckland
CLICK HERE for google map

SCORERS CLINIC WITH ANDIE

Our Head Scorer, Andie, will be running two scorers’ clinics on upcoming Sundays during winter slowpitch. These sessions are a great opportunity for beginners and those that wish to develop their scoring skills in a real game setting.

Dates: Sunday 21 June and Sunday 28 June
Time: Start at 11:00am in the scorers’ room, before heading out to score a slowpitch game.
What to bring: Chair, pens/pencils, and a clipboard if you have one. Scoring paper will be provided.

To stay up to date, please join the ECB Scorers TeamReach group using the code: Scor
Andie will post any updates about these sessions, as well as information on future clinics, in the group.

NORTH HARBOUR BATTERY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
North Harbour Softball is excited to be running an off-season development program focused on the Battery — pitching and catching.

Each session will be led by coaches with proven ability, knowledge, and experience within their field, providing athletes with quality instruction in a supportive learning environment. There are two programme categories

Fundamentals

For athletes who are just beginning to learn pitching and catching.
Aimed at players in the U9–U13 age groups.

Development

For athletes with previous pitching or catching experience.
This group will focus on further enhancing skill sets, refining technique, and continuing development.
Aimed at U13 - U19 .

Session Dates The sessions, spaced apart to allow athletes time between sessions to work independently on their skills before returning for the next session.

Location: Leveloff Field, Rosedale Park
Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Session 2: Sunday 28 June
Session 3: Sunday 26 July

Cost: $10 per person, per session

Attendance at all three sessions is not required, however attending each session will be beneficial for athlete progression and development throughout the program.