Kandra Lamb, will make her debut for Australia at the Junior World Softball Championships to be held in Florida, USA from July 24-30.
The 17-year-old was selected in the team after a successful under-19 national championships which saw NSW return home victorious defeating South Australia 8-0.
Hornsby District Softball Association, where Lamb plays, held a softball skills clinic on Tuesday, July 11 to raise money for their very own Australian athlete.
Association president Paige Hyslop said she is very proud of Kandra’s efforts and wished her all the best at the world championships.
“We’re very proud of Kandra here at Hornsby and I wish her the best of luck,” she said.
“Having an Australian representative – it’s a very big achievement for a small club.”
The 17-year-old joins only a handful of Hornsby softballers who have represented Australia.
“We haven’t had an Australian under-19 representative since 2013 so it really gives the girls who are all here at the clinic someone to look up to,” Hyslop said.
“Everyone knows Kandra – she has coached the under-11 development team and also coaches for her local club Hills Hawks.”
The 17-player team went into camp at Blacktown International Sports Park on Monday, July 10. They fly out on Thursday, July 13 to Florida where they will play practice games before the championship begins on Monday, July 24.
Under-19 Hornsby District Softball Association Coach Richard Gatt has coached Kandra for many years and is proud of her achievement.
“I have coached Kandra since she was 12 at Hills Hawks, at Hornsby reps and at Western Sydney Academy of Sport,” he said.
“I’m very proud of her – she is the perfect softballer for a coach.
“Kandra listens, she has respect, she takes everything on board and she gives back by coaching the kids.”
There are 26 nations participating in the world championship which is a record for women’s youth softball.
Australia has been placed in Pool B and will play the Bahamas, Brazil, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands and Peru before the top two teams from each pool will advance into the championship round-robin.
The world championship will be live-streamed with play-by-plays available, enhancing coverage of the youth softball showcase with real-time digital content to the ever expanding global audience.
Hornsby District Softball Association hopes to raise about $2000 from the clinic, a cake stall and a wine and candle raffle to assist Kandra in her travels.
Live stream tournament packages: clearwater2017.wbsc.org.
