Baseball WA is thrilled to announce head coaching positions for the upcoming Australian Youth Championships (AYC) in January 2026.
U16 HEAD COACH- Aaron Ottoway
Aaron is taking over as head coach after several years as an assistant coach with the state junior programs, including 16’s, 18’s, 23’s and State Schoolboys.
He is a former Perth Heat alumni and has been involved in WA’s Pathways and High-Performance Programs. Aaron has previous experience leading the Gosnells Hawks State and Carine State League Clubs and has been a head coach of charter programs, taking them to national tournaments.
He specialises as an infield and hitting instructor, brings a wealth of experience and will be a great asset to the development of this program. “I am honoured and excited to take on the new role with the WA 16’s as manager. I’m looking forward to competing for a national title and developing talent with the quality and depth of young players coming through the BWA pathways,” Aaron said on his appointment.
U18 HEAD COACH- Kurt Russell
Kurt has made the progression to the 18’s group this year after a successful campaign with the WA U16 State Team, taking them to a silver medal at the last AYC.
Kurt has been an outfield and hitting instructor with WA’s High-Performance program over the past few years and helped the Perth Heat as a 1B coach the last two summers. Recently, Kurt toured Japan as an assistant coach with the National U16 Squad and has coached summer ball in the USA.
He is very organised and deliberate in his approach to coaching and can build connections with his players, holding them accountable and preparing them for the future. “
I am looking forward to taking the knowledge I have picked up from working in these programs and leading a very promising group of local talent to make a run at our first U18 National Championship since 2020,” Kurt said.
Baseball WA is very excited to have these two individuals lead our future stars.
Further staff announcements will follow. Players of age are reminded to register for trials, being held in September via this link.
