The WA Youth Women’s State Team won bronze at the 2024 Australian Youth Women’s Championship, bringing home the first medal for WA in the U16 Women’s Championships since 2016.
The coaching staff was pleased to see the team’s growth from the start of training in January to the national tournament in April.
“Watching how close the girls became as a group was the best part. I knew we had a very talented group of girls and to be honest, we weren’t far behind the gold and silver place winners,” Youth Head Coach Beyanka Girdlestone said.
“I believe the group bond is the biggest strength they have. We faced a couple of tough days but the bond between them all is what I believed help each other on and off the field. No one got left behind, no one got left out and everyone got around someone if they needed it.”
“All the girls I am having the opportunity to work with are very dedicated to what they would like to achieve and are willing to drive hard to achieve their goals. As long as they don’t lose the passion and hunger to get there, I believe they will achieve more than they realise.”
Madison White certainly enjoyed her AYWC experience.
“The best parts were seeing all of my friends from over east again and winning bronze. During the tournament, I learned that WA was the only state to walk around the umpire and get foul balls for the catcher,” Madison said. “My future goals would be to make the open’s team for WA and hopefully in the long run make an Emeralds squad.”
Bella Clarke also has dreams of playing for Australia, and representing her state is a great place to start.
“The highlight of the tournament would be the overall camaraderie shown by the whole team. Even when an error was made, someone always picked up the player and would encourage them,” Bella said.
“Everyone had good quality at-bats and made contact with the enthusiasm and energy shared throughout the team.”
Their shared dedication, commitment, and laughter made for a great time, even when one of their own couldn’t make the trip.
“Another highlight was with a sick player and having her as a cardboard cutout. The team really made the most of the situation, having fun and even making an Instagram account with players from different states following along. That will be something I will always remember from the tournament,” Bella added.
Perseverance and resilience were key lessons for the group.
“We faced tough challenges and setbacks, but we never gave up. We learned to stay focused, adapt to different game situations, and support each other as a team, especially from coming fifth last year to third this year, which is a huge improvement,” Bella said. “The most important lesson I learnt from the tournament was the value of sportsmanship and camaraderie, building connections with players from other teams and experiencing the competitive spirit in a respectful way.”
Golden Bat winner Shenaye Lett batted 529 average with 9 hits and 8 RBI, leading the comp in quality at-bats and extra-base hits. Despite missing three months of the season with a broken wrist and only coming back a couple of weeks before the trip, she was ready to shine.
“Being the Golden Bat winner isn’t really something I can quite describe. It feels rewarding but also makes me want to work even harder,” Shenaye said. “I just wanted to go to Melbourne and play for my team and represent Western Australia. Baseball is a team sport and everyone plays a role, so even the smallest of things I could do to help out my team was my main focus.”
“I’ve worked numerous hours rebuilding my swing with women’s head coach Kurt Russell, so to see the hours of work pay off was the most rewarding feeling. Even without being named Golden Bat, I was fortunate enough for my opportunities on the diamond with my team.”
Shenaye learned that every pitch, every hit, every second matters.
“One second you may be standing still and the next you are in a rundown or could be the person making a double play. Each second of the game requires attention and players have to be on the same page.”
She is thrilled to see the growth in women’s baseball as the sport gets the recognition it deserves.
“The best parts for me were spending a whole week with my teammates and friends from around the country but also seeing the talent other states had to offer. From girls I’ve been playing against for years to the girls whom I have never met before, everyone had a goal in mind and fought hard each and every game,” Shenaye added.
“My all-time favourite moment from AYWC 2024 was meeting two of my idols: Genevieve Beacom (one World Cup) and Amy McCann (six World Cups). After the first game of the tournament, both players came up to me to chat about the game and my performance.”
“The next day, Gen asked me for my signature which was a first for me, let alone it be from history maker Gen Beacom. I was even asked to sign a ball for Amy McCann after being presented the Golden Bat award in front of the whole tournament of players and supporters. A quick shaky signature and a chat after the presentation left me with a memory I will never forget.”
Photos: Trent Schwarz/Baseball.com.au