Great Britain Softball Announces Roster For U-22 European Softball Championships
1 August 2024
Great Britain Women’s U-22 National Fastpitch Team Head Coach Tara Henry and the British Softball Federation have today announced the 14 players to represent Great Britain at the 2024 U-22 European Softball Championships in Kutno, Poland, from 5-11 August.
Great Britain, the 14th-ranked team in the WBSC KONAMI World Rankings, last played in the U22 European Championships in 2022, finishing in 9th place. Four players from the 2022 team – Molly Blackwood, Katie Burge, Jessica Chan, and Morgan Salmon - will return for this year’s European Championships, where they will be joined by 10 members of this year’s U18 team, who are coming off the 2024 WBSC U18 Softball World Cup Group A in Sao Paolo in July, where they advanced to the playoff round.
Athletes were selected per the 2024 British Softball Federation Women’s Performance Programme Selection Policy and Criteria. The 14 members of the roster are as follows, with their universities in brackets:
- Molly Blackwood (Bethune Cookman)
- Katie Burge (Central Florida)
- Abigail Chan*
- Jessica Chan (George Mason)
- Elena Clark-Wilson*
- Cara Edwards (Canisius)
- Kailyn Haig* (Adelphi)
- Amy Hartle*
- Mia Krueger (California Baptist)
- Mackenzie Langan (Central Michigan)
- Kaitlyn Parisi (Albany)
- Jenna Thompson*
- Morgan Salmon (Santa Clara)
- Tia Warsop (Oklahoma State)
*Uncommitted
Great Britain Head of Performance Gary Anderson commented, “The U22 European Championships is one of our milestone events this year, and an exciting opportunity to evaluate our players in high-level competition. With a very young roster, this year’s competition is a key part of our performance strategy as we build towards the LA28 games.
Great Britain Softball Olympic and U-22 Head Coach Tara Henry added, “The U22 European Championship is an exciting opportunity for our players and staff to gain valuable experience, develop their skills in a competitive environment, and build a strong foundation for the future of our senior women's team. This event allows us to cultivate young talent, providing them with the necessary exposure and preparation to excel at higher levels, while also enabling more time and cohesion with our Senior Women’s staff."
The coaching staff for the U-22 will be the same as the Senior coaching staff, and is as follows:
- Head Coach - Tara Henry
- Coach - Monti Van Brunt
- Hitting Coach – Lincoln Martin
- Pitching Coach - Pattie Ruth Taylor
- Head Athletic Trainer - Alan Dean
- Team Therapist – Katie Gould
- Team Operations Manager – Laura Hirai
- Performance Director – Gary Anderson
Follow the Great Britain U-22 Women’s Team on social media @GBWomenSoftball on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and on the British Softball Federation website, britishsoftball.org.