Performance
Baseball Softball UK Performance is dedicated to supporting the athletes in the sports of Baseball and Softball, the Youth Olympic discipline of Baseball 5 and the continued development of the Para versions of both sports with the objective to win medals at the highest level.
The BSUK Performance Programme aims to work with the two National Federations of British Baseball and British Softball to give strategic performance direction to the Senior National Team programmes.
"Performance to date"
Baseball
GBR Senior Men's Baseball - The GB team qualified for the World Baseball Classic for the first time in September 2022, and made their debut in March 2023, winning their first-ever game against Colombia, giving Great Britain automatic qualification for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Great Britain Baseball;'s last competition was the European Baseball Championship in Czechia, where GBR won silver for the second time in programme history. GB is currently ranked 18th in the world in Men's Baseball per the WBSC world rankings, and second in Europe.
Softball
GBR Senior Women's Fastpitch - GBR came second at the 2022 European Softball Championships, and played in Pool A of the Softball World Cup in Ireland in July 2023, finishing third in the pool and ninth overall. GB is currently the 13th-ranked team in the world following the latest WBSC world rankings, and second in Europe. The GBR Senior Team will next play at the 2024 European Softball Championship from 1-8 September in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Our Training Facilities
The National Baseball & Softball Complex at Farnham Park
The only multifield, purpose-built baseball and softball complex in the UK is Farnham Park National Baseball & Softball Complex. The facility, which is owned and run by BaseballSoftballUK, was built in 2013 and presently has three softball/youth baseball diamonds in addition to two fields that can be used for both baseball and softball. The facility's clubhouse and pub is the on-site Home Plate Bar & Kitchen, which is situated by the entrance. The GB Softball National Team programme uses Farnham Park as their national training facility.
Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre
Part of Sport England's national strategy to create world-class sporting talent Bisham Abbey is one of three National Sports Centres providing elite athletes with a range of specialist facilities, equipment, expertise and residential accommodation suitable for training and competition. integral to the GB Softball and Baseball National Teams training programme each year Bisham provides everything needed for success in sport on and off the field
Our Vision and Purpose, Objectives and Values
Vision
To create a world class environment where a players and teams can excel and inspiring success at all levels.
Develop an inspired performance community delivering unprecedented success.
To build a culture, a system and a sense of team, working together to provide players with outstanding experiences.
Our Purpose
To enable athletes to achieve excellence and ultimately win Continental, World, Olympic and Paralympic Medals.
To enable athletes to be the best prepared, technically, tactically mentally and physically that they can be.
Our Values
Every person in our system matters.
We will build a culture that is athlete centred, and offers support to all of our people based upon their individual needs.
We understand that an athlete’s development and performance will depend upon their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, and that medals are an outcome of a system that prioritises looking after athletes as people first.
Striving for excellence
We will set and expect high standards of athletes, coaches and practitioners as they strive towards success on the world stage. We will focus on continual growth and improvement, creating a desire for continual improvement and learning through the sharing of knowledge, expertise and philosophies.
Always with Integrity
Our culture will be built on the foundations of mutual trust, respect, honesty and transparency.
Always with integrity
Stronger together
There will be a strong sense of team and community, where volunteers, clubs, coaches and support staff work together in an inclusive, open and collaborative partnership, aligned behind a long-term strategic vision for the sports.
These Values define how we go about our business throughout the performance department at BSUK, applying equally to athletes, coaches, staff, committee members and volunteers.
We want to inspire individuals to be the best they can be and this starts by putting our athlete’s right at the heart of everything we do.
Performance
1. To be in the medal zone at Olympic, World and European events.
2. To have a cohort of home-grown Academy athletes and players in the performance pathway that could sustain the medal zone objectives beyond 2028 in European, World and Olympic events
System
3. To establish an integrated performance pathway that allows the appropriate development of talent.
4. To develop the capacity of BSUK and the sports to lead and administer effective performance programme responsibilities, that will uphold high standards of integrity, and engage in regular and effective evaluation to drive continuous improvement.
5. To have a world-class talent search and scouting network that ensures that GBR has the abilities and preparedness to compete at the highest level internationally.