Fastpitch Ireland and Decker Sports USA (“Decker”) are proud to announce a new partnership agreement under which Decker will provide fully customised uniforms, apparel, gear and training products to all of Fastpitch Ireland national and representative teams. The partnership marks Decker’s first agreement with an international team and signifies the beginning of Decker’s global expansion.

As part of the agreement, all Fastpitch Ireland players, coaches and fans will also be provided exclusive access to Decker’s ProShop, or fanwear store, as well as the Direct to Player (“D2P”) program, which offers head-to-toe customised uniforms and apparel delivered directly to player’s doors, eliminating the need for any face-to-face interaction, and streamlining the overall uniform and apparel ordering process.

Fastpitch Ireland is excited to announce Decker Sports as our Official Kit Partner from the 2022 season onwards. Decker has a great reputation in the softball world. We look forward to being the first team to wear Decker Sports clothing and equipment in international competition. We are delighted to feature Decker Products as we travel around the world moving forward. Fastpitch Ireland and Decker will be an amazing partnership ensuring our players have the highest-level products as they represent our country!

Melanie Cunningham, Fastptich Ireland Director of Fastpitch & National Teams Head Coach

Decker is honored to partner with the staff and players of Fastpitch Ireland. We look forward to providing a one-of-a-kind experience to the Fastpitch Ireland program and creating a new standard for the international softball industry – customized uniforms and apparel inspired by the female athlete and developed exclusively with the female athlete in mind.

We firmly believe this partnership will help further develop Fastpitch Ireland’s dream of growing the sport and encouraging young female adults to find a sport for life in the game of softball and feel proud to wear the green of Ireland.

Joshua Pollack, VP of Sales at Decker Sports USA

About Decker Sports USA:

Decker Sports USA, based in Omaha, NE, was founded in 1994 from a game of catch between three brothers in their parent’s backyard using a small, toy baseball.  The brothers realized it was much more difficult to catch, throw and hit a small ball as compared to a regular sized baseball.  With this concept of training, Decker Sports USA was born.  After successfully selling to Major League Baseball as well as high schools and colleges across the globe, Decker set out to create a one-of-a-kind experience for all the diamond sports athletes through customization, convenience, and value in its pursuit of inspiring the human in the athlete.

To coincide with St. Patricks Day and our announcement of Decker Sports as our Official Kit Partner, Fastpitch Ireland have today announced the “Become The Shamrock” fundraising campaign.

“Become The Shamrock” provides 100 individuals/families and businesses the opportunity your name printed tone on tone on the body of a limited edition Ireland jersey and within the shamrock on the front of the jersey which will be worn by the team during the opening games of the Women’s European Championships and Under-22 European Championships in 2022. This unique opportunity is limited to 100 names only for a Donation of US$250 per name.

The Irish Senior and Under-22 Women’s Fastpitch Softball Teams will be representing Ireland at the Women’s European Championships in Spain in July 2022 and the Under 22 European Championships in Czech Republic in June 2022. The Irish Women’s teams are 100% self-funded and proceeds from this unique and limited opportunity to have your name on an Irish National Team jersey to be worn in competitive internationals will be used to offset players costs.

The team will proudly wear your name and embrace your support as we push for a gold medal. By choosing to “Become The Shamrock”, you will:
The team will proudly wear your name and embrace your support as we push for a gold medal. By choosing to “Become The Shamrock”, you will:
– Have your name printed tone on tone on the the limited edition jersey
– Have your name printed as part of the Shamrock on front of the the limited edition jersey
– Receive a limited edition replica jersey with your name as part of the Shamrock (only 100 will be made)
– Receive a certificate of authenticity
– Receive a photo of the team wearing the jersey
– Sponsorship donations made in the USA are tax deductible as Fastpitch Ireland is a registered US NGO (501c3).

To reserve your name on the Team Ireland jersey, please click the link below and you will be brought to the registration form:

Fastpitch Ireland, the governing body for Fastpitch Softball in Ireland, has rebranded with a new identity created by Amy White.

The new identity sees the previous pitcher in a homeplate logo replaced with a stylised homeplate, a softball and incorporating the shamrock while keeping the green colour scheme from the outgoing identity.

Fastpitch Ireland describes the new look as “a modernised and progressive logo… the shape of the home plate enclose the logo and uses the softball as the centre point and using the shamrock as a secondary point of interest. The colour palette looks at more muted tones of the tricolour to give it a more sophisticated look and feel.”

Fastpitch Ireland have also updated and re-imagined the National Team logo which will launch on team uniforms, training kit and fanware from today. The updated national team logo takes the home plate used in softball and combines the typeface and shamrock within it. The shamrock is a nod to the previous logo and gives the previous logo a fresh, modern look and feel. The colour palette is taken from the tricolours and updated and fresh with a bold and modern font.

“Supported by a distinctive, optimistic and progressive new brand together with clear values to create opportunities for girls and women of all ages to play softball in Ireland, Fastpitch Ireland collectively has the ingredients and tools to do just that. We want everyone to feel connected with the sport and Fastpitch Ireland’s ongoing success story. Our new brand certainly stands out and enables us to promote our sport in a way that will be more appealing and impactful to the sport’s growing Irish playing and fan base.”

Melanie Cunningham, Director of Fastpitch & WNT Head Coach

Fastpitch Ireland have announced the appointment of Sinead O’Leary as Strength & Conditioning Coach. Sinead will support the Director of Fastpitch, Melanie Cunningham, through creating and implementing a strength & conditioning programme for all levels of Fastpitch Softball in Ireland.

Sinead, who has a degree in Exercise and Health Fitness from the University of Limerick, will bring knowledge and guidance to the national team programmes in particular as they build towards key tournaments in 2022.

Sinead is a current member of the Women’s National Softball Team representing Ireland at the highest level in Europe whilst also winning a bronze U22 European Championship medal in 2018. Sinead is also a talented multi-sport athlete playing soccer, camogie, gymnastics, badminton, rugby and tennis at a high level.

Speaking on the appointment of Sinead, Director of Fastpitch in Ireland, Melanie Cunningham said:

We are delighted to appoint Sinead as our Strength & Conditioning Coach. Core fitness, preparation and recovery are key elements of successful teams and I look forward to working with Sinead to put plans in place that will ensure the Irish national teams are prepared appropriately to peak at major tournaments. Sinead not only adds her considerable strength & conditioning knowledge to our programme but she also adds an in-depth knowledge of what is needed by a player to perform successfully at the top level of Softball. I am also delighted that Sinead will not only help Ireland off the field to prepare for tournaments but she will also continue as a player on the field as we seek to qualify for the 2023 Softball World Cup.

Following her appointment as Strength & Conditioning Coach, Sinead O’Leary said:

I have always had an interest in sport and played a number of sports as I grew up. As I got older I was introduced to softball and I instantly connected with it and I have been lucky enough to play at two European Championships with the WNT, making great friends along the way. Due to my love for sport, I wanted to work in the sector and having earned a degree in Exercise and Health Fitness from UL, I look forward working with Women’s National Softball Teams to share what I have learned in my career to my role in Strength and Conditioning in Fastpitch Ireland and to help the players perform to their best.

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Fastpitch (Softball) Ireland are delighted to announce the launch of the Munster Softball Academy with an Introduction to Softball Session for girls aged ideally between 12 and 16 in the Munster Region. The session will be held indoors on Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 1.30pm at Nemo Ranger GAA Club Facilites.

The session will be hosted by the Irish Women’s National Team Head Coach Melanie Cunningham together with Munster Development Officer Cindy McGrellis and other National Team Coaches focussing on introducing players to Softball and teaching some basic skills.

Speaking on the planned day, Melanie Cunningham said ”Following on from the success of launching our Dublin Junior Academy in May 2021, the aim of the session is to show an alternative pathway for girls to continue in sport and to hopefully introduce new girls to our sport. We are excited to introduce girls to this fun Olympic sport and we are hoping that we get a great turnout on the day, everybody is welcome!”

Fastpitch Ireland will provide players with all equipment required on the day. The session will be run in accordance with COVID-19 Sporting Conditions.

If you have any questions about the session, please do not hesitate to contact Cindy McGrellis [cindy@fastpitchsoftball.ie].

Fastpitch Ireland have announced the appointment of Cindy McGrellis as its Fastpitch Softball Munster Development Officer. Cindy will support the Director of Fastpitch, Melanie Cunningham, in the creation and running of the Munster Softball Academy.

The Munster Softball Academy will launch with an Introduction to Softball Session for girls aged ideally between 12 and 16 years old on Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 1.30pm at the Nemo Ranger GAA Club facilities.

Cindy has a wealth of Fastpitch Softball experiecne and played for the Kempton Park Red Sox Softball club and the Easterns Softball Provincial team in her native South Africa and was short listed for the South African Softball Squad prior to moving to Ireland. Since arriving in Ireland, Cindy has joined the Fastpitch Ireland national league, winning the championship in its inaugural season. Cindy is also a member of the Cork Cosmos Baseball Club.

Speaking on the appointment of Cindy, Director of Fastpitch in Ireland Melanie Cunningham said:

We are delighted to appoint Cindy as our Development Officer for the Munster Region. The growth of softball across the whole island of Ireland is the primary objective of our sport and the appointment of Cindy shows our commitment to growing girls softball in the Munster region. We want to show girls that there are other team sports available to them in Ireland and to provide an alternative pathway for girls to continue in sport and to hopefully introduce new girls to our wonderful sport.

Following her appointment as Fastpitch Softball Munster Development Officer, Cindy McGrellis said

I have always been a lover of sports.  I enjoyed playing many different sports in my youth, ranging from Volleyball to Netball to Softball.  I started playing Softball at 13 years of age as the Catcher for my Secondary School team. I believe that everyone should have a sport or hobby that they are passionate about.  For me Softball is that sport. I look forward to working with Melanie to grow the sport in Munster in the coming years. As the famous quote says – Don’t play for the trophy or the fame. Play for the love of the game!

For further details on the Introduction to Softball Session for girls in the Munster Region click here

The launch of Junior Girls Softball during June and July has proven to be a great success. The objective of the summer camps was to attract girls aged between 10 and 17 to try softball over a number of free camps ran by WNT Head Coach Melanie Cunningham, her WNT Coaching Team and National Team Players. Additionaly, Softball Ireland partnered with Baseball Ireland to create a pathway for girls in their successfuly youth system to transtion into softball if they wished.

Four Camps have been held to date alternating between Marlay Park and Asbourne Baseball Centre with a strong turnout at each session. Following the next session on July 28, which will be held in Baseball Irelands New Strkezone facility, the programme will take a small break in August to facilitate holiday time before starting back in September.

If your daughter is interested in participating in the final session on July 28 or if you would like further in formation, please contact info@fastpitchsoftball.ie