Baseball Queensland is excited to join fellow States in announcing the launch of a new event for youth female participants. State and Territory Associations have been invited to enter up to two teams in the 2022 Barclay Cup, which will take place at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club on the Gold Coast from 25 September through 1 October 2022.
A combined group of State participation managers created the Barclay Cup as a brand new national event for youth girls in honour of Jacinda Barclay, who sadly passed away in 2020.
Jacinda’s mother, Deb Barclay, says her daughter would be so proud of this tournament and the continued success of women’s baseball in Australia.
“Jacinda lived her life with an open heart. She would be tickled pink and absolutely humbled by this auspicious honour bestowed upon her. Jacinda always strived to inspire girls and women from all walks of life to participate in one of the sports she loved, that being baseball.”
“What made a tournament stand out next to none for her was the desire to challenge yourself, weaving in camaraderie, friendships and creating incredible memories. Something Jacinda would live by is it’s better to look back on life and say, ‘I can’t believe I did that’ than to look back and say, ‘I wish I did that'”.
Rather than a state team v state team event, this tournament will encourage participation by welcoming multiple teams from each state depending on interest levels – each State and Territory Association is invited to send two teams.
State participation managers are working to confirm the finer details, however the total cost per player is expected to fall within the $300-$400 range (plus uniforms). Coaching staff and training schedules will be confirmed in the coming months, too.
All female players who are currently League Age 13 through 16yo are eligible. Each State/Territory will seek expression of interest to participate. We will communicate directly with those who have registered, including information on tryouts.
“This is an exciting opportunity to provide more female youth participation opportunities while honouring an exceptional international athlete in Jacinda Barclay,” Baseball Queensland CEO Gareth Jones said. “We hope this event inspires and engages the next generation of female athletes and contributes to a bright future for women’s baseball.”
