Officials from Region Flock to Hong Kong for WBSC Baseball Technical Officials Seminars
The Seminars is organized by World Baseball Softball Confederation ("WBSC"), hosted by Hong Kong Baseball Association and subvented by Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the WBSC Baseball Technical Officials Seminars took place in Hong Kong during the Easter holiday with resounding success, affording Asian tournament officials a wonderful opportunity to take in the latest tournament management skills.
Baseball veteran James Baba was once again assigned by the WBSC to be in charge of the Technical Commissioner Seminar. Baba voiced his satisfaction on the students’ performance during the class. “The students were constantly asking questions throughout the course, which showed that they were interested in the course itself and that was a good sign. Compared to last year, the students were better prepared for it this time and were subsequently more enthusiastic about the whole clinic,” said Baba.
Narelle Gosstray, who once led Team Australia in the Phoenix Cup, acknowledged she gained a lot from the Technical Commissioner Seminar. “I picked up a lot of new knowledge from the past few days regarding tournament management. Even if there were a few things that are pretty common sense stuffs, it really made you pay attention to the finer details inside and outside the baseball field,” Gosstray shared.
Together with fellow veteran umpire Takeshi Hirabayashi, experienced umpire Gustavo Rodriguez returned to Hong Kong to be in charge of the Umpire Seminar. Rodriguez spoke about his delight on seeing his students applying their new knowledge in a scrimmage. “The students performed admirably during the course and I am quite surprised by their standards, especially behind the home plate,” Rodriguez mentioned. “I am also very happy to see the students showcasing what they have learnt during a live game. After all, it is one thing to listen to all the theories in the classroom and it is another thing to utilize them on the field.”
Local umpire Huen Kun Chi Leonard believes the Umpire Seminar can serve as a great refresher for umpires like himself. “A lot of the course materials are pretty much the same as before. However, we also touched on several of the recent rule updates. In addition, the instructors also went through several unique situations with us on the baseball field, which should greatly benefit us when we are umpiring in the local leagues,” said Huen.
Spanish instructor Pablo Carpio was responsible for the Scoring Seminar. The Spaniard wanted to leave his protégés with one last piece of useful advice. “I realize a lot of the students hail from different countries during the course, and some of them come from countries with a strong baseball background, with their own set of scoring system. However, if they want to participate and work in future WBSC tournaments, they should always be mindful of the WBSC scoring system and practicing it regularly,” offered Carpio.
Beverley McCabe came all the way from New Zealand for the Scoring Seminar and shed light on the course materials. “It is a very good course as we touched on various parts of a scorer’s job, from the scoring mechanism, usage of the symbols and also the recent rule changes concerning the scorers,” McCabe revealed.
Text and Images: Graeme Chan
More Photos on HKBA Facebook
Baseball veteran James Baba was once again assigned by the WBSC to be in charge of the Technical Commissioner Seminar. Baba voiced his satisfaction on the students’ performance during the class. “The students were constantly asking questions throughout the course, which showed that they were interested in the course itself and that was a good sign. Compared to last year, the students were better prepared for it this time and were subsequently more enthusiastic about the whole clinic,” said Baba.Narelle Gosstray, who once led Team Australia in the Phoenix Cup, acknowledged she gained a lot from the Technical Commissioner Seminar. “I picked up a lot of new knowledge from the past few days regarding tournament management. Even if there were a few things that are pretty common sense stuffs, it really made you pay attention to the finer details inside and outside the baseball field,” Gosstray shared.
Together with fellow veteran umpire Takeshi Hirabayashi, experienced umpire Gustavo Rodriguez returned to Hong Kong to be in charge of the Umpire Seminar. Rodriguez spoke about his delight on seeing his students applying their new knowledge in a scrimmage. “The students performed admirably during the course and I am quite surprised by their standards, especially behind the home plate,” Rodriguez mentioned. “I am also very happy to see the students showcasing what they have learnt during a live game. After all, it is one thing to listen to all the theories in the classroom and it is another thing to utilize them on the field.”
Local umpire Huen Kun Chi Leonard believes the Umpire Seminar can serve as a great refresher for umpires like himself. “A lot of the course materials are pretty much the same as before. However, we also touched on several of the recent rule updates. In addition, the instructors also went through several unique situations with us on the baseball field, which should greatly benefit us when we are umpiring in the local leagues,” said Huen.
Spanish instructor Pablo Carpio was responsible for the Scoring Seminar. The Spaniard wanted to leave his protégés with one last piece of useful advice. “I realize a lot of the students hail from different countries during the course, and some of them come from countries with a strong baseball background, with their own set of scoring system. However, if they want to participate and work in future WBSC tournaments, they should always be mindful of the WBSC scoring system and practicing it regularly,” offered Carpio.
Beverley McCabe came all the way from New Zealand for the Scoring Seminar and shed light on the course materials. “It is a very good course as we touched on various parts of a scorer’s job, from the scoring mechanism, usage of the symbols and also the recent rule changes concerning the scorers,” McCabe revealed.
Text and Images: Graeme Chan
More Photos on HKBA Facebook
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