Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Softball South Africa (SSA's) senior coaches Tommy Kgomo and Colin Stevens reckon the International Softball Federation (ISF's) advanced course they attended in Italy has improved their knowledge of the ball game.

They were speaking to Sowetan yesterday after their return from a 10-day course which ISF held in conjunction with the Italian International Coaching College.

The course was attended by 45 national coaches from countries such as Belgium, Croatia, Germany, the United States, Austria and France.

Kgomo and Stevens were the only coaches from Africa who attended the course.

"It was a beneficial course and I don't regret attending it," said Kgomo, who is the coach of the men's Simunye, the country's senior national team.

"The course focused on things like defending and attacking and also on how to register a run under difficult situations. It also focused on fast pitching and we also attended theory and practical sessions."

Said Stevens: "It was a productive course and it was good that we were also given an opportunity to practise what we learnt during theory sessions."

Kgomo will attend the yearly Gordon Monk Tournament that pitched off in Kempton Park from Friday to yesterday.

This is one of the national tournaments Kgomo will attend as he tries to assemble a squad for the 2009 World Championships in Canada.