Shot in arm for baseball, softball youths

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Baseball and Softball Association (TaBSA) is embarking on an impactful project to support young players and build a solid foundation for the sport in Tanzania.

The project is aimed at training the youth under 18, who will later form the national baseball team, and prepare them for continental and global competitions, such as the Youth Baseball 5 World Cup and the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics.

To better reach out to young talents, TaBSA had organized a two-day training camp for primary and secondary school teachers in the country.

The training took place recently at Kibaha Secondary School and received positive feedback from Grace Buretha, the Regional Sports Officer for Pwani.

She applauded TaBSA’s efforts to prepare teachers who would be able to teach the game in schools and the primary objective of the training is to develop a strong national baseball team that will compete and excel in upcoming competitions.

The training sessions have reached both primary and secondary levels teachers. They plan to select teachers who excel in these training sessions to come to Dar es Salaam in January for further extensive training, which will enable them to transfer knowledge to most schools in the country.

The sessions will also aid in talent scouting within schools as the training is geared towards grassroots development.

Andrea D’Auria, the Baseball 5 Coach, highlighted that baseball 5 is a team-spirited sport that requires effective communication among players to win.

Teaching baseball 5 to teachers will help them better understand the dynamics of the game and foster teamwork, cooperation, trust, and coordination.

D’Auria emphasized that these skills extend beyond the baseball field and have practical applications in the classroom.

“Teachers who understand the value of teamwork can impart these lessons to their students, improving the overall classroom environment and enhancing students’ ability to work together.”

Finally, D’Auria concluded by stating that these training sessions will greatly benefit Tanzania in achieving its goals of creating a national under-18 baseball 5 team and making early preparations for the Olympic competitions.