Talent ID System

Talent ID System

It was apparent that the need existed for a formal reporting system that identified softball players with talent. The talent identification database was created in 2007 using Access Database.

The objective behind the scheme was to be able to provide National Team Coaches with information pertaining to potential players they may wish to consider for selection in New Zealand teams. National coaches are provided with a brief on recommendations and key things to consider when reading the material. It is the intent over time to build a “picture” of the achievements of our youth players from all age groups. The primary target groups are the Junior World Series U19 players and the NZ Development Teams.

TID Information is invited and received from selectors, coaches, regional game development officers and associations. A TID profile form is completed and summarised information is transferred to the access database.

Requests for TID information are communicated in the following ways:

• ENews
• Website
• Coaching Matters
• National Tournament Managers Meetings
• Association News
• From selected Softball “experts”

Updated reports are circulated to all national coaches twice a year. The reports can be filtered in many ways. The most common reports are as follows:

• Male/Female Alpha
• Male/Female by Association
• Male/Female by Position
• Male/Female year of birth
• JWS 2011, 2012 & 2015 (3 reports)
• JBS 2012, 2014, 2016 (3 reports)

Associations are asked to provide information on the perceived potential of their representative coaches. The form is simple and merely requires a tick on the following standards:

• Provincial Youth
• Provincial Open
• National FastPitch
• International Development Youth
• International Youth
• International Open 

National Tournament Selectors are provided with selector’s guidelines to assist with tournament team and individual award selections. All players selected for these teams & individual awards go on the TID database. 

Age Grade Tournament Selectors are voluntary positions that require people to commit to 4-5 full days of intense scrutiny of players. Generally people are selected from the region that the tournament is being held to keep costs to a minimum. We are very appreciative of the efforts of this group of people.

We are completely reliant on “personal observations and opinions” of the coaches & selectors who have provided information for this database.
Some comments made on players can be “sensitive”. As such, the database information is only made available to national coaches.

Representative and club coaches are invited to submit views on their players. This year we have received more information than ever following the 2011 age grade tournaments. This is a real positive.

As costs involved do not allow for junior player trials to be held, the New Zealand Development Teams have been selected largely from information on the TID database. The results from the first NZ Development Team selected in 2008 have been remarkably accurate as most players have been retained in the current Junior Black & White Sox squads. The value of the NZ Junior Sox programme, the NZ Talent Development Teams and the associated talent identification database should not be underestimated.

If you wish to receive a TID template please contact Naomi, naomi@softball.org.nz