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JUNIOR WHITE SOX CONFIRM KANSAS (USA) TOUR JUNE 2023

The JWSX management team are extremely excited to have been invited to the Top Gun Invitational Tournament in Kansas City in June with the tournament being touted as one of the big showcase tournaments in the USA. The JWSX will field teams in the 18U and 16U age grade brackets with an expected 250 teams in attendance. Coach Kiri Shaw, says, "this will be a phenomenal experience for 30 of our best players across these age groups".
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Shaw is under no illusion that the JWSX have a lot of work to do in their preparation for the Kansas City tournament and subsequent games in California. "You would have to say, American girls’ softball is the best in the world and we are lucky enough to get this opportunity to see and compete against the best. I hope our players are going to come away from this tour with lots of learnings in terms of the players and the teams we will come up against, how they carry themselves, the attitude they take on the field, their level of skill. This whole experience is going to be massive, I can't think of anything better than throwing ourselves into the firing line, so to speak, as we look for players that are 'up for it', mentally, physically and as team members, for our ever important regional qualifier in 2024".

"With the 18U team we have mostly gone with experience combined with some younger players. A lot of the players in the 18U team were in the first team we took to Australia in July in 2022. This team exceeded our expectations, coming together both on and off the diamond and consequently they played some really good ball against some pretty good women's competition. We are going to need that experience and level headedness in the 18U age bracket given that we expect opposing teams to be littered with college prospects.”

"With the 16U team, some of the player selections have not solely been about ability, rather attributes we like ie power, speed, potential, we want to see what these players can add to an offensive or defensive game plan. I'm really excited to see how these younger players respond to the challenges this tournament and tour will provide them."

Non travelling reserves and a wider training squad have also been named. Coach Shaw wants to reinforce that the door is not shut on future selection for players not named in these two groups. The domestic 2023/24 season is going to be a big one.

18U Team
Charlotte Graham (North Harbour), Innika Hapuku-Lambert, Skylahbreeze Joyce, Ellazay Utanga-Fletcher, Jade Calverly (Auckland), Penny Starr (Counties), Mesha Shaw-Wallace, Raine Menzies, Rylee Watt (Hutt Valley) Maiarangi Waipara (Wellington), McKenzie Bailey-McDowell, Caitlin Henderson, Kaiyah Ratu, Sophie Yarham, Sydelle Sipiki-Samuelu (Canterbury)

Non Travelling Reserves
Eden Jennings-Netzler (Auckland), Sierra Tai (Hutt Valley), Trinity Mackley-Flutey (Canterbury), Anahera Wilson (Southland)

16U Team
Clover Alapaki, Waimarie Tawera (Auckland), Deija Perkinson, Iris Feng (Counties), Wikitoria Tamati (Hawkes Bay) Maysen Kurene-Iwikau, Bailey Symons, Matangihau Nuku, Aayla Toman, Emily McCormick (Hutt Valley), Maddison Parsons, Katerina Sumner (Canterbury), Tyla Pita-Kani, Siobhan Bolger, Nahlia Tagatauli-Tolova’a (Wellington)

Non Travelling Reserves
Chrysta Lockington-Marsters (Counties), Jess Wairau (Wellington), Shyla de Latour (Canterbury)

Wider Training Squad
Abigail Church (North Harbour), Ava Prescott, Payton Hiraka, Hayley Abbot, Rianna Hill, Sian Marsters (Auckland), Chrysta Lockington-Marsters, Oliana-Pearl Hesp, Savannah-Lee Farrar (Counties), Ashlee Hatzen (Manawatu), Meagan Stokes, Aria Webster-Pahina, Maggie Shields, Angela Harrison, Jayda Rangatihi-Walters (Hutt Valley), Jessica Wairau (Wellington) Shyla de Latour (Canterbury), Teremaia Johnson, Nikiah Rouse (Southland)