There are only four months until the next Men's Softball World Championship and the Black Sox are ensuring they're ready for the upcoming challenge.
“We've had a few training camps over the last few months,” says Black Sox captain Nathan Nukunuku, “The boys went over to Prague last year so the majority of those boys are involved with the team. We've got a few characters in this side, they've bonded really quickly.”
Coach Mark Sorenson knows what it takes to be a champion as a coach and a player. In 1996, 2000 and 2004 he captained the national squad to become world champions.
“We always have a responsibility for the future to get the guys some exposure, whether it be me or whoever...so there will be some conditioned and prepared athletes that are ready now and some might be ready down the track,” says Sorenson.
Nukunuku has returned from his break to ensure he's ready to make the world championships in Prague, the first time the event will take place in Europe.
“That's a reason why I came back,” says Nukunuku, “I’ve never played over there, I didn’t go there last year and everything that I’ve heard from the boys is that it’s a fun place to play...it’s a growing place for the sport over there, it’s starting to blow up, so to have a world champs over there and to take part in that event itself, it’s going to be a special thing for softball.”
The competition will be held on the 13th to the 23rd of June.