[Alsfastball] Kohlhase steps up to the plate

[Al Doran]

Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 11:34:05 +1200
To: "SNZ Media Release": ;
From: SNZ Web-master <snz-webm at ihug.co.nz>
Subject: Kohlhase steps up to the plate

Kohlhase steps up to the plate

Friday September 17th

Eddie Kohlhase has been appointed as head coach of the world champion New 
Zealand Community Trust Black Sox team.

Since 1998 Kohlhase has filled the role of assistant Black Sox coach with 
Don Tricker at the helm claiming world championship titles in 2000 and 2004.

After six years in the assistants position Kohlhase believes he is ready to 
take the next step and is excited at the prospect of leading the Black Sox 
to even further success.

"It is a huge honour, the Black Sox have been a big part of my life now for 
21 years and this is an opportunity to step up and perhaps take the team to 
a new level and keep them ahead of the rest of the world," said Kohlhase.

Softball is in the blood for Kohlhase having played the game since a child 
and loving it ever since. The Aucklander debuted for the New Zealand men's 
softball team in 1983 and attended three world championships picking up a 
gold and two silvers before retiring as a player in 1995. Earlier this year 
Kohlhase was inducted into the Softball New Zealand Hall of Fame for his 
services to the sport.

While the Black Sox have tasted great success in the past Kohlhase says the 
challenge will be to stay ahead of the competition. The 37-year-old father 
of two is expecting to retain a nucleus of around 10 players from the 2004 
world championship winning side and he says that is encouraging.

The long term goal for the Black Sox team will be the 2009 world 
championships and Kohlhase plans to spend the intervening years increasing 
the level and number of athletes to pick from.

"The Black Sox team that gets picked for the Pacific Cup Series next year 
will not be the reining world champions that was the 2004 team, we need to 
start again and that is the way we will be looking at it."

Kohlhase says past coaches of the Black Sox such as Don Tricker and Mike 
Walsh have left him with a great base to work from and now is the time to 
take it to the next level.

While there was great excitement with the announcement of the appointment 
Kohlhase says he was brought back down to earth quickly yesterday when his 
sons Joseph aged six and four-year-old James came down with chicken pox.

Going into the voluntary position Kohlhase says he is aware of the huge 
commitment involved for himself and his family including wife Amanda but 
says being appointed to the job is the pinnacle of his softball coaching 
career.

Softball New Zealand chief executive Hadyn Smith says Kohlhase brings a lot 
of experience to the position from his time both as a player and coach and 
has a clear vision of where he wants to take the Black Sox team.

"Eddie has a great professional attitude towards the Black Sox as a group 
and towards the Black Sox's status within Softball New Zealand.  His 
presentation to the selection panel was one of the most detailed and 
complete seen in our sport and reflects a maturity as a coach that will lay 
the foundations for 2009," said Smith.

Kohlhase was one of two very strong applicants interviewed for the position 
says Smith.

With the job of head Black Sox coach filled Smith says further positions 
such as that of Black Sox manager will be advertised shortly.


By SNZ Media Liaison: Kelly Mitchell
*  mailto:kelly.mitchell at xtra.co.nz

http://www.softball.org.nz/
* mailto:snz at softball.org.nz


Cheers Vance
Softball New Zealand web master.
*  mailto:snz-webm at ihug.co.nz


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