Dean Rice the man to take White Sox on new campaign

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 10/13/06 2:58:57 AM 
From:  Vance <vanf(at)ihug.co.nz> 

 
Subject:  Dean Rice the man to take White Sox on new campaign
 
   

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Dean Rice the man to take White Sox on new campaign
Friday October 13th 2006

Today New Zealand Softball has announced the appointment of Dean
Rice ascoach of the New Zealand Community Trust White Sox. 

Auckland based Rice comes into the head White Sox coaching position
witha wealth of experience. As a player Rice represented the
Black Sox from1988 to 2000 winning two world championships gold
medals. Followingretirement as a player he took on the role of
White Sox assistant coachfrom 2002-05. 

New Zealand Softball board chairman Rex Capil says Rice was anoutstanding
candidate for the job given his experience as both a playerand
assistant coach. Capil added that he believes there are excitingtimes
ahead for the White Sox because of what Rice brings to the role
andespecially his reputation as an innovator. 

Rice, a father of three says the position of head coach for the
White Soxis one he has been considering since holding down the
role of assistantcoach to the team. 

“I was the assistant coach for a while and probably like a lot
of otherassistant coaches I want to see if I can make it as a
head coach and ifwhat I have to offer works,” said Rice. 

During his career Rice says he played under some very good coaches
andwas involved with some great players and learnt a lot from
all of themand will now be looking to bring it all together in
one package.

“I was fortunate over the years to play under some very good
coaches withMike Walsh being one of them,” said Rice.

Rice does not have much time to get settled into the new role
with theannouncement today that the 2008 Olympic qualifying series
for theAsia/Oceania region will be held in Chinese Taipei from
January 8th –12th. 

The new White Sox coach freely admits he has a tough job ahead
of him toget the team back into the top tier of the sport internationally
but itis not a task he is shying away from. 

“If the players turn up with an open mind and are prepared to
pushthemselves like they haven’t been pushed before and do everything
theypossibly can then I think we are good enough to be a competitiveinternational
team,” said Rice.
 
Rice fills the position formally held by Mike Walsh who had been
coach ofthe White Sox from 1998 through to the end of the 2006
WorldChampionships campaign in September.   

Capil says Walsh has made an outstanding contribution to the
sport sincestarting out on the international scene as coach of
the Black Sox in1981. He also says the decision to overlook Walsh
for the position was avery tough one however the board felt the
results of the White Sox inrecent seasons had not been as good
as hoped and it was time for somefresh ideas.

“It is a bitter-sweet decision for us because we are saying goodbye
to acoach who has made an incredible contribution to the game
in the last 20years, and we are promoting someone we see as an
exciting young coachingprospect,” said Capil 

Looking ahead to the new White Sox campaign Rice says he will
be lookingto work with the Softball NZ Board to confirm assistants
and managementpositions shortly while also naming his first White
Sox squad in the nextfew weeks. 


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:vanf(at)ihug.co.nz 

 

 Al's Fastball News
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   fastball at pmihrm.com
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