Softball New Zealand is delighted to announce the appointment of the following staff to complete the Under 23 Major White Sox Coaching and Management team, who will be working alongside head coach Kiri Shaw in preparations for their first tour at the Canada Cup this July. KURTIS TOMKINS as Assistant Coach, CRAIG GIBSON as Battery Coach, MEGAN MUIR as Team Manager and LYNNETTE LEATHART as Scorer.

Assistant Coach, Kurtis Tomkins, has previously been involved with the national pathway as head coach of the New Zealand U-17 Emerging Sox and assistant coach of the 2023 Junior Black Sox World Cup team. A player himself in the North Harbour NFC men, he is also the Player Development Officer for the association while coaching the Roosters Premier Women. He said - "I am excited to working with this group of talented players from across the country, and be a part of their journey towards future success representing New Zealand"

Having recently returned from time in Australia, Craig Gibson returns to home soil to fill the role of Battery Coach for the U-23 Major Sox. Gibson spent most of his playing career competing in Wellington, with stints to North America, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge from his time on the mound. On his appointment, he states “It's an honour to be involved with a sport with rich history and a promising future, I'm pleased to be able to share and contribute to the promotion of our athletes and program for future success”

Megan Muir has been involved with softball in Hutt Valley for many years and currently holds the secretarial position for Hutt City United Softball Club whilst also managing the St Pats Silverstream secondary schools team. On her appointment to the MJSX, she said “I am really excited to be managing the Under 23 White Sox team. Alongside my extensive project coordination experience, I bring my passion for the game to this role. I can’t wait to get started and am looking forward to working closely with Kiri, Softball New Zealand and these talented athletes to provide a supportive and successful environment”.

Having been involved with softball since she was six years old, Lynnette Leathart rounds out the appointments and brings with her a wealth of knowledge with her as team scorer. She said "It’s a great honour to be appointed team scorer for the U23 White Sox. I played a player for forty plus years during which I also represented Auckland and also coached both premier teams and Auckland rep teams. I received my scorers badge in 1988 and once my playing career was over I took up scoring full time. I have had the privilege of being appointed to WBSC world Series in 2020 as an official Scorer and 2022 as a Technical Commissioner. I would like to thank my family and the wider softball community for their support over many years and I look forward to working with Kiri and the management team to help these young athletes achieve their goals"

We are excited to welcome Kurtis, Craig, Megan and Lynnette to the Women's MSX staff roster, where they will work alongside head coach Kiri Shaw to lead our future White Sox athletes.

You can view the full release on the Softball New Zealand Facebook Page here
 

Article added: Thursday 10 April 2025