Head Coach Reference:
To whom it may concern,
Jamie was selected from the 2016 U19 Australian Championships into the Junior Aussie Spirit squad to
participate in a 3-day camp and 5-day tournament as part of the International Friendship Series held at
Blacktown International Sports Park between 1 – 8 July 2016.
The squad was split into two teams for the series and Jamie was a member of the Australia Green team
of which I was the Head Coach. The team finished second in the competition behind Australia Gold
who won the tournament.
Jamie performed well throughout the series predominantly playing 2B and with some innings at 3B and
in left field. A summary of her performance is below:
Very coachable athlete who engages with the learning process and takes on feedback really well.
Has leadership skills and when she felt comfortable within the environment she started to use these
more regularly and confidently on the diamond to hold others accountable and share her knowledge.
Hitting - Finished with a batting average over 500 and won the Tournament Best Batter award. She
consistently produced hits with runners in scoring position (total 8-RBI’s for the tournament). Very
good in the clutch situations for the team. For example against New Zealand in the bottom of the 7th
with the score tied 5-5 and runner on 2nd she came up with the walk off double to win the game.
Base running – Home to 1st on average 2.84 seconds and Home to 2nd on average 5.94 seconds. Whilst
not super quick runs to her speed well and gets the job done.
Defensively – still learning situational positioning but makes adjustments quickly and doesn’t have to
be reminded again if the same situation comes up. Solid glove work and throwing technique and
although she didn’t get many plays throughout the week she made the plays she had to make in pressure
situations.
Overall a good team member who across the tournament took the opportunity to build relationships
with her team mates and coaching staff that ensured she was valued by all as an integral member of the
team.
To top off the week Jamie was selected as the Designated Player in the All-Tournament Team.
From my brief experience of coaching Jamie at the International Friendship Series I would have no
hesitation in highly recommending her as an athlete who would enhance any team she plays on and will
whole-heartedly embrace the opportunities awarded to her.
Regards
Chantelle James
Head Coach 2016 IFS – Australia Green Team