By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

OCEANIA Softball Federation development officer Andrew Purdon will be conducting a coaching clinic at San Vicente Elementary School this Friday in preparation for the PSS Interscholastic Fast-pitch Softball Tournament.
Purdon, who will be on island for three months to help the newly-formed CNMI Amateur Softball Association develop the sport in the NMI, said the clinic will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“It is open not only to teacher-coaches, but to all interested individuals,” Purdon said.
Purdon said he needs to meet with the teacher-coaches to prepare them and the student-athletes for the PSS softball tournament, which will be held in April.
“The tournament will start on April 23 and will run for two weeks. Basically, the clinic will help coaches determine their roles on the team and how they can prepare their players for the tournament,” Purdon said.
He said he is concentrating on fast-pitch softball, as he sees no future in slow-pitch.
“Our goal is to promote fast-pitch softball among the youth. If they excel in fast-pitch softball, they can go to the US, play in a college and get scholarships,” Purdon said.
Purdon said he will also set up a series of clinics for student-athletes.
He added that he is planning to go to Rota and Tinian to hold clinics and evaluate the islands’ softball programs.
“I am planning to make a schedule for each school. We have five to six weeks to prepare these kids for the tournament in April,” said Purdon, who met with teachers from various public schools last Monday.
“The teacher-coaches are very cooperative and we will work together to organize the boys and girls’ fast-pitch softball tournaments next month,” said Purdon, who was a softball coach in Australia.
Meanwhile, Purdon disclosed that OSC president Robert Steffy of Guam will arrive on Saipan this Friday to meet with CNMI ASA officials.
At the meeting, Steffy and CNMA ASA officials are expected to discuss the upcoming North Pacific Softball Championships, which will be held on Guam this year.
The top four teams in the North and the four best squads in the South Pacific Championships will then fight for the two slots in the 2008 Oceania Softball Championships.
The top two placers in the Oceania meet will gain slots in the World Championships in Canada in 2009.