Website: www.k2baseball.com
Email: [email protected]
Welcome to PONY Australia!
I would first like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Yoshihiro Nakamura and I reside in Melbourne, Australia. I have lived in Australia for the past 40 years. Baseball and Softball has always been a passion of mine so from the time my son, Micheal Nakamura, first decided that he wanted to play baseball at the age of 10, I have also enjoyed been active in the sport. My son worked exceptionally hard and went into have a successful 18 year career in professional baseball, both in the US and Japan.
I started up a Baseball/Softball business that began with wholesaling and retailing equipment to club and associations and since that time the business has grown to accommodate uniforms and apparel as well as an indoor training facility complete with batting machines.
For the past two years since my son’s retirement from professional baseball we have also expanded the business to promote youth baseball by creating an independent Under 14 age group Academy program. In Victoria, there is currently no Under 14 state program and hence Micheal and I wanted to provide children with an additional program that would assist in filling that age group program void. The primary focus is youth development with a friendship series carnival to conclude. We have successfully conducted interstate play with NSW.
I personally have been involved in youth baseball for the last 30 years and have been the Australian representative for the IBA-BOYS Nankyu International Baseball Tournament for the last 28 years. I have previously been elected Baseball Victoria Association’s Junior Chairman and Vice President.
In Australia, all existing conventional youth baseball programs have been aligned with USA Little League and State, and Territory Bodies. As a result of this as I mentioned earlier, there is currently no active U14 state program.
Baseball is considered to be one of minor games in Australia whereby not many sponsors or affluent governmental funding is allocated, unlike sports such as cricket and Aussie rules football, which have heavy media exposure and sponsorship. Particularly cricket, in which Australia has always been one of the leading nations. School aged children are generally guided toward a future in cricket rather than baseball, particularly in the private schooling systems.
It was through this year’s 2015 IBA-BOYS Nankyu International Baseball Tournament that I was fortunate enough to have met Mr. Rodolfo Tingzon Jr. in Tokyo and hence came to learn of Pony League.
It is my aim to continue to help promote this sport and work toward creating more opportunities for all youth baseball players of all ages as well as encouraging more children in general to engage in the sport. All of the best and most accomplished players start from programs that focus on development and enhancing skills. I can see a program such as the Pony League as something that would be greatly beneficial to youth baseball players. Not only would such a program draw more interest to the sport but I believe it would also assist in lifting the level of Australian baseball through the international competition and travel. I sincerely hope that a mutual bridge can be formed between Pony League and myself to allow Australian children to participate in such an experience as this program would offer.
I wish to thank you again for extending this opportunity and I look forward to talking and meeting with all the delegates from around the world in January 2016.
Best regards,
Yoshihiro Nakamura