SA SOFTBALL MASTERS ASSOCIATION
The SA Softball Masters Association was established after a need was noted by the many players beyond the competitive stage in Softball, but wished to play the game at a social level.
These players, led by Pam Cloete, Rina Nel, Elsie Gilbert and Joan de Koker, started the Golden Oldies, way back in 1984. In fact, in 1984 the first Masters games were played, when Pam and Elsie’ sides— Transvaal and Easterns’ played 2 friendlies against each other. Selection criteria were based on 40 years and above and ex Provincial or SA players only!
The first teams to participate in a tournament were the then Northern Transvaal Ladies, Transvaal and Western Province Ladies in 1985. The men joined in 1988.
June Devine an ex- Springbok, had her faithful mit bronzed, called the June Devine
Golden Glove, and donated it to Masters for presentation to a Lady, after each tournament in recognition of her contribution to Softball, as did Dereck Soekoe donate a trophy called the Dereck Soekoe Trophy for the men.
Masters was recognised as an official member of SSA in 1997, and became an
Associated Member to SSA and Affiliated to SAMSA in September 1997, since 2001 we became a Standing Committee Member of SSA, with Matthews Kutumela as our Guardian.
The inaugural Masters National Tournament was hosted by the Ladies of Blast from the Past Masters Softball Team from Eastern Gauteng at the Red Sox Stadium in Kempton Park in September 1997. An Executive Committee was selected consisting of
Pam Cloete as President, Francis Bapela as Vice, Sharon L. West as Secretary,
Ann Melvin as Treasurer and Charmaine Burrows as Co-Ordinator.
They created our Constitution.. Pam Cloete served as President of Masters from 1984 until November 2005.
We became associated members of SA Masters Sporting Association (SAMSA) and hosted our first Biennial Masters Games in Bez Valley, Johannesburg in 1998. As members of SAMSA we attended the World Masters’ Softball Championships in
Oregon, Portland, USA 1999, Melbourne, Australia, 2002 and the Northerns Men went to Canada in 2004.
This will be the 22nd SASMA “Golden Oldies” National Tournament and is hosted by the Eastern Gauteng Ladies Masters Softball Association – Blast from the Past.
EASTERN GAUTENG MASTERS SOFTBALL
Started by Elsie Gilbert in 1984. They were the first to play in a friendly against Northern Transvaal Masters at Jan Crafford Stadium. Norma Young took over the running of Easterns in 1994; unfortunately she broke her ankle at the Pretoria Tournament that year and stepped down from all physical activities.... Johanna Smith took over the reigns to ensure we partook in the Friendship Games in Bulawayo in 1995. Sharon West was appointed in 1997; she guided Easterns through the SASMA inaugural Tournament in 1997 held in Kempton Park.
Easterns have won the Tournament only once in 1996 in Durban and have won the combined SAMSA Games and SASMA Tournament in 2003.
This is the third Masters Tournament hosted by Easterns.
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