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THE
SOFT TOUCH
All
in a day’s work for Jennifer
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No.
25 (City of Perth) Squadron softball star Leading Aircraftwoman
Jennifer Work. Photo by CPL Kirsty Chambers.
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NO.25
(City of Perth) Squadron’s Leading Aircraftwoman Jennifer Work
has been selected to coach the Australian Defence Force’s women’s
softball team in the Arafura Games in Darwin in May.
LACW Work competed for NSW in the Combined Trans Tasman Softball
Series, played at RAAF Base Richmond last November, and was named
the side’s Most Valuable Player.
She nominated herself for selection in the squad of players for
the Arafura Games, but on the strength of her experience, was chosen
to coach the team.
“The first I heard about being selected as coach was when the
Arafura Games team was announced,” LACW Work said.
But she wasn’t surprised at the announcement, given that exactly
the same thing happened to her in the lead up to the 2001 games.
Back then she guided the ADF team to a bronze medal, a pleasing
result considering her involvement in the tournament was interrupted
by a special event.
“I got married on the first day of the championships and had
to miss the opening ceremony,” LACW Work recalled.
“I then spent my first full day of married life on the softball
field. I hardly saw my husband.”
LACW Work, who plays either as a catcher or at second base, has
spent 37 years of her life playing softball and is also a seasoned
coach.
While based at Darwin several years ago, she managed the state team,
coached the first Northern Territory men’s team and represented
the Territory on a coaching exchange in Canada.
In the recent Trans Tasman series, LACW Work played in the NSW team
alongside fellow West Australian Corporal Lekkisha Duncan, a Reservist
from Karrakatta.
“We had no idea who we would be playing for until we got to
Richmond,” LACW Work said.
“At first it was thought that I would play for South Australia,
but there was no team from SA so we ended up playing as part of
the NSW team.”
Combined service personnel from all over Australia, as well as men’s
and women’s teams from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, competed
in the 10-day event.
Both the Queensland men’s and women’s teams walked away
with titles.
LACW Work now has plenty ahead of her as she prepares the women’s
team for the one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting
calendar.
Training programs have already been sent out to all of LACW Work’s
players, and she hopes to assemble them all for the first time in
the week leading up to the Arafura Games, which begin on May 17.
The ADF team to contest the Arafura Games is: SGT Vicki Scott (Qld);
CPL Angela Todd (NSW); CPL Lekkisha Duncan (WA); LACW Kate Holdway
(ACT); CPL Kylie James (Qld); SIG Samone Mallison (Qld); CAPT Kate
Richards (NSW); POPT Leah Stacey (VIC); PTE Jo Skipper; (Qld); CPL
Danni Moffat (SA); CPL Tracey Mosley; (SA); LACW Cath McCrae (NSW);
CPO Mel Dagg (NSW) Coach: LACW Jeni Work (WA); Asst Coach: SGT Deb
Stratton (WA).
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