From August 15 to 20, 2022, the European fastpitch softball championships took place.
These four European Cups were held in three countries, bringing together the 31 best European teams, divided based on their national standings and previous competition results.
The Premiere Cup, held in Bollate, Italy, was the highest-level competition. It featured Group A, which included the eight national champions from the previous season, such as the Italians, the Dutch, the Czechs, and our French team, the Comanches de Saint Raphael.
The European Cup, Group B of this tournament, featured nine teams that competed in Avigliana, Italy. The top two nations from this cup will advance to the Premiere Cup next year.
The Cup Winner Cup is the cup for national championship runners-up. The 14 teams were divided into Groups A and B based on their previous year’s standings. This European Cup B was organized by the French club from Evry Courcouronnes, the Pharaons, who won the 2021 French Challenge.
The Pharaonnes, playing on their home turf, dominated the competition and claimed the title. They are now European champions, ensuring that the French team qualified in 2022 will be in Group A in 2023.
The tournament format was a simple round-robin followed by classification matches, totaling seven games. Here are some stats for our French team: 7 games, 7 wins, 33 innings played, 71 runs scored, 3 runs allowed, 153 at-bats, 65 hits for a .425 batting average. On the pitching side, they had a 0.21 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
While we are a sport of statistics (which you can find on wbsceurope.org), it’s ultimately a human and sporting adventure, and that’s how they secured victory.
Let’s delve deeper into this fantastic competition with Aurélie Bacelon.
BTVF: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role within the club?
« Aurélie Bacelon, president of the baseball and softball section of the Pharaons d’Evry Courcouronnes. I also coach the junior and senior women’s team. »
BTVF: Organizing a European Cup at home is a massive project. How did you manage everything?
« Right up until the eve of the competition, we had a large team of volunteers and board members working tirelessly to make everything happen. I barely slept in the last three weeks, but I was determined to have everything ready on time. Sunday was the day we handed over to the volunteer teams, and everything went smoothly. I was confident for the rest of the cup. »
BTVF: How did you balance your different roles during the competition?
« Yvan Couvidat, one of the club’s historic figures, took over on Monday to handle all the logistics and organization of the cup. This allowed me to focus on the team and the sport. With a very complementary management team (Argenis Blanco, head coach, Francl Allaux, assistant coach, Elodie Delaunay, mental preparer, Yvan Couvidat, technical coach, Gérald Torres, physiotherapist, and Manu Pauthe for nutrition) and everyone listening to each other, I could bring my expertise as a team manager. My role as a player took over from 6 PM to 11 PM, arriving at the field for warm-ups and then the game. I switched roles, and everything worked perfectly. »
BTVF: What are your emotions and feelings a week later?
« Pleasure, pride, and fatigue. This crazy project strengthened the bonds between club members who worked together all week. Everyone had a smile, and it was fantastic. The team also won its first European title, and each player gained a solid understanding of their potential. Personally, hearing our public and supporters cheer each of our names so loudly was amazing. »
BTVF: What were your strengths in winning all your matches?
« Teamwork! The team’s homogeneity, both sportingly and off the field, was crucial. Every player had an important role, and each athlete performed well. The preparation work with the managers and players helped define a framework to follow and unite the group, rest the athletes coming off three European competitions, and bring everyone back to the essentials: having fun playing softball together. »
BTVF: The final was the closest match, 2-0 against the Swiss team. What were your first thoughts when the umpire called game over?
« We did it! We actually did it! So happy for my players, for this collective effort both on and off the field. It was thrilling to have such a large crowd (nearly 400 people) for the final match of the competition, and to deliver a finale that went down to the last out! All the spectators were on the edge of their seats, feeling the pressure of the game. It was a wonderful atmosphere that will have left an impression on both softball enthusiasts and newcomers alike! »
Interview by Raina Hunter
Photo credits: Glenn Gervot
