Are you looking to take up a new sport? Have you ever considered baseball? Leicester Diamonds is the new ladies baseball team where everyone is welcome.
Having played with the men’s Leicester Blue Sox team, Abigail and Ally knew there would be a demand for a women’s/non-binary baseball offering, and so Leicester Diamonds was born. Open to all ages and all abilities, it’s the perfect sport for anyone looking to get back into physical activity.
We caught up with Abigail to find out more about the club, how it’s going and how you can get involved.
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How did Leicester Diamonds originate as a team? The Leicester Diamonds as a club was founded by myself and my amazing uni friend, Ally Clark. We played with the Leicester Blue Sox (who are the best bunch of guys ever by the way shout out to them for celebrating their 15th year as a club) and we loved it so much we just knew there would be an appetite for a women’s/non binary club. We had a call and a week later The Leicester Diamonds were born and it has just snowballed from there. Why baseball? We caught the Baseball bug FAST it is contagious I tell you. We both played football previously and wanted to try something completely new. Learning a new sport has been so good for me not just physically but mentally too. Baseball is a brilliant sport for all abilities. Perfect for people looking to get back into activity as it’s not as physically demanding as other sports like football, rugby or tennis. And when you get your first hit there is nothing more satisfying than seeing that baby fly!
Where about are you based and where is training held? We train Tuesdays 6-7:30pm at Western Park (the park view side LE36SJ) Who are you open to? Can anybody sign up? We are looking for Women (this includes Trans Women and Non Binary folx aged 18+), who want to get active, learn a new sport, meet new people and have a good time. No previous experience with baseball is needed. If there is any guys reading who want to try out baseball check out @leicesterbluesox on Instagram you won’t regret it. How has the team developed since you first launched? We wanted to create a safe and positive place for our members since launching. Developing week on week with more Diamonds joining and catching the infamous Baseball bug. It’s only going to get better from here ready for the preseason and 2022 Summer Season!
What does a typical training session involve? We are focusing on the basics at the minute incorporating fun games with learning the fundamentals such as throwing, getting used to catching with the glove, batting and the fielding responsibilities of each position. Our coaches are full of knowledge and experience so the sessions are a great place to start your Baseball journey! How important is it for you to keep Leicester Diamonds accessible to everybody? One of our most important values is inclusion, making sure that we are breaking down any barriers that may make it difficult for people to play. We have equipment for people to use and borrow so our members don’t have to spend money to play. There is a lot of stats around LGBTQ+ that show they are less likely to participate in sport. We will be having our members pronouns on their tops so that at games and sessions they don’t have to worry about being wholeheartedly themselves. We want to make sure everyone who wants to join can play baseball regardless of their individual backgrounds. We want people to feel safe and seen as a member of our club and to be completely themselves because we all know that’s when people get the best out of themselves. What goals do you have for the team? We want to enter the Leicester Diamonds into their first league next year play some great games meeting teams across the country and definitely get some wins under our hats. Another important goal for us as a club is to embed ourselves within the Leicester community. Through volunteer days, donating blood and being part of Leicester Pride we want to do good in our city. And finally we want to be a club that puts our Diamonds mental health at the forefront of what we do. We have all had those dark days. The Leicester Diamonds want to build confidence in our members reinforcing positive mental health, coping strategies and overall well-being, and feel comfortable to talk when you just need someone to listen and be there.
What skills do you need to be good at baseball? All we are asking for is: A positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Our coach Diamond Dan can teach you the rest. You’re also looking for business sponsorship, what will this involve? Yes absolutely. As a new club we are looking for a local Leicester business sponsor to help us with new equipment. And set up fees we have an exciting partnership package up for grabs so if you are interested and want to join forces then please email us on [email protected] We also completely understand that it’s been a rough couple of years for everyone. So if you can’t commit to a full sponsorship package but still want to support we have a Diamond Wish List that you could purchase something from. Again if you want to hear more and support email us on [email protected] we genuinely would be so grateful. Where can people find out more and sign up? We are on Facebook and Instagram @leicesterdiamonds so give us a follow and drop us a message we can share our registration form to you! We share our update on Instagram but if you don’t have IG then please feel free to email us on [email protected] #LEICSGODIAMONDS |
