Curious about Softball? Give it a go at the OM Annual Open Day
Onehunga Māngere Softball Club is inviting whānau across the community to come along and give softball a go at its annual Open Day, on Sunday 13 September, 11am to 1pm, at Swanson Park (behind Fresh Choice).
"It's a great opportunity for the whole family to come down, find out about the club and have a go at softball," says committee member Sharon Lockhart-Beattie.
The day will feature skills stations for all ages, teeball games for younger children, and softball games for older kids and adults. A free sausage sizzle will be on offer for anyone who takes part, and committee members, coaches and club players will be on hand to answer questions.
The Open Day comes as OM Softball builds on a big year. In 2026, the club is running a school holiday programme for 5 to 15 year olds, and expects to field more senior teams while continuing its push to get more females into the sport.
It follows a tough stretch for the club after a break-in last year saw equipment stolen.
"We were overwhelmed by the support from our softball whānau, here in Onehunga-Mangere, the wider Auckland community as well as softballers from all over the country," Lockhart-Beattie says. Donations, both financial and in kind, meant teams were fully kitted out for the season.
On the field, the club had plenty to celebrate. A new teeball programme for 5 to 10 year olds, run in partnership with neighbouring clubs, proved a huge success. The Men's Reserves team placed third in the Auckland competition and went on to compete at Club Nationals, a four-day premier tournament, marking the club's return to that level after a 30-year hiatus. Both the Men's team and the Women's team, the OM Hustlers, won their respective Auckland Division 3 championships, and the Hustlers also took out the United Softball Tournament over Easter, the first senior tournament OM has hosted in many years.
Looking ahead, the club continues to work with council on developing Norana Softball Park, with Diamond 1 now complete and Diamond 2 nearing readiness.
"Our focus is to continue to grow membership numbers, host development sessions led by experts, win games and most importantly have a welcoming, whānau-focused, happy club," Lockhart-Beattie says.
Membership fees remain unchanged this year, with discounts available for early registration and payment.
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