Chuck D'Arcy, head coach of the Sacramento Rush 18-under team, has been named as an assistant coach for the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team, it was announced by USA Softball. D'Arcy fills the spot vacated by Gary Haning, who resigned on October 30. D'Arcy, who was one of five finalists for the head coaching position, joins head coach Pam Newton and assistant coach Mike Gonzales.

The Junior Women's National Team will train together December 7-12, then leave for Sonora, Mexico, to compete in the First Pan American Junior Women's Softball Championship December 13-21. The top five teams from the Pan American championship will earn berths in the 2003 ISF Junior Women's World Championships next summer in Nanjing, China.