The Amateur Softball Association recently announced its USA Softball women’s national team coaching assignments for the 2006 season. Although there are several coaches selected to work the camps, held at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., only a few will be selected to lead the team during competition. 

The World University selection camp will produce a team that will compete at the World University Games in Taiwan. Carol Hutchins (University of Michigan head coach), Teresa Wilson (Texas Tech head coach), Scott Whitlock (Kennesaw State head coach), Gordon Eakin (BYU head coach), Mike Larabee (University of Illinois assistant coach) and Mark Lumley (Baylor assistant coach) will work this selection camp. 

Hutchins has been selected the head coach that will lead the team to Taiwan and will be assisted by Wilson, Larabee and Lumley. The World University team will also compete against the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch, July 26-30, in Chicago, Ill. 

The Women’s National Team selection camp, held July 13-17, will be headed by Mike Candrea (Team USA head coach/University of Arizona head coach), Chuck D’Arcy (Team USA), John Rittman (Stanford head coach), Jay Miller (Mississippi State head coach), Karen Sanchelli-Johns (University of Virginia head coach), Cheri Kempf (Owner/Instructor-Worth Club K), Eakin and Whitlock. 

Candrea will head up the Women’s National Team, and the assistant coaches will be selected in May. This team will compete at both the World Cup in Oklahoma City, Okla., and the World Championships in Beijing, China. They will also play in exhibition games versus NPF teams Arizona Heat and Texas Thunder in July. 

The Junior Women’s National Team selection camp will be held September 15-17, with the team selected playing in the 2006 World Qualifier in November and the 2007 World Championship. Miller, Kempf, Suzy Brazney (Golden West College head coach), Barbara Jordan (Cal State Northridge head coach), Lumley and Brian Kolze (Pacific head coach) will oversee the camp. 

Miller was selected as head coach for the qualifier and will be assisted by Kempf, Brazney and Jordan. This is a two-year assignment for these coaches. 

The 2007 National Training Team will be selected at a camp Sept. 18-22. and a team will be selected to compete at the Japan Cup in November. Heading up this camp will be Candrea, D’Arcy, Rittman, Brazney, Sanchelli-Johns, Wilson, Jordan and Iveson.