Landslagsnyheter – Svensk Baseboll

Ny förbundskapten för Herrlandslaget

Först och främst vill vi rikta ett stort tack till Rickard Reimer som har varit förbundskapten under ett antal år och gett oss mycket fina landslagsresultat. Några av meriterna är att Sverige tagit sig tillbaka till A-poolen i EM och att under förra årets EM knipa en seger mot Italien, som är en av de stora basebollnationerna på kontinenten.

Svenska Baseboll Softboll och Lacrosseförbundet har alltså nu utsett en ny förbundskapten för Herrlandslaget för de kommande två åren. Rickard Kronqvist, Ordförande i Basebollutskottet beskriver arbetet för framtiden så här;

”Svensk baseboll står inför stora utmaningar de närmaste åren, och landslaget måste vara en stor kugge i hjulet när vi tar oss an dessa. Vi måste få en större bredd, med ökad kvalitet och kvantitet i både spelare och coacher, över hela landet och inte bara kring storklubbarna som i dag ligger kring samma breddgrad. Samtidigt måste vi bygga upp ett större intresse för sporten i hela det avlånga landet, genom att göra den attraktiv för unga att utöva och för fler individer att engagera sig i.

Nu välkomnar vi Kurt Ramsay att ta rollen som förbundskapten. Kurt är bosatt i Leksand och har varit pitchingcoach tidigare år i herrlandslaget under Rickard Reimers ledning.

Kurt har ett otroligt driv i att utveckla både landslag och Sverige som basebollnation och det är precis vad vi behöver nu."

Läs nedan en kort intervju med vår nya förbundskapten för Herrlandslaget.

Kul att du är blir vår nya förbundskapten för herrlandslaget Kurt. Vill du berätta kort om dig själv?

I grew up playing baseball in Australia and have been involved in coaching youth to senior baseball teams in Sweden on and off since 2001. Married for 20 years and have 3 baseball playing sons, the sport plays a big part in our lives. I have embraced the Swedish culture and lifestyle, and I am grateful for what it gives me and my family. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead of me in my new role as head coach.

Något roligt minne från din tid i landslaget som du vill dela med dig av?

• 2015 winning the B pool in Austria to return Sweden to the A pool.
• Beating Italy last year at the EM.

As a coach we work with players to achieve goals. I have had the privilege of working alongside players who are willing to work hard to provide me with these memories.

Någon lärdom som du tar med dig in i din nya roll?

I have been very lucky to work together with some of the best coaches Sweden has to offer over the past 9 years. Rickard Reimer and Tony Klarberg have taught me a lot about Swedish baseball at the highest level and I am very grateful for that opportunity.

As a coach, you always want to develop yourself and develop with the game. What I have learned so far is that it is our responsibility as a coaching staff to help grow the sport nationally in any way possible. In my new role, I want to work closely with the U23 and U18 squads as well and develop Swedish baseball as a unit with the same goal.

Vilken resa ser du framför dig för dig och laget under de två år som du nu skall ansvara för herrlandslaget?

With this new role, the door opens for new coaches to join the staff. Working together with a new coaching staff is an exciting journey.

These new coaches are Mathias Olsson and Per Sjörs.

Mathias has experience in elite training methods and has been involved in Swedish baseball at national team level. His role as assistant coach will bring new ideas to keep the team driving forward.

Per is a product of Swedish baseball, as a player he knew what it took to set and accomplish things on a baseball field that only some can dream of. Now as our pitching coach, he can guide our pitchers to achieve the very same thing.

The journey we face as a squad is to get match ready for EM 2025, with the ability to play 6 games in 7 days and beating the best Europe has to offer.

This in itself is a big challenge.

Några specifika mål som du har satt upp för laget? Vad krävs för att nå dem?

As a new coaching staff, we wipe the slate clean, reset and review the team that represented Sweden in the last EM. We will put full focus on Swedish players and not look outside our borders for possible double passport players.

I want to use the resources available in the federation to develop Swedish players to get them to the level they need to be in order to be selected for the national team. Having said that, all series players in the Swedish league have a chance to take a place in the squad. We will give you that opportunity if you are willing to push yourself beyond the norm.

The current goals are based on what we have reviewed from the last EM and I now set for anyone who wants to take a spot in the squad.

Pitching: Work on accuracy, work ahead, work on Effective Velocity and discover another pitch for your arsenal.

Batting: Be aggressive and don’t be waiting for your pitch, if you are only seeing 80s in the box, find a way to face 90s more often.

Fielding: If you think you are quick you need to be quicker, we need solid guys up the middle that can turn plays

Vad ser du mest fram emot i närtid?

I look forward to sitting with the new coaching staff and mapping out our path over the next two years and presenting it to the association. I want to take the opportunity to thank the board for putting their trust in me to continue the ongoing work of developing baseball in Sweden and put our hard work to the test against some of the best in the world.

Stort tack för samtalet och ännu en gång tackar vi Rickard för hans insatser och önskar vi Kurt, övriga i coachstaben och spelarna i laget varmt lycka till på resan!