Softball star heading to the US

Ivy Toa is the ultimate softball pick up, with her gloves and bats in hot demand across the country.

Given the limited softball opportunities for female players in Nelson, the Nayland College student has represented Manawatu and Whanganui at national age grade tournaments and Marlborough at secondary level this season.

The pitcher and shortstop has also turned out for Nelson, in both the Seddon Shield and Nelson U17.

“The first five weeks of the year, Ivy went to Invercargill, Christchurch and Palmerston North,” says her father Tony, who travels with her.

Just last month she pitched her Marist club side to victory in the Nelson club championship final, only walking one batter, and wound up her season by playing for the Levin women’s team in the United club finals in Christchurch.

Tony went, of course, but this time he was playing too, for the Levin men’s side.
“Dad’s very helpful,” declares Ivy.

“She is humble and I am extremely proud,” he replies.

While she has avoided major injuries, Tony quips that constantly throwing balls back to her has taken its toll on him.

Ivy has played every position in softball and insists she is a reluctant pitcher, instead preferring short stop.

“There is a lot of stress in pitching. The team relies on you a lot.

“If I am not having a good game, it doesn’t go well for the rest of the team,” says Ivy, who started playing the game at four and is also an accomplished batter.
Her trademark is the inside pitch, which cramps batters and takes their power away.

“I have got change-ups as well,” declares the 17-year-old, who often trains with the men’s teams in Nelson.

The past two years, she has gone to Australia as part of the NZ ISA squad, but now the all-rounder is looking further afield.

The teenager is off to Alabama with the U18 Aussie Drop Ball softball team to play in the world series in July.

The 25-day trip will start with a training camp with four major league coaches and two warm up games in Arkansaw, Wisconsin.

“Women’s softball is really big in the southern states,” says Ivy. The Babe Ruth series will feature teams from Puerto Rico, Nigeria, the Bahamas, US First Nations and the state club champions.

But there will be no let up for Ivy before then as she switches to hockey.

“I played in the U18 Nelson trials last week. The hockey season fits in with softball,” she says.

Ivy then reels off her list of hockey teams – Nelson Women’s and U18, Tasman, Te Waipounamu and Federal, which won the Nelson club title last year.

Ivy somehow found time to also play on the wing for the Nelson U18 mixed touch team, which claimed the national title in Auckland this year.

Another honour to go with last year’s U16 touch title.

“Her mum Tania travels with Ivy to touch tournaments, while I do softball and we share hockey,” says Tony, who runs Pit Stop in Nelson.

And there is plenty of travel locally as well, as the Toa family lives in Hira, but Ivy can spend up to six days a week at Saxton Field for training.

So what is her favourite sport? “Whatever one I am playing at the time I guess,” concludes the versatile sports star.