Working with South Africa’s age-group national girls’ baseball teams and watching them grow over the past year has been both an honour and a privilege for Benoni coach Dave Lake.

Lake forms part of the coaching staff that will lead the national U14 and U16 girls’ squads at the prestigious Baseball For All tournament in Chicago, United States, next month.

The tour marks another significant milestone for women’s baseball in South Africa, with the young players set to test themselves against some of the strongest competition in the world in the country where the sport originated.

Lake said the journey has been particularly rewarding because of how far the players have come in such a short space of time.

“This is a very unique experience because it’s never been done before,” said Lake.

“We’ve literally coached these girls from nothing into a competitive team. To represent the country in America, where baseball originates from, is a privilege and an honour. To work closely with these young ladies and watch them develop has been absolutely amazing.”

The women’s programme is still in its infancy, having only started taking shape last year. Earlier this year, the national squads travelled to Uganda, where they gained valuable international experience against strong African opposition.

“Uganda was an eye-opener. The competition in Africa is strong, which is great for baseball. It gave the girls exposure on an international platform, but travelling within Africa still feels close to home. Now we’re taking them off the continent, which is incredible,” he said.

Lake believes the Chicago trip will be less about results and more about learning from the world’s best.

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“The trip is purely a learning experience. We expect to attend clinics organised by the American teams and see how the best players and coaches prepare. If we can take anything away from that and improve how we coach and play, it will be a success.

“It’s important for the girls to understand that if you want to be the best in the world, you need to work harder than everyone else.”

One of the biggest developments in recent years has been the growth of women’s baseball structures in South Africa. Lake credited the Boksburg Cardinals for helping to drive that progress.

“Our friends from Boksburg were the first to put together an all-girls baseball team and they did exceptionally well. That was a massive step forward.

“Having girls-only teams and leagues gives female players equal opportunities to develop. The growth has been incredible and we’re now seeing girls who are as good as, and in many cases better than, boys.”

Despite the rapid progress, funding remains one of the biggest obstacles facing the sport. Lake revealed that every player and coach selected for the Chicago tour must raise approximately R65 000 to cover travel and participation costs.

“We currently have to raise R65 000 per player and coach for this tour. For my family alone, with my daughter playing and myself coaching, that’s more than R130 000 that has to be raised,” he explained.

The South African Baseball Union (SABU) has approached the Department of Sport for assistance and has also appealed to corporate South Africa for support, but securing funding remains a challenge.

Lake believes greater backing from government and sponsors would not only ease the burden on families but also help create opportunities for more young players, particularly those from previously disadvantaged communities.

“If government and corporate sponsors can come on board, we can get so many more people involved in the sport. The talent is there, but the financial barriers are significant. Any support would make a huge difference,” he said.

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