FOLLOWING their most successful season to date, Redbacks Baseball & Softball is hoping to capitalise on its achievements and returned to training in preparation for the 2013 season this weekend.
Today the senior teams will get back to action at St John Payne School from 8 to 10pm, while junior players face their first training session on Saturday at James Hornsby High School, from 2.45pm.
The first session is free for all new players.
In 2013, the Redbacks organisation aim to increase opportunities throughout the region for people wanting to play baseball or softball.
The club will run two junior teams for players between 10-13 and 14-17 in Forest Glade, Billericay, for the fourth consecutive season.
There will also be the Feltwell Redbacks Pony team (under-17), who will play their second season together, and the launch of the new Feltwell Redbacks Broncos (under-14) in Suffolk.
There will again be three senior teams, with the first team following their pennant-winning season and runners-up spot at the National Baseball Championships with an application to be promoted into the National Baseball League– the highest tier of baseball in the UK.
The other two senior teams will play in the AA and Single-A divisions, with all teams playing fixtures across the south east of England.
The organisation recently re-launched the 'Little Redbacks' – a baseball programme for children between the ages of 4-10 who aren't yet old enough to play organised league baseball.
They will train alongside the junior teams in Forest Glade during the summer, and indoors during the winter.
And to further its position as Essex's Premier Baseball Club, the Redbacks are also launching a softball programme to begin in the spring.
Slow pitch softball is played by over 20,000 people in the UK and is similar to baseball, although often is far more social and less competitive.
Teams comprise of both men and women, and the sport is excellent for both recreational club leagues and also for companies or organisations running team-building exercises or away days.