In preparation for their departure all players and staff have received their vaccinations and were tested for COVID-19 last Friday.  The 23-woman squad and the 5-staff will be tested again directly after landing.  The team will then be brought to their hotel in Ota city where they will bubble for their six week training camp.

During this camp the Spirit will only be allowed to leave their hotel to go straight to the ballpark for practice in order to ensure they never have any contact with anyone but those in their bubble. 

This will require the squad and staff to quarantine in the one floor of their hotel which will house all bedrooms, meeting rooms, the dining room and gym.

 

While the duration of this quarantine will be nearly two months in duration, Softball CEO David Pryles has stated that the players were happy to make the sacrifice in order to attend training camp.  This will be the first time the entirety of the Spirit squad will have trained together since February 2020.  

 

The camp will conclude with the selection of the final 15-woman roster for the games themselves.  That team will be the first to compete the games since it was removed as a sport after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  

 

The Aussie Spirit have long been an Olympic powerhouse, having previously medalled at all four Olympics where softball was included.  Specifically they won bronze medals in 1996, 2000 and 2008, and silver in 2004. The only other nation to achieve four podiums is the United States of America.

 

The team will open the Olympic Softball tournament when they play its opening game against Japan on July 23.  

 

The following 23 players are currently selected and vying for to make the final 15-woman Olympic roster:

2021 Aussie Spirit Squad

Janice Blackman, Qld

Michelle Cox, NSW

Chelsea Forkin, Qld

Leigh Godfrey, WA

Georgia Hood, SA

Shannon Keevers, NSW

Rachel Lack, NSW

Stacey McManus, NSW

Tahli Moore, NSW

Kaia Parnaby, NSW

Leah Parry, WA

Gabbie Plain, NSW

Stacey Porter, NSW

Ellen Roberts, NSW

Chelsea Robinson, SA

Justine Smethurst, Qld

Tarni Stepto, NSW

Bree Trim, Vic

Taylah Tsitsikronis, NSW

Jade Wall, Qld

Clare Warwick, ACT

Belinda White, SA

Tamieka Whitefield, Qld