10
Wednesday September 7, 2011
The Sun
one on one with the Sun
Big hitter Kurt Schollum has been selected in the Junior Black Sox squad to prepare for the team’s Junior World Series campaign in Argentina next year. Sun reporter Damian George talks to the Marlborough Boys’ College student about his rise so far. Kurt Schollum likes to do his talking Zealand, Papua New Guinea, USA on the field. and the host nation. The 17-year-old Marlborough Boys’ The result of the clinic was selection College student, named in the Junior in the Black Sox training squad, from Black Sox softball squad for the second which there are two players who will time late last month, won’t jump to tell turn out for the Junior Black Sox side you his list of achievements, but they in this year’s Nelson-based Labour are many. Weekend tournament. In January, the Year 13 pupil turned The team, which also includes curout for both the under-19 and under-17 rent Black Sox players Jerome RaeUpper South Island sides in their maki and Pita Rona, will play against respective national tournaments, at club teams from across New Zealand Hutt Valley and North Harbour. as part of its preparation for the Junior At the under-19 event, Kurt was Men’s World Series in Argentina in named batter of the tournament, while November next year. in the under-17s he was selected in the Up until now, Kurt’s representative tournament team as a pitcher. achievements have come at a cost, as Two months later, he softball’s lack of fundwas named in the tournaing means he has had ment team at the national “I just wanna to pay for overseas trips secondary schools tour- go and do my out of his own pocket. nament in Hutt Valley He says the sport deand clocked as the fastest best and have serves more support pitcher with a throw of than it is getting. 127kph. fun - just get “When I went to AusKurt says his pitching sie [last year], we had success can be largely into it.” to pay everything - acattributed to an intensive commodation, flights coaching clinic he attended with over, we even had to pay for our legendary New Zealand pitcher Chubb tracksuits,” he says. Tangaroa last year. “There’s no money in it; if you want “It was pretty flat out. I went over money you’ve gotta go overseas to the there and I was like ‘this is gonna be States.” pretty tough’,” he says of the clinic. The multi-skilled player says his “I just pitched flat out all day and goals for the upcoming tournaments [Chubb] gave me slightly new things are fairly simple. to try and just said ‘you’re doing this “I just wanna go and do my best and wrong’ or ‘you need to change this a have fun - just get into it,” he says. little bit’.” Kurt also plays for the Marlborough The opportunity came after Kurt’s Boys’ College First XV rugby side but impressive performances for the says his ultimate aim is to cement in a International Softball Academy [ISA] place in the Black Sox squad. of NZ team, coached by Tangaroa, Given his involvement with the squad at the 2010 International Friendship so far, that appears a very realistic goal. Series in Australia. “It might be a couple of years yet but, That involved teams from New hopefully, not too far away.”
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Junior Black Sox member Kurt Schollum with his 2009 New Zealand Junior Development Team jacket. Photo by Damian George.
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