Today marks a transition of Shayne Watson’s 16 years of service with Baseball Queensland (BQ) to a new joint partnership with BQ, Baseball Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
Shayne has been identified as one of 30 coaches in the country to be a part of Gen32 – a top-tier ‘apprenticeship’ for nationally-recognised coaches as we head toward the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
As one of the longest-serving baseball employees in the country, Shayne has made an unparalleled contribution to our sport. Initially employed as a development officer and most recently as our High Performance Manager, Shayne has made a tremendous impact on our sport at many levels, and is regarded by most as one of the country’s most capable technical officers – of any sport.
Through this joint venture, BQ will release Shayne from his contract to enable him to acquit this new role. From July 1, Shayne will be a BA employee, undertaking a role that is jointly funded by BQ and the Australian Institute of Sport.
Importantly, Shayne will still be executing his high-performance activities for BQ, as well as overseeing all of our elite and pathways programs; however, he will be seconded to the National Team for all their activities, including camps, qualifiers, and even the World Baseball Classic.
In addition, Shayne will be developing his coaching skills through additional investment from the AIS in the form of research and study, further enhancing his already-advanced skills and competencies for the benefit of baseball not just in Queensland, but across the country.
We are very proud that we have been able to produce this outcome for Shayne and our sport, and wish him every success with this new opportunity.