Arthur Allsopp Shield

The Arthur Allsopp Shield is a trophy symbolizing the Under 16 Boys championship of the Australian Softball Federation.

An avid sports man all his life, Arthur Allsopp began his sporting career as a state cricketer for NSW and Victoria before the lure of the Softball diamond claimed him when he earned his Victorian Umpires badge in 1950, and then his Australian Umpires badge in 1954.

Elected President of the Victorian Umpires Association in 1950, Allsopp umpired at 18 consecutive Australian Open Women's Championships starting in 1950, and officiated at both the Australian/South African Test Series in Melbourne in 1960 and again at the first ISF World Championship in 1965.

Known as a man who devoted all his energies to assisting other, Allsopp was both a coach and mentor to junior and senior players in Melbourne between 1959 and 1967 before concentrating solely on the juniors. It is said Allsopp was still actively involved in coaching in his early 80's has coached most of the Victorian players in the Australian teams since the early 60's as junior players in the Melbourne Softball Association and/or Waverley Softball Association.

In 1961 Allsopp helped establish the Waverley Softball Association, and saw that association grow into one of the largest and most successful in Australia.

At the beginning of the 1990's the Australian Softball Federation decided it was fitting that Allsopp be permanently linked with an under-age championship and in 1992 the Australian Under 16 Boy's National Championship came into fruition with NSW winning the inaugural Arthur Allsopp Shield.

In November the same year he was the first male in history to be inducted into the ASF - Hall of Fame. Allsopp died in 1993.

Previous Individual Award Winners

*1991
**Most Valuable Player: Brien Hodges (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Michael Metekingi (QLD)
**Batting Award: Shane Carter (NSW)
*1992
**Most Valuable Player: Eddie Murtagh (VIC)
**Pitching Award: Brien Hodges (NSW)
**Batting Award: Mark Trainor (VIC)
*1993
**Most Valuable Player: David Ingram (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Adam Humble (WA)
**Batting Award: Jason Bertonili (WA)
*1994
**Most Valuable Player: Shaun Beckley (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Aaron Armstrong (NSW)
**Batting Award: Robert Powell (NSW)
*1995
**Most Valuable Player: Marc Rafferty (WA)
**Pitching Award: Aaron Armstrong (NSW)
**Batting Award: Tony Cailotto (QLD)
*1996
**Most Valuable Player: Paul Sheehan (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Mark Long (NSW)
**Batting Award: Paul Sheehan (NSW)
*1997
**Most Valuable Player: David Varrechio (WA)
**Pitching Award: Gavin Tan (NSW)
**Batting Award: Matthew Doyle (NSW)
*1998
**Most Valuable Player: Michael Tanner (ACT)
**Pitching Award: Cameron Mc Alister (NSW)
**Batting Award: Gavin Tan (NSW)
*1999
**Most Valuable Player: Gabriel Whitbourne (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Sam Flinn (SA)
**Batting Award: Darren Brewer (QLD)
*2000
**Most Valuable Player: Andrew Kirkpatrick (ACT)
**Pitching Award: James Darley (NSW)
**Batting Award: Will Ashley (ACT)
*2001
**Most Valuable Player: Donny Gritchell (WA)
**Pitching Award: David Shearer (NSW)
**Batting Award: Glenn Rigg (VIC)
*2002
**Most Valuable Player: Joshua Jones (ACT)
**Pitching Award: Adam Folkard (ACT)
**Batting Award: Shaun Mason (VIC)
*2003
**Most Valuable Player: Nicholas Murray (WA)
**Pitching Award: Andrew Evans (VIC)
**Batting Award: Gregory James (WA)
*2004
**Most Valuable Player: James Brooks (VIC)
**Pitching Award: Andrew Evans (VIC)
**Batting Award: Leigh Southern (VIC)
*2005
**Most Valuable Player: Shane Norman (NSW)
**Pitching Award: Matthew Stafford (ACT)
**Batting Award: Steven Albee (NSW)
*2006
**Most Valuable Player: Steven Flux (QLD)
**Pitching Award: Laurie Peters (NSW)
**Batting Award: Dale Teasel (NSW)
*2007
**Most Valuable Player: Jason Tutt (ACT)
**Pitching Award: Matthew Kraeh (ACT)
**Batting Award: Brendan Lamb (WA)
*2008
**Most Valuable Player: Riley O'Connor (QLD)
**Pitching Award: Harrison Peters (NSW)
**Batting Award: Reece Powles (NSW)

See also

*Australian Softball Federation
*ASF National Championships