As the year draws to a close and the Forest settles into winter, we wanted to take a moment to say a simple but heartfelt thank you.
New Forest Baseball exists because people show up, week after week, in all weathers, with energy, patience, and a love for the game. This year we set up our own home on the edge of the New Forest, and you all came together to help fund and build our Diamond at Gang Warily. We keep making steps forward as a club, and that only happens because of the people involved.
To our players: Whether this was your first ever season of baseball or one of many, thank you for turning up, giving things a go, supporting each other, and embracing the spirit of the game. Watching players learn, improve, and enjoy baseball together is what this club is all about.
To our coaches, managers, umpires, scorers, and volunteers: Thank you for the time, effort, and care you put in behind the scenes. So much of what keeps the club running happens quietly and without fuss, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. We couldn’t do this without you.
To our supporters, families, and friends: Thank you for the lifts, the encouragement, the sideline support, and the willingness to watch a sport that still occasionally needs explaining. Your support means more than you probably realise.
To our partners and sponsors: Thank you for helping make baseball in the New Forest possible. Your support allows us to grow the game and provide opportunities for people to get involved.
And to those members who have decided to move on from the club this year: Thank you. Thank you for being part of our journey, for the time you spent with us, and for the role you played in shaping New Forest Baseball. You’ll always be part of the club’s story, and you leave with our best wishes for whatever comes next. Once a ThunderKnight, always a ThunderKnight.
Throughout the year, we’ve seen the values of The New Forest Way in action; playing with fun, passion, positivity, teamwork, and respect. Those values matter just as much off the field as they do on it, and we’re proud of the culture that’s growing around this club.
We’re already looking ahead to what’s next, with winter training just around the corner and exciting things on the horizon. But for now, we hope everyone gets a well-earned break, enjoys the festive period, and comes back refreshed and ready for another year of baseball.
From all of us… thank you for being part of New Forest Baseball.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
— The New Forest Baseball Committee
