The British Softball Federation and Great Britain Women’s Fastpitch Olympic Head Coach Tara Henry today announced Monti Van Brunt as the programme’s Scouting Director.

“Monti brings a wealth of international experience to Great Britain as he takes on the crucial role of overseeing our scouting and player development efforts as we march towards LA2028,” said Great Britain Softball Olympic Head Coach Tara Henry. “With a deep understanding of the European landscape, he possesses a keen eye for talent and will provide invaluable expertise across all our national team programs. I am thrilled to welcome Monti to our team and excited to get to work this summer.”

Van Brunt has an extensive international softball coaching career, beginning with the Chinese National Softball Team in 2004. Van Brunt has been part of several National Team programmes, working in various coaching roles with the Netherlands (2007-08), Germany (2017), and Czechia (2017-2019). Van Brunt also spent four years with the Tex Town Tigers Club in the Netherlands and Legnano Club in Italy, winning the European Cup in 2011.

Along with his international experience, Van Brunt has spent fourteen years coaching in North America, with stops at the University of Mount Olive (NCAA DII) and Team TFS Texas, spending 8 years with the latter that saw 27 of his players continue to play collegiate softball. He is currently in his third season with Dallas Christian College, where he serves as the team’s inaugural Assistant Coach.

Van Brunt will be responsible for scouting across the Great Britain Women’s Fastpitch programme, with key events this year including the U-18 Women’s World Cup Group A in Brazil, the U-22 European Championship in Poland, and the European Softball Championships in the Netherlands in early September.

“I first saw GB Softball in 2006; to see how the programme has grown since then is very exciting! I am really looking forward to working with the athletes, support staff and coaches,” said Van Brunt. “I am thankful and blessed to have a supportive wife, and grateful to Tara [Henry] and [GBR Softball Head of Performance] Gary Anderson for this opportunity, and for believing in me. I’m excited and ready to join the journey to LA 2028 - let’s make dreams come true!”

Great Britain Women’s Fastpitch teams will play in competitions across the world in 2024, with the Senior Women kicking off the schedule on 27-28 June with the Second Annual Royal Spark Challenge exhibition against the Oklahoma City Spark, followed by a two-game exhibition against the United States on 29-30 June. Both series will take place at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Follow the Great Britain Women’s Team on social media @GBWomenSoftball on X, Instagram, and TikTok, at facebook.com/GBWomenSoftball, and on the British Softball Federation website, britishsoftball.org.