About Bosco Braves
Our club is all about Fun, Family and Friends!
The St John Bosco Baseball and Softball Club became a reality when, in 1980, John Longmuir formed a team of young baseballers to play in the Cronulla Sutherland Junior Baseball Association's competition. From then on, the Club has grown into a strong Club which nows caters for all the young players in the Engadine community. From this one team in 1980, we grew steadily with more and more teams participating under the banner of the St John Bosco Youth Centre and we currently participate in all Junior Baseball age groups (Teeball - Under 8 & U9; Zooka - U10; Junior Baseball - U12, U14 & U17), Junior Softball, Senior Baseball and Senior Softball.
In the early days, all our games were played at Boystown Oval, Engadine. When the back netting had to be taken down, Junior Baseball moved to Heathcote Oval - the current Home Ground for Bosco Baseball. Teeball, however, continued at Boystown until the 1999/2000 season after which the Committee decided to unite all of our teams at Heathcote Oval. Our softballers, who do not participate in a Home and Away style competition, play all their games at Captain Cook Oval, Caringbah and use Heathcote Oval for training purposes.
Thanks to the co-operation of National Parks and the Sutherland Shire Council (particularly Cnr Jan Forshaw), and the hard work of our own Col Bowmaker, in addition groundsmans Scott Ingwerson & Laurie Hargave, we have been able to greatly improve the facilities at Heathcote Oval in regards to both safety and comfort for player and spectator. Nestled on the edge of the Royal National Park at Heathcote, we now are able to run three games simultaneously of a Saturday morning (1 Baseball & 2 Teeball/Zooka). Our fully, widely stocked canteen and sensational BBQ complete a wonderful day out at baseball.
In 2025, Heathcote Oval will be closed for renovations as part of a major upgrade. Sutherland Shire Council is investing nearly $2 million into Stage 2 sports field improvements and will begin planning and design for Stage 3. This next stage includes upgrades to the car park and entry road, the addition of a multi-sport court, and enhancements to the clubhouse and amenities. More information is available here.