Team sports bring people together.

Health

Community

Connection

Who we are

Led by a voluntary Board, whISPers Softball Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Softball Corporation is a family-focused softball club based in Canberra. Our members, volunteers and officials facilitate and compete in local softball competitions, with some representing the ACT and Australia.

We were established in 2001 and incorporated on 17 September 2008 under the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC).

We support each other and our community, on and off the field.

What we do

Reconciliation and family fun are built into our club culture. While softball is the centre of our club, we’re embedded in the community.
Our goals are to:

establish junior and senior softball teams at all levels
secure funding and sponsorships to support our teams
help our members, players and volunteers to develop skills
provide culturally appropriate team settings in the ACT and Queanbeyan
encourage health and wellbeing, social inclusion, self-esteem and self-confidence in our club
promote the club and other events or activities within our communities.

History

whISPers Softball began in 2001 with one women’s team made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mums coming together to play the game they loved. Supported by the Indigenous Sport Program, the whISPers name reflects our early commitment to community, health and connection through sport.

One of those founding players was Ms Joanne Lesiputty, the first Aboriginal woman to represent Australia in softball. Jo chose to give back to community by creating safe, supportive sporting pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people across the ACT and NSW regions.

From those early days, whISPers has grown into a place where mob of all ages can play, learn and belong – with family, culture, laughter and support at the centre. In 2008, whISPers became an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation, proudly registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations as whISPers Softball Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

Corporation Vision

To promote health and wellbeing through the provision of softball participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and the wider community in a respectful, inclusive and cultural manner, free of systemic racism.

Logo

The logo is owned and designed by whISPers Softball Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation. It incorporates the Aboriginal colours of red, black, yellow, and Torres Strait Islander colours of white, green, and blue.

The stick figure represents the people aligned with playing and families, directors, members, and community associated with the club.

The ball in the background represents the softball competitions and culture that bring us all together for cultural and social healing through laughter, cultural learnings and acknowledgement to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

whISPers is committed to Indigenous health across Australia and aligned with the Closing the Gap initiative, to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to forge our own pathways and reach our goals in all areas for quality of life.