Coaches set goals as WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals open in Oklahoma City

The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2025 will open on Saturday in Oklahoma City, USA. A day before opening day, the head coaches of the eight participating teams spoke with the WBSC about their expectations, goals, and biggest strengths.

"Everyone comes in with the expectation that they want to be standing on that stand at the end in the gold medal game. So that's what we're setting for ourselves up to do. That's what we've asked our athletes to prepare for and play like every single day," said Kyla Holas, USA head coach.

"We do have some returners from previous World Cups. I think that's a huge advantage when you've already had a World Cup underneath you, and a title underneath you to be able to come in and help share that experience with the other athletes, and then also be able to explain the expectations and what it feels like to do that," added Holas.

"I think any time you come into this type of event, top eight in the world, you're aiming to be in that gold medal match, and for us, that's the goal," expressed Adriana Perez, Mexico National Team head coach. "This team is really athletic, but one thing that we brought in differently is speed. We have speed coming into our lineup, and that's something that we didn't have before. We have a strong outfield. We feel really confident with our pitching. All the way around, we're just well-rounded. So I'm excited about that. I'm just excited to bring in a little bit more depth into our lineup," she said.

For Japanese head coach Yosuke Sato, performance comes first, and then the results follow. "First of all, we want the players doing their best; and after that, the results are coming. We strongly believe in that, so our first goal will be to do our best at every game," he explained.

Asked about the attributes of the team, he highlighted unity. "I would say our biggest strength is the team, the whole team. We're a good defensive team; and defence sets the tone. After that comes the offensive."

For Weigang Huang, China’s head coach, player performance is also the most important aspect of the tournament. "We have been preparing for a long time. Our expectation is that every athlete can perform at their normal level through this competition and achieve the best possible results," he mentioned. "We hope to qualify from the group stage into the finals, and then achieve the best possible results."

Daniela Viktorynova, Czechia’s head coach, said she and her team are excited to be in Oklahoma City for the Finals. "We are back-to-back European champions. And we want to think about our dream, which is a medal, and also our goals, which is come to the top four. So first, we aim to advance to the Super Round, and then would be in the podium." She also mentioned that this Czech lineup is strong and dangerous. "They can hit, they really can hit. So we will see if it will be enough for this tournament. I believe we can do it."

Puerto Rico is also aiming to be on the podium again, just as in the last two editions of this tournament. "The goal is for the girls to come together, have fun, enjoy the game, and, if God allows, to win a medal," said Alexis Barbosa, head coach of the team. "Our main strength is defence - the defence and the pitching. Those are our biggest assets."

Yun-Hsi Liu mentioned that Chinese Taipei is a well-rounded team with many facets to highlight. "Our pitchers have a pretty good speed, and the hitters are doing great. So we have a well rounded team," he said.

Liu added that the pressure is there for the team because the challenges they are facing are getting bigger and bigger. "We have to move forward and break through the pressure. Yeah, there is some pressure. But of course, because we are focusing on aiming higher and higher. We just keep grinding and keep going forward," he closed.

Keith McIntosh is leading Canada, who are aiming to claim their second medal in the history of the event. "I think the goal for every World Cup is being in the podium, and that's definitely our goal. 2019 was the first time we were on the podium, and we hope to repeat that," he said. "I think our pitching is going to be pretty solid. As far as an overall pitching staff, I think we've got a pretty good pitching staff."