When do girls start playing softball

Softball cleats are key, while a softball bat is more optional, as most teams provide bats for the players to share. However, some players may perform better with their own bat, especially if they get into the habit of practicing with it.

Maybe your daughter has some experience with the game, or maybe she has none at all. Either way, take some time to get her warmed up before the first practice of the season. Throw the ball around the backyard, and have her practice fielding ground balls and catching pop-ups. After World War 2, more and more men prefer to play softball than baseball. Even as softball evolved, and more men started playing more softball, there is also this fear within the American that men would be slowly seen as feminine as they now start playing indoors while women started participating in outdoor sports.

In , Title IX was issued. Title IX gave women a fair opportunity in almost all sports. However, this law excludes baseball. Instead, Title IX mandates that there must be an equivalent sport that women can play, which, in this case, was softball.

As a result, schools had a right to prohibit girls from joining the baseball team as long as there is a softball team. We all know that baseball is a male-dominated sport while softball is reserved for girls and women. The short answer to this question is no, it is not just a sport exclusively for women. As mentioned previously, softball was originally invented and played by men, especially during winter when they are unable to play outdoors. In addition to that, boys would still play softball as the sport was seen as a safer and effective way to introduce baseball and its basic skills.

Nowadays, it is uncommon to see men play softball as the sport is often considered as a watered-down version of baseball. However, in , many professional softball leagues were disbanded. Even though softball is a female-dominated sport , men still continue to play softball recreationally. To answer this question, yes, sexism may have played a role in this, especially in the early days of softball.

The longer you wait, the more she will have to 'catch up' to the level of the other girls. I think the earlier you can get them out of rec ball, the better, less bad habits to break when they get into travel ball. Once they hit it is almost too late, depending on the athlete.

I also think burn-out is an individual thing. Some experience it and some do not. When she seen other girls were getting better at her age group playing select vs rec, she asked if she could play more than rec She'll only get out of it what she wants to put into it. If she seems ready, I think finding a good fit with coaches and team is is so important. Playing other sports, learning new positions great in long run anyways! For a specific age, I don't believe there is any one specific, but I believe for a 'majority' of girls 12u to 1st yr 14u is as late of a start as you may want.

FWIW, my oldest started travel at second year 14U and is now pitching in college. Didn't start pitching at all until That wasn't by design, I knew nothing about the existence of travel ball.

My younger kid started at 10U which to me is plenty early. A better question to me would be what age should they start playing the game at all.

My vote there would be 8. Few kids younger than that have enough coordination, strength, and most importantly attention span to play. I really think that is why you see a lot of kids quit both softball and baseball at a young age.

They get bored because nobody can play it with enough skill to make it interesting and frustrated that they can't do anything right. I doubt parents are the only people at a t-ball game cringing at the abomination it is.

On top of that, many develop bad habits at the very young ages to compensate for the lack of strength and coordination. Thus you end up with some horrendous looking swings, poor throwing mechanics, and wonderful memories of getting hit in the nose by ground balls because they can't control the glove.

Think about t-ball and the goal of the hitter and how best to accomplish that goal. They want to pull everything to the left side because they are ALWAYS safe and swing up at the ball so it goes in the air as far as they can because it looks pretty and nobody can catch it anyway.

Not at all the same goals you have when you are doing tee work for skill enhancement. Why is a kid playing the pitcher spot? They are one of the early learners who can actually catch something and throw the ball. The list goes on and on. Far more dirt piles are made and dandelions murdered than anything else at that level. So why not do everyone a favor and just skip it. They can catch up pretty quick when they have the coordination to actually do what they are supposed to do.

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I Accept Show Purposes. Season when played: Spring and summer elite teams or those in warmer climates may play year-round. Team sport: Both boys and girls can play baseball on kids' co-ed teams, and both boys and girls can also play softball.

Single-sex scholastic teams are also common, with the familiar junior varsity and varsity set-up.