Softball is Here to Stay

By Marian Kalika

Women’s sports have never gotten more traction and recognition than professional male sports leagues—that's a fact. Nonetheless, there is never a better time than the present. Although softball has a long history as a sport, the professional time-line of it is brief. The sheer competitive nature and fast paced style is beginning to gain traction in the media, and there is one thing that most viewers of softball can agree on: the game is exciting. 

Softball has never been more nationally televised in the world than now, with an average of 1.6 million viewers in the 2023 Women’s College World Series, ESPN has announced. The pace of the game is fast, exciting, and has begun to attract the attention of many people here in the United States, especially on the collegiate level. Oklahoma State University is regarded as one of the top four best colleges in the world for intercollegiate sports. The university has secured their third straight consecutive title in the Division 1 Softball National Championships as of June 8, 2023. 

The Women’s College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA women’s softball tournament. This highly respectable tournament is held in Oklahoma city every year to determine the top college softball team nationally. The winning team in each region of the U.S advances to the WCWS, where they can demonstrate their skills and compete at one of the highest levels. Considering the respectability of this organization, where does the future of softball lay after the WCWS? 

The lack of professional softball leagues does not provide a secure future for the thousands of talented softball players across the country. The only official league, Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF), has barely launched its first season in 2023. Within its success, a new reality for the sport has been paved. 

The Olympics first introduced softball to the games in 1996, but later removed it in 2008 due to its lack of popularity outside of North America. Nonetheless, the game was included in the Olympics program of 2021 and was assumed to be included in the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, the sport has been left out of the upcoming games and will be included in the 2028 games. A chance to compete at the highest level and develop one's career outside of intercollegiate sports is a dream of many women athletes. 

Now is the time to officially recognize softball as a respectable sport that can successfully thrive on an international level. Like many women’s sports, softball has been the underdog for far too long. With the NCAA Division 1 Softball tournament coming up this spring, and the 2028 Olympics to look forward to, the sport of softball has a bright future that is worth looking forward to.