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The first iteration of softball was invented by George Hancock and his friends while watching a Harvard vs. Yale football game.
After the football game, the players placed bets and an indoor game baseball started. But the ball was soft and did not require gloves. As a result of this game, George Hancock wrote down a list of rules and a big soft ball, and a bat that had a rubber tip on the end. -
"Indoor baseball" or softball had become very popular in the late 1880s. By wintertime in Chicago, this was a way to keep in shape for the baseball players because it could be played inside. Thus, a winter league was formed. The softballs were 10-20 8 in diameter. The smaller field would ensure way more action and offense than baseball. He decided to limit the games to seven innings. -
The Bloomer Girls baseball era lasted from the 1890s until’ 1894. Hundreds of teams, such as the All-Star Ranger Girls, Philadelphia Bobbies, New York Bloomer Girls, and Baltimore Black Sox Colored Girls, offered opportunities to young women to travel and play. They were only employed if they could hit, field, slide, or catch. -
As this sport was getting more popular as the years went on it spread all over the midwestern united states. Parts of Canada even started playing this sport. Everyone seemed to follow the same rules but the only difference was no one called it by the same name. People were calling it "diamond ball" "mush ball" and "pumpkin ball". Walter Hakanson officially made the term "softball" at a National Recreation Congress meeting. -
After a successful tournament where 55 teams competed from around the united states; one of the founders of the tournament thought it was time to have real regulations to follow. They set rules for different age groups, kids would have smaller balls than adults and teenagers. The field size varies between fastpitch and slowpitch. -
As Softball expanded and many teenage girls were playing colleges started giving out scholarships. This helped girls who could not afford college at its full price pay for college. This was an advantage because instead of quitting the sport you love and having a scholarship helps pay for the things you need to afford so you can keep playing. -
In Omaha, Nebraska the college world series was played. The series was a total of 32 teams from 8 different regions. The two finalists were UCLA vs. Fresno State. The winner ended up being UCLA. -
In the Olympics, softball had ben entered as a medal event. The US women's team had won all three events and that was when the popularity of the sport increased. Then, unfortunately, softball was dropped as a sport in the Olympics -
In 2004 the Women's pro fastpitch softball leagues formed four pro teams. These four teams would be broadcasted on MLB. com. And later that year they created a World Cup for softball so the teams could go against the best in the world. Once softball was taken out of the Olympics, this was their way of still being able to compete against each other. -
Today the National Women's Softball Association has 113 member countries, it has become very popular. In the united stated over 25 million people play. It has impacted many people's lives.