Insights&Inspiration

BaseballforAll.com

Check it out, and read up on what we’re up to – lots of good stuff!  You’re going to hear a lot more about the girls Baseball for All works with in the very a future, I am certain. (more…)

This is just a great little story I want to keep spreading the word on.

The ESPN E:60 story itself, along with the two teasers, are just really well done pieces highlighting a great story with a great message.

The focus of the story – Chelsea Baker – is just playing a sport she loves and giving it her all. But by doing so, she is also really helping to break down some huge barriers in women’s sports in general.

You go Chelsea!

Chelsea Baker E:60 Teaser

Chelsea Baker E:60 Teaser 2

Or if you have a few minutes, watch the complete ESPN E:60 story

This post is for those of you who – when I say “I play baseball” – say “Oh, you mean softball?”.  The misconception is far far too common, and something needs to be done to educate people that #1, girls can an do play baseball, and #2, baseball is an entirely different sport than softball.

The Gender Bias

I think we all fall into the trap of assuming that baseball is a man’s sport because historically, that is where the focus has been and we have not been taught otherwise.  Shoot, even in this post I found myself color-coding the “baseball” notes in blue and the “softball” notes in pink – obvious subconscious gender bias right there.  There is no sense in denying the facts – baseball used to be a male-only sport and for the most part has remained this way, other than a few instances of exceptional women fighting for a moment in the spotlight. (more…)

Me and Jen, Photo by the Awesome Angela Hill

Congratulations to Tiffany Brooks for being the “First American Female Pro Baseball Player of the 21st Century”!

You can find the press release here.

(more…)

I’ve been playing baseball in the California Women’s Baseball League for the past 4 years (on and off), and have became much more passionate
Photo by State Library and Archives of Florida on the topic since playing in the October Roy Hobbs Cactus Classic tournament held in Tucson, AZ.

A Little Background on Me and Baseball

I began playing little league baseball when I was 5 and absolutely loved it.  But after a few years of noticing fewer and fewer girls in the league, I realized it was because they were all switching over to softball.  I really wanted to stick with baseball, but felt the push to make the switch.  I switched back and forth a few times, and then eventually stuck with softball after realizing at a certain age the coaches were no longer willing to “put up” with having a girl on their team.  I wanted to be where the girls were, but wanted to play baseball.  I realized I couldn’t have both.

When I got to high school, I still had that itch, so I asked the baseball coach if I could try out for the team. He told me they were only allowed to let girls tryout if the school didn’t have a softball team, which they did.  Implied it was a rule, written in stone, so I reluctantly gave in and instead played 4 years of softball.

After high school, my old tournament softball coach contacted me to let me know he was coaching a team in the California Women’s Baseball League and he wanted me to come out for a tryout. And thats where I have stayed.

The Dilemma

But in reflection, it makes me sad that all these years all I wanted to do was play baseball and that I was constantly discouraged in various ways and convinced that it wasn’t a girl’s game and that softball was a fair alternative.  Now that I am much more mature in my knowledge of both games, I can tell you that not only is softball not a fair alternative, it is a completely and utterly different game.

What brought up these memories is reading this LA Times article:

A national pastime for only half the nation.

It features a girl I play ball with, Lillian Jacobson, and her mother Jennifer Ring, a college professor and social critic. Its a great article, and for anyone (guy or girl) who supports the concept of women being able to play baseball, I encourage you to read it.

If it peaks your interest further, Jennifer Ring has written a book that just recently was released called Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don’t Play Baseball.  You can get it on Amazon.

2016 Olympics here we come!