There has always been a stereotype about softball constantly comparing it to baseball. Girls' sports were never really something that anyone would stop and watch when they clicked by them on TV. The College World Series has been broadcasted on ESPN for 16 consecutive years, but I have noticed a new respect for softball that I have never seen before by people of all kinds. A video was released several years ago by ESPN called "Sport Science: The Speed of Softball" that spread quickly across the internet and gained respect for the game.
If you didn't want to watch this video and you're curious as to what ESPN thinks is so interesting about softball, here's a few facts for you!
1. The infield in softball is less than half the size of a baseball infield, making the game almost entirely about speed.
2. The pitcher throws from only 43 feet away, and with her stride, only about 39-40. This means at 70 mph, the pitch can reach the plate in 35 hundredths of a second, which means the batter has even less time to decide if she wants to swing or not.
3. Infielders have even less time to react to a ground ball (and get up and throw), since the runner only has to run 60 feet to first base.
I am happy that softball is starting to get the recognition it deserves. ESPN's promotion of the College World Series for the past 16 years has done wonders for the popularity of the sport. There are rumors that softball may even be making its return for the 2020 Olympics.
Division 2 and 3 softball is not something to be overlooked either. I no longer feel like I am being looked down upon when I say I am a division 3 college softball player, because I know that the sport in general is starting to get the recognition it deserves. No matter what level, collegiate softball requires great physical and mental capacity, and I know that more and more people are beginning to recognize this.
If you weren't already interested, go ahead and turn on ESPN. I promise you will be amazed by the fast pitching and amount of junk pitches. You will be amazed by the speed of the game, along with the intensity of the games. Join the mass amounts of people who have began to give the sport the mass amounts of respect it deserves.
