WORLD SOFTBALL DAY

WORLD SOFTBALL DAY

World Softball Day falls on June 13 to celebrate the fun team sport known as softball. The day aims to inspire future generations of girls and boys to become empowered through sport.

#WorldSoftballDay

Softball was invented by George Hancock in 1887, a reporter for the Chicago Board. The game was initially created as an indoor sport, which is why some call softball an indoor baseball. Interestingly, it has also been called mushball or kittenball.

In 1933, the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASAA) organized softball in the United States. Originally played by men, women began playing softball after the ASAA organization was created. It’s believed that American servicemen during WWII helped spread the sport to the rest of the world after the servicemen played and taught the sport in countries where they served.

The International Softball Federation (ISF) was formed in 1965, with the world headquarters and training center located in Plant City, Florida. There are around 127 national governing bodies, representing countries around the world.

Here are a few fun dates to know about softball:

  1. Softball became popular in the UK in 1973 after a movie called A Touch of Class was released.

  2. An announcement was made on June 13, 1991, that softball would be added to the Summer Olympics.

  3. Softball was played for the first time during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The U.S. won the gold medal in 1996, as well as the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics.

  4. Japan won the gold medal in softball during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

  5. Softball was not played during the Summer Olympics in 2012 or in 2016.

HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD SOFTBALL DAY

The best way to observe this day is to round up your friends and neighbors for a fun game of softball. You could also attend a softball game or encourage your kids to take up the sport. Here are some other ways to participate:

  • Learn the rules of softball and why it’s different than baseball.

  • Watch a movie with softball, like A League of Their Own or All-Stars.

  • Read about famous softball players such as Dot Richardson, Jennie Finch, and Lisa Fernandez.

Have you ever played softball? Today is the perfect day to share your softball story or photo on social media. Don’t forget to use #WorldSoftballDay when sharing!

WORLD SOFTBALL DAY HISTORY

June 13 marked the date it was announced softball would be included in the Summer Olympics. World Softball Day has been held every year since 2005.

The first-ever world softball championship was played in February 1965 in Melbourne, Australia. Throughout 2005, the ISF celebrated the 40th anniversary of that first championship tournament. On June 13th, 2005, Don Porter (then President of the ISF), declared the day as World Softball Day.