Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
You need to remember, stepping into the pitch is relatively new to the women's/girl's game. Fifteen-twenty years ago, many of the girls playing the game had a swing which more resembled a batter standing erect and dragging the bat around with hip rotation. Usually, it was only at the higher levels of play that you saw players attack the ball. Once the NCAA really developed a good softball program along with the Olympics did more people take the women's game in a more serious manner and it has been soaring since then.
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There were national championships for women's college softball prior to the NCAA deciding it was OK for women to play sports? The high school game is over 35 years old in some states? The NCAA didn't develop a "good softball program" it was already there. Don't give the NCAA credit for popularizing or improving any women's sport when they excluded women athletes for years.
In 1966, my wife played in a local softball league that had over 400 girls in it.
The evolution of women's college sports
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women at Wikipedia
AIAW Champions
The
Brakettes have been in existence for over 60 years.
There was a
pro softball league in 1976.
Some Softball History scroll down for the women's listings.
My point is that the women's/girl's fastpitch game is older and has a much broader history than you can see on ESPN during the NCAA championships. Softball players have been "stepping into the pitchl" both literally and figuratively for much longer than most people are aware of and with a whole lot more athletic ability and talent than they receive credit for. The people who were involved in the women's/girls game 40 (or more) years ago were pretty serious about the game.