Mens FP
 

who or what would you consider to be the main reasons for diminished interest in the mens fastpitch game?

Much easier to act like Barry Bonds (in more ways than one) when playing slow pitch. ;)

Two things - slowpitch and all that comes with it, as Tom said and the expansion of available SP tournaments everywhere.


The other is the growth of club and travel baseball for HS age kids.

About 25-30 years ago, there was a very active and strong statewide Men's FP league in my area, about 12 or so teams scattered around the state. We usually spent Saturday evenings at the local ballpark watching the local boys play a DH in the summertime. We had tournaments both Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends, some really good FP softball.

Most of the kids that played HS and college baseball in the spring would play FP softball in the summer, because that was their only option. Some of the young kids even learned how to pitch from the veterans.

With the growth of travel and club baseball and the ability to play year round in some areas, the HS and college kids are playing baseball and not playing FP any more. There are also very few youngsters (20 somethings) learning how to pitch FP softball.

This is what I'm seeing here in my area, there are still a few pockets of Men's FP left, but nothing like it was. Kind of sad as I enjoy calling the Men's FP game.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it."

Slow pitch is easier.

Are you talking playing or umpiring? :p

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm sure my first time on a senior's field I will get run over.

I heard that some of the mens teams started wearing shorts like they did in JO, and it freaked everyone out.

I'm very sad to read that even in the States men FP has a hard time. I used to play FP from my 13th unit 29th. Then I started umpiring for the federation, before that time I ump-ed for our club.

Here in Holland it got so far that our Fed. even declared that Men FP is not TOP-sport anymore.:mad: That means especially that no fed.-blues are assigned to those games. The men misbehaved so no umpire wants to work there anymore. Wrong I my eyes: The men misbehaved, than the Fed. punished the men FP-league with bad umpires -not up to this kind of play yet-. So the male players complained and were punished again the loss of status TOP-sport and with that all Fed.-umpires and scorers.

I'm assigned to the European Championships Men FP<21. So I will see how men FP in the rest of Europe is developing; only five teams will be present.
Czech Rep., Denmark, Israel, Croatia and Great Brittan will compete. However I think the first two will play the final; simply 'cause they have a strong national competition...

After this tournament I will tell how about the future in men FP in Europe... (if someone is interested:rolleyes:)