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Online now: 5 members: Ken6, Speedy33, TABLE SETTER 11, marvinknowles80, ricwood69; 109 anonymousDiscussion: Number of Senior Softball Players
| Posted | Discussion |
| June 8, 2006 Rod Men's 70 24 posts | Number of Senior Softball Players Can someone provide me with the approximate number of senior softball players, this would include all associations. Thank you, Rod Sweet |
| June 8, 2006 Fred Scerra Men's 80 542 posts | That would be very difficult to do as I would say more play outside of assoc than within the associations |
| June 8, 2006 bashbro1 Men's 70 267 posts | More than 2.5 million seniors play slowpitch nowadays, and Terry Hennessy, CEO of Senior Softball USA, is the largest senior softball association in the country. Terry predicts a 10% annual growth in coming years as fresh recruits (guys turning 50) hit the diamond. Source: Sports Equipment for Seniors Softball Popularity and Participation Numbers: Softball is the most popular participant sport in the United States. An estimated 56 million Americans will play at least one game of softball during a year. It is played by both genders socially as well as competitively, and was an Olympic sport for women from 1996 until the IOC removed baseball and softball from their list of Olympic sports in 2005. Softball is also popular in Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Source: Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Bashbro1 (W.E. Ruth 60's of Kent, WA SSUSA Worlds in Sept.) |
| June 9, 2006 rabbit Men's 70 319 posts | Hi, I find it hard to believe that many seniors are playing softball,but if it is true, they all must be playing in Florida or California, maybe Arizona, because they sure are not playing on traveling teams, everywhere we go it seems to be the same teams in all divisions, and we play in at least 9 or 10 tourneys a year around the country,so I see a lot of teams and they are the same teams wherever we go, for the most part,and that doesnt add up anywhere close to 2 million, I know of less then 15 teams in the whole state of Indiana in all divisions, just my opinion, What do you really think? |
| June 9, 2006 bashbro1 Men's 70 267 posts | Rabbit. Yes I agree that it seems like we’re playing the same teams too often @ the traveling type tournaments. Las Vegas Winter Worlds this year may have up to 200 teams in Nov. for example. If each team had a roster of 15 players the simple math is ~3000 players. However according to the United States Census from 2004, some 33,000,000 seniors indicated there participate in some form of “competitive” exercise. So, the 2.5 million of 33 million participating in the game of softball is only about 7.5% of all seniors engaging in some type of activity and is not a ridiculous number. Don’t forget that this 2.5 million number includes all the recreation centers, church leagues, business/corporate leagues, community centers etc.. Not every senior playing the game of softball is on an organized traveling tournament team. Again from Seniors Sports Equipment dot com: Today's seniors are more active — and competitive — than ever before. Thirty-three million (U.S. Census) of them participate in regular physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And as baby boomers age, this number will increase, says Matt Brennand, a product manager with Life Fitness, an exercise-equipment manufacturer in Schiller Park, Ill. Take senior softball. More than 2.5 million play nowadays, and Terry Hennessy, CEO of Senior Softball USA, the largest senior softball association in the country, predicts 10% annual growth in coming years as fresh recruits hit the diamond.” Bashbro1 (W.E. Ruth Realty 60's Major Plus playing out of Kent, WA home of this year's 2006 SSUSA/SSWC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS) |
| June 12, 2006 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | There's no disputing the numbers of baby boomers who will be reaching senior softball age over the next twenty years, but will they be playing? Participation is way down in open leagues across the country. New people aren't coming into the sport in the numbers we experienced when we were yournger. I think that senior softball will continue to grow for a few more years, but there will come a turning point when the numbers begin to decline. I can't see a newly minted 50 something taking up a sport at that age that he didn't play when he was younger. My guess is that we're in the "Golden Age" of senior softball --- or maybe that should be Golden Years. |
| June 12, 2006 bashbro1 Men's 70 267 posts | Hey Texas Transplant! Bashbro1 here plays for Ruth 60's Major Plus from Kent, WA and we'll be there in Plano July 14, 15, 16. I'm buds with GT (Greg Thomas) hope to talk shop with you during the tourney. Art Eversole (W.E. Ruth 60's) |
| June 12, 2006 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | I won't be playing at Plano until August since I play AAA, but I'll undoubtedly be out to watch. The fields are about 3 miles from my home. I'll look for you. As a heads up, be ready for some fast infields. It's realy been dry her for hte last 10-12 month.s |
| June 12, 2006 bashbro1 Men's 70 267 posts | TT: I heard it's been dry in those parts and we're bring our own water from Seattle to drink during the tournament cause GT said they were served "very small cups" of water during their last tourney recently! LOL Art Eversole |
| June 12, 2006 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Yeah, but there were lots of those little cups. |
| June 13, 2006 DoubleL10 Men's 70 907 posts | We were in Plano for the All American Classic a couple of weeks ago and the infields were like playing in a parking lot. They could not water them between games due to restrictions. And as hot as it was, they got hard very quickly. A word of advice on the water in the dugouts - bring your own cup so you can have enough to drink. You do not want to get dehydrated in this Texas heat! I live in Houston and I thought it was hot here, but Dallas is definitely hotter! LL |
