A LOOK AT WHO WE ARE

April 1, 2015 – Ross McCulligan

Softball Number One Sport for Boomers

By Ross McCulligan

Softball News Report

Softball began as an afterthought on a Chicago Thanksgiving Day in 1887.

Two groups of alumni from Harvard and Yale assembled at the Farragut Boat Club to hear the score of a football game between their distinguished Ivy League schools, when one of the alums threw a bound-up boxing glove at a rival, who batted it away with a broomstick.

The first softball game ensued.

Today, 128 years later, softball is the number one sport in America for men and women 55 and older and the number two sport for those aged 45-54, according to the latest study from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

Who is the senior softball player of 2015?

To find out, Senior Softball-USA surveyed active players last month. Here’s a snapshot of the results:

* The average male is 67 years old, the average female is 58 years old. Most, 77 percent, have played some type of organized softball for the past 20 or more years.

* They play an average of seven tournaments per season.

* A small majority, 52 percent, participate in leagues and of those, most average participation in two leagues per year.

* They have an average disposable income of $38,250 per year.

* The most frequent purchase is bats (67 percent), with shoes and gloves representing 28 percent and 4 percent of their purchases respectively.

* More than 43,000 players compete in Senior Softball-USA leagues and tournaments, with 27,000 of those players comprising the best and most competitive senior players in America.

According to the SFIA study, there are 1.5 million softball participants in the United States older than age 45 and the last few years have shown a drop in league participation throughout the country, especially in the younger divisions.

While nationwide league participation is down, Senior Softball-USA league sanctioning is on the rise.

“We have seen tremendous growth over the last year in our sanctioned leagues,” said Stephanie Hopkins, SSUSA’s executive assistant for leagues. “We currently sanction leagues in 205 cities across the United States and continue to grow every day.”

The baby boomer generation grew up with America’s past time and baseball legends such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. To them, baseball provided entertainment but more than that, it provided a tangible definition of what it meant to be American.

The game is only that…a game, but it is the characteristics of baseball that make it so appealing: competition, emotion, patience, persistence, determination, athleticism, camaraderie and freedom.

For the players of Senior Softball-USA, slow pitch softball has become a way to transition from the youthful demands of baseball to a game able to be enjoyed by those well into the twilight of their lives.

As former baseball and fast pitch players continue to age, slow pitch softball provides a way to stay active and healthy while still being able to enjoy everything the sport provides.

It has truly become America’s game.

And women, accounting for only about 10 percent of the senior softball players today, is by far the fastest growing segment of the sport.

The growth of women in senior softball can be attributed to many factors but the influence of Title IX, enacted on June 23, 1972 is undeniable.

Title IX provided women in the educational and workplace sector equal opportunity to attend colleges and pursue careers – and sports -- of their choice. As a result, women’s high school and collegiate athletics flourished. Since Title IX’s implementation the growth of the women’s division has increased dramatically.

“Before Title IX there was little opportunity for women’s sports to grow, but its enactment has broken down barriers to allow women to enter the sport in large numbers,” said Terry Hennessy, chief executive officer of Senior Softball-USA. “Along with the popularity of fast-pitch softball, we expect that the number of women entering the sport of senior softball will only continue to grow over the next three to four decades.”

The retirement of the baby boomer generation continues to be a major factor in the growth of the sport. As life spans increase and the length of retirement becomes greater, many new players are migrating towards the game.

The goal of Senior Softball-USA has remained unchanged since its inception in the spring of 1988 by founder Bob Mitchell.

“We are dedicated to informing and uniting the senior softball players of America and the world,” said Mitchell, who died in 2010. “Our goal is to provide the opportunity for any senior to play softball.”

The average senior softball player is, in one word, loyal. They are loyal to a game that they have enjoyed for the better part of their lives, whether that be baseball, fast pitch or slow pitch. Senior Softball-USA leaders say they hope to continue to provide players with the opportunity to enjoy the game through premier tournaments and sanctioned leagues.

“We have brought thousands of seniors the opportunity to remain healthy and vibrant during the golden years of their lives,” said Hennessy. “And that is a precious gift indeed.