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Professional Women’s Softball – The International Softball Federation and Its Teams
Softball is nowhere near as popular as baseball, but with the introduction of the National Pro Fastpitch women’s league, it is gaining popularity in the US as a sport to watch live and on TV. Regardless of its viewing popularity, though, softball is widely played throughout elementary, high school, and college in the states. But where do players go after they graduate? There are a few options for post-grad softball: playing nationally and internationally.
Though softball has found popularity nowhere near American levels throughout the remainder of the globe, there has been some success in the international organization. The International Softball Federation holds its own local, regional, national and international competitions. They also work alongside the International Olympic Committee to plan the Olympic competition every four years at the summer games.
The International Softball Federation organizes world championships in women’s and men’s softball as well as all lower levels of play. With the exception of Africa, most continents are well represented. There are nineteen represented African nations, mainly those that are most developed on the southern tip and the southwestern horn. There are thirty four countries in North, Central and South America, twenty one member countries in Asia, thirteen in Oceana and forty European member countries.
Each year there are regional competitions as well as national events. The Women’s World Championship is held once every four years. Sixteen teams compete after winning varying qualifying games. The United States has won the most gold medals, eight, followed by Japan, Australia and New Zealand, each with one. Softball has been played as part of the Olympic Games since 1996.
It comes as no surprise that America often takes the gold in world championships; though softball is played in other countries nowhere else does it have the popularity as here, where many girls play either recreationally or scholastically.
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Source by Geoff James
