The Duality of a Softball Chick

If you keep up with the Softball is For Girls Facebook page – (which you should) you will notice that we receive hundreds of pictures of girls of all ages, playing softball.  We, at SIFG love these pictures – and are completely in love with our fans.  Recently, we received two pictures – which have received a lot of ‘likes’ on Facebook.  Not that every team picture isn’t ‘like worthy,’ these two pictures just seemed to have something extra special that really resonated with players, fans, coaches, and parents of fast-pitch softball.

Can you guess what that is?

Aside from awesome photographic talent and perfect photo-shopping, these photos clearly show the duality that is currently (and thankfully) available to women today.

If you think back to the movie, “A League of their Own,” and have paid attention to how slowly professional women’s sports are getting prime time television viewing times – you get an idea of the slow and painful journey that women athletes have had to endure.

Chances are if you have a daughter that is playing softball, the opportunities that she has – were not available to you when you were younger.  Chances also are that while YOU were growing up, the Women’s College World Series, or the WNBA, or even professional softball was not something that you would see on television or hear about in the mainstream media.  Today, companies like Louisville Slugger, Worth and Easton are finally taking our athlete daughters seriously, and fabricating campaigns that empower our daughters to bathe in the beauty of their duality.

There have long been far too many negative associations attached to female athleticism.  Worse, the past (and we are HOPING all the gender role expectations stay in the past) was also full of far too many limitations when it came to the opportunities available for female athletes.

Our little softball players – from Pony league to those at 18U USSSA Nationals – are all female athletes.  They are strong, and powerful.  They are capable, and FINALLY (finally) being taken seriously on the field.  It is okay for them to get dirty. It’s expected of them to be aggressive, to have both brute and brawn without compromising their femininity.  We shout things form the stands such as, “Rub a little dirt on it,” “Take one for the team,” or “You’re ok, suck it up!”

Girls today don’t really know how lucky they are, (Which is definitely a GOOD thing!)   To follow in the footsteps of someone like Jenny Finch, who is both beautiful and was taken seriously as a top competitor and female athlete.  Who is now balancing motherhood, being a wife – and her passions for the sport we all love.  Maybe our daughters (and their daughters and granddaughters) will have even more doors to open that will breakthrough dated gender roles and expectations.  As a mother of 4 daughters, I for one – certainly HOPE SO!