This is a great article and defiantly spot on. This new softball culture has been tough for an old school baseball guy like myself to swallow/follow... I was fortunate enough to play DI baseball and the experience/travel/friends made were amazing. In fact it is likely the reason I met my wife. However, recruiting was not on my mind until probably my senior year of high school. Trust me, I get it.. times have changed, social media in my option has been the guiding force behind this culture shift in softball. It is hard to not see what other teams/players/friends are doing. Everyone does not want to be last in line or left out. This is true for the young girls playing the game but especially the parents as well. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing if the girl loves and is dedicated to the game of softball. But us as parents and coaches need to be very conscious of the presser we are likely putting on these young girls.
In the end, it is still a game and to enjoy a game and want to play it, it has to be enjoyable. If it is not enjoyable, it does not matter how much talent a young lady has, they will lose interest and the desire to get better.
I am accepting of the culture change in softball. But see the need to continue to remind my daughter and the girls I coach why they fell in love with the game in the first place.
Jason Gamble
