Boys playing softball?

[FastBat]

Has anyone seen or heard of boys playing fastpitch softball at any level? This past weekend someone told me a 12u rec/travel fall league had 3 boys playing on a girls softball team. The boys played SS, 2B, and CF. The team with the boys lost, but that's the first I have ever heard of that. I just wondered how prevalent that was in the softball community. I know my dd wouldn't mind playing against a team with a few boys on it, but I have mixed feelings about boys playing softball with girls. Or boys and girls on one team, playing against an all girls team. I also wonder if it's legal or what the rule book says about boys playing in ASA, PGF, etc.

 

[daboss]

I believe we all expected it at some level. My guess is it was an isolated incident due to the fact it is fall ball and many teams struggle to have enough players to field a team this time of the year. I will not past judgement on the subject yet. Yes, I'm being a coward because it most certainly will end up stepping on somebody's toes if sanctioning bodies are forced to deal with it. My opinion included.

We are all aware of the men's leagues in fastpitch. While I understand the desire to play this entertaining game by all, I've already made some men mad at me for passing judgement on the topic. Unpopular is an understatement but I believe my feelings on the subject are sound. Perhaps I'll share that someday and have a contingent of men ticked off at me. Maybe I'll wait till I don't care anymore................

 

[wow]

Boys playing is a great opportunity to be the lesser talent. At the younger ages the girls are much better all around and would teach the boys some humility. The problem is by 14U the boys physically are much stronger and typically faster. Now that does not mean they could hit any better! I think the higher level girls would dominate even at 16-18 simply because any boy would have a baseball mindset and would simply lack softball IQ. The best part about fastpitch is its FAST, much faster than baseball and you have be thinking all the time. A 4 hour baseball game is enough time to paint your living room!

Cant wait till some ACLU lawyer files and we see boys on the field. That's gonna be funny.

 

[MCS21]

Wait until the sex changes start....jk
True story here.... I played baseball all my life including in college. Finished college and coached both high school baseball and American Legion baseball for about 5 years. This spring I take my 15 year old daughter to a high school baseball game so she can watch a male friend play and decide to stay and watch. By the 4th inning my daughter sees me disgusted and restless and she asks "what's wrong?"

I tell her "I dont know how I loved this game for so long! I played baseball for almost 20 years and coached another 5 and this is the most boring sport I've ever seen! Softball is so much more of a faster paced game and constant movement and changing hands in a game. I could never go back to coaching baseball now that I've coached fastpitch softball for the last 9 years."

Kudos to our DD's for working so hard at a sport that is so fun to watch and making it enjoyable and fun.