Softball was added to the Olympic games in 1996. This was a great opportunity for players to showcase their abilities on the international stage. Although there is a professional league for softball in the United States, players do not rely on it for income, only the opportunity to improve their skills and compete against others. Most female athletes compete for the pure fun that sports give them. They form a bond of sisterhood with other players in their sport. For women softball players, the dream of playing in the Olympics is the highest honor that one can obtain. This honor was taken away when softball and baseball were voted out of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games.
There is some speculation as to the reasons why softball was voted out of the games. Since softball became an Olympic sport in 1996, the United States has taken home gold in every Olympic tournament. Some believe that this supports the fact that other countries cannot be competitive in this sport. Eight teams faced off against one another in the 2008 Olympics. The teams were from the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Australia, Japan, China, Netherlands, and Chinese Taipei. Each of these softball teams has about 15-20 players, which means that now 120-160 players will not be able to perform at this level again.
Another alarming consequence of these cuts is decreased gender equality at the Olympic games. With the number of women that have been cut from the program, it is very difficult to understand the International Olympic Committees’ (IOC) decision. They haven’t really given any reasons that the sport should be cut from the games.
One of the biggest talking points when it comes to this issue is the link with baseball that seems to be in the IOC members’ minds. There are several obvious differences between the sports of softball and baseball. Among these differences are the size of the playing field, the pitching style, and the numbers of innings played. One of the reasons that the IOC looks unfavorably upon the sport of baseball is because the professional baseball teams in the United States won’t send their players to the games. The National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League both allow their professional players to participate in the Olympics. This disregard among professional baseball is obviously not the usual case, and really should not be a factor at all when considering softball for the games.
Perhaps one of the reasons that baseball won’t allow their athletes to participate in the Olympics is because of the strict drug use rules in the games. The IOC most likely looks down upon the sport of baseball because of all the steroid trials that have went on in recent years. As was noted earlier, most female athletes play for the joy of the competition and the bonds of friendship. They are not paid for what they do. There is no need for these women to use performance-enhancing drugs because their names aren’t going to go down in history books and they aren’t getting paid millions of dollars.
Softball has been nixed from the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. If people are going to make a stand for the game, they have to start now. Millions of little girls all over the world have lost a dream. They will never be able to represent their countries in the Olympic games. For many of them, college competition will be the height of their careers. Support the women of softball and fight to get softball back into the Olympic games.
