Baseball or softball

[Anonymous]

I have a seven year old girl who wants to play for the first time this spring. How do I figure out if I should sign her up for softball or baseball? It seems like the leagues have pretty firm boundaries but only some offer softball.

[Anonymous]

When my oldest (boy) started t-ball, I was surprised there were almost no girls in the league. Maybe one per team. Now that my daughter is old enough and showing interest I realized there is a corresponding softball league that starts at age 5. When I was a kid, softball wasn’t an option until maybe second grade, so lots of girls played t-ball.

I would start her in softball if it’s an option where you are. My DS is 7 now and there was only one girl in the whole league at his level this past season.

[Anonymous]

My daughter played little league until 12. As she got older, there were fewer and fewer girls, and by the time she was done, I think she was one of two girls in majors. That said, after her team lost in the league’s playoffs, she didn’t want to take off her uniform because she knew it would be the last time she wore it.

She transitioned to travel softball, with more of a learning curve than I think she (or we) expected. She definitely missed some development in softball, but I don’t think she would have traded her LL experience for it. We have been very fortunate to be around great families (and players) in both sports.

[Anonymous]

Do you want her to play with mostly girls or mostly boys? Either is fine - but do what she wants, I think.

[Anonymous]

Travel softball coach here. At 7, I think either is fine. But I think she would ultimately find more camaraderie in softball.

While they're both diamond sports and I think girls should absolutely play baseball, over the years I've come to find that softball is actually a more exciting game, especially as they age. Softball is faster paced, more bang-bang mainly because the field dimensions don't change -- a 25 year-old Olympian is playing on the same size field as she did when she was 5 (although the pitching distance changes). In baseball, the field is 2/3 the regulation size until about age 12, I think.

From a dugout perspective, she will ultimately find more excitement as well. The cheers and chanting is a softball thing, whereas the boys are generally more stoic in baseball.

That said, whatever she chooses, prepare for some tedium. At that age there will be a lot of walks and the like. Softball (and baseball) doesn't really become more more competitive and exciting until about age 10 and typically only on travel squads. Rec is still fun, but travel will give them a more real playing experience.

[Anonymous]

My 10-year-old daughter has been playing baseball for several years. Our local Little League only offers baseball, but girls are allowed to play softball with a neighboring Little League. My daughter tried out softball when she was 7 or 8 and said that she didn't have a preference between the two. We decided as a family to go back to baseball with the local Little League, partly because the fields for practices and games were much more convenient and partly because our particular local league was more organized/better run.

She's had a great experience with baseball. She enjoys the sport and likes playing with kids she knows from school. The coaches and the other players have always treated her just like any other player, and she's never felt excluded even though she's usually the only girl on the team.

However, if your baseball and softball options are equally appealing in terms of convenience and other factors, I'd go with softball. Like a PP said, there will likely be more camaraderie in softball for a girl. I think my daughter would probably enjoy her time in the dugout during games more if she were with a group of girls. DH and I have also noticed that the gap between her strength and the boys' strength in hitting and throwing has gotten wider each year, making it harder for her to keep up competitively, although this could be overcome if she was interested in doing more training in the offseason. (She prefers to play other sports in fall and winter.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter played little league until 12. As she got older, there were fewer and fewer girls, and by the time she was done, I think she was one of two girls in majors. That said, after her team lost in the league’s playoffs, she didn’t want to take off her uniform because she knew it would be the last time she wore it.

She transitioned to travel softball, with more of a learning curve than I think she (or we) expected. She definitely missed some development in softball, but I don’t think she would have traded her LL experience for it. We have been very fortunate to be around great families (and players) in both sports.

I LOVE your daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my oldest (boy) started t-ball, I was surprised there were almost no girls in the league. Maybe one per team. Now that my daughter is old enough and showing interest I realized there is a corresponding softball league that starts at age 5. When I was a kid, softball wasn’t an option until maybe second grade, so lots of girls played t-ball.

I would start her in softball if it’s an option where you are. My DS is 7 now and there was only one girl in the whole league at his level this past season.

Why are you surprised when you are actively recommending that she NOT sign up her dd for baseball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want her to play with mostly girls or mostly boys? Either is fine - but do what she wants, I think.

If more girls played baseball than it would change. If no girls continue to join than it won't. I think we should have professional women's baseball leagues. Or even mixed. Women did it during WWII and it is one of a few sports than women and men can play together.

[Anonymous]

Ask her what she wants to play and then let her.

When I was that exact age, I LOVED baseball and was so passionate about it (still am!!), so it was all I thought about and wanted to play, but my mom said I had to sign up for softball (30 some years ago) because that's what girls played. Did I ultimately enjoy softball? Sure, for all the reasons people have said-hs softball bus trips were a blast! BUT, it's also the main reason I have sworn to always allow any child of mine to play their sport of choice. I'd think about it with that perspective in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want her to play with mostly girls or mostly boys? Either is fine - but do what she wants, I think.

I agree with this: sign her up for what she wants to play. My DD plays baseball and has no interest in softball; prefers to play with the boys.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PP - let her make her own choices. Kids know often what they want and by allowing them to make those choices are more invested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter played little league until 12. As she got older, there were fewer and fewer girls, and by the time she was done, I think she was one of two girls in majors. That said, after her team lost in the league’s playoffs, she didn’t want to take off her uniform because she knew it would be the last time she wore it.

She transitioned to travel softball, with more of a learning curve than I think she (or we) expected. She definitely missed some development in softball, but I don’t think she would have traded her LL experience for it. We have been very fortunate to be around great families (and players) in both sports.

This is important. If she may want to continue--and you have no idea, why not start her off in the sport where she can continue beyond age 12. I know a girl who just made the transition and she has struggled more than she expected. Also, not important at 7, but at 9 or 10, it is really for wonderful for girls to have a team of girls standing behind her.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live OP?

[Anonymous]

Our daughter plays baseball at a competitive level. She sees it as a completely different sport than softball. If she’s in baseball keep her in it and she’ll let you know if she wants to switch to softball in her own time. There’s also a Girls baseball league in DC. It’s gaining lots of traction especially with more and more women in positions in the MLB from a coaching perspective.