The History of Softball
The history of softball can be traced back to 1887 when a group of college men gathered in a gym in Chicago's Farragut Boat Club to listen to a football game. One of the young men picked up a boxing glove and threw it at someone who hit it with a stick. George Hancock was the young man who threw the glove and is considered to be the inventor of softball. The game was played indoors for many years. Hancock was responsible for developing the rules and called the game indoor baseball. The game was moved outside and was played on a smaller version of a baseball field and the name was changed to indoor-outdoor baseball. In 1926 the name was changed again to softball.
Majority of the players were boys or men in those early years, but today softball is primarily played by girls and women, with most of the interest being fastpitch. Softball was finally accepted as an Olympic sport in 1996. In 2008 the U.S.A. Softball Team placed second in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee has voted to no longer include softball. There is a petition to have this changed so that by the 2012 Olympics, it is once again included.

The History of Softball

The history of softball can be traced back to 1887 when a group of college men gathered in a gym in Chicago's Farragut Boat Club to listen to a football game. One of the young men picked up a boxing glove and threw it at someone who hit it with a stick. George Hancock was the young man who threw the glove and is considered to be the inventor of softball.

The game was played indoors for many years. Hancock was responsible for developing the rules and called the game indoor baseball. The game was moved outside and was played on a smaller version of a baseball field and the name was changed to indoor-outdoor baseball. In 1926 the name was changed again to softball.

Majority of the players were boys or men in those early years, but today softball is primarily played by girls and women, with most of the interest being fastpitch. Softball was finally accepted as an Olympic sport in 1996. In 2008 the U.S.A. Softball Team placed second in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee has voted to no longer include softball. There is a petition to have this changed so that by the 2012 Olympics, it is once again included.

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