Is The Economy Hurting Softball?

[bostonpete]

As I read the posts, one thing seems to really hit me. Is interest in softball lessening? Long established leagues are folding or merging, tournaments posted seem to have little to no interst, and in the league I play in, it looks as though for the second consecutive year we will have less teams competing. Is the economy to blame? Do people not have the money to invest in equipment, fees, or cdertainly travel to tourneys? Are sponsors so tapped that they do not sponsor any more. Or is there other reasons?

 

[patdapitcher]

I think you hit it pretty much on the head, sponsorship is very very hard to get. Without sponsorship teams end up sponsoring themselves, in our league that's over a $120 -$125 bucks a guy, just to cover the league fee and umpires. Now we have to get uniforms, us we use T-shirts maybe a hat, everyone gets their own pants/shorts another $25 now your at $150 a guy just to start. But you know $150 bucks really isn't all that much, to do something you love. What happens it seems is that when my dad and your dad were playing, life didn't seem as busy as it is today. Kids little league and travel ball, TIME is a huge factor I'm down to one league this year (used to play in 4 or 5). Local tournaments only, expense and time being the main reason. I think it is a combination of factors but expense and time being the main culprits.

 

[gofisch]

I agree that Sponsorship has a lot to do with it. When I first started playing almost every team had a Sponsor. Now, not so much. I would love to travel to tournaments, but I can't get guys to commit, plus without Sponsorship its more than I can afford. What about the Video game generation? How many young guys are you seeing in your leagues?

 

[Coachb12]

I think alot of it has to do with jobs.If you are lucky enough to have one you most likely have to work overtime and weekends.You can't tell your boss you have a softball game.We would like to to go to tournaments but when you total up airfare hotels and car rentals it's alot.Alot of small business owners don't sponsor teams because they have cash flow problems.It's hard enough to get money from some guys.When they take a dollar out of their wallets George Washington rubs his eyes.Some guys don't have the money so if you have a sponsor like a bar or restaurant the sponsor gets no return on his investment and drops the team.The only sponsor I had that didn't expect us to be regular customers was a funeral parlor.

 

[kalata31]

I agree with all of you. TIME and MONEY. That's life. Wisconsin, you have some well sponsored teams and then some not so much. A lot of teams do local tourney's with only about 20 to 30 doing any kind of traveling out of state, and most of that is Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. We do see the younger generation getting in here, as for my team I'm 29 and only have 2 guys older than me that play.

 

[bostonpete]

Nice Responses

Great so far guys. I agree with time. I have five kids, two of whom play on travel teams, and it used to be that I would play in a tourney every weekend somewhere. Now when i get the chance, there seems to be a schedule conflict. The other thing I saw was commitment, 20 years ago all I had to do is say tournament next weekend, give the location, and boom we went. Today it seems like I have to beg guys to go out of league play, although most usually use work or money as reasons to not go. I guess for me, it's just nice to reminisce about the old days.

 

[bramptonfire]

Not sure about you guys but up here I think that fuel is going to hurt our leagues and tourneys. Right now gas is about a 1.20 per litre on average, so thats about 4.80 per gallon. Guys I don't think are gonna be so apt to jump in their cars and trucks and drive an hour to go play in a tourney if its going to cost and extra 20 - 25 bucks to do it. I could be wrong, but I know personally, its going to affect my decisions.

 

[Road Dog]

Lol

I think alot of it has to do with jobs.If you are lucky enough to have one you most likely have to work overtime and weekends.You can't tell your boss you have a softball game.We would like to to go to tournaments but when you total up airfare hotels and car rentals it's alot.Alot of small business owners don't sponsor teams because they have cash flow problems.It's hard enough to get money from some guys.When they take a dollar out of their wallets George Washington rubs his eyes.Some guys don't have the money so if you have a sponsor like a bar or restaurant the sponsor gets no return on his investment and drops the team.The only sponsor I had that didn't expect us to be regular customers was a funeral parlor.

This made me LOL and it's gotta be sig worthy. How did you get a funeral parlor is sponsor your team anyways?

 

[Coachb12]

Funeral Sponsor

The team was a men's baseball team that played in The Twyford Muche Sunday Morning League and The B&A Jewlers Weeknight League on Staten Island.Our first sponsor was a cemetary monument maker.The owner's nephew was our ace pitcher and is the foremen at The Catholic Cemetary next to the monument maker.He was fond of saying he was the last guy to let you down.The owner of the funeral parlor had a son who pitched and our pitcher gave him advice that helped him become better.The funeral parlor owner was so happy he sponsored our team.When we all go to softball heaven we get a discount on our bat shaped coffins and softball shaped tomb stones and the dirt above the grave will be shaped like a pitcher's mound.

 

[WI Modified]

I agree with all of you. TIME and MONEY. That's life. Wisconsin, you have some well sponsored teams and then some not so much. A lot of teams do local tourney's with only about 20 to 30 doing any kind of traveling out of state, and most of that is Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. We do see the younger generation getting in here, as for my team I'm 29 and only have 2 guys older than me that play.

20 or 30 teams that travel?? Would love to know where they are traveling to. I played for two different modified teams last season, and there was virtually no overlap between the two. I saw the same teams for the most part depending on which team I was playing with that weekend. As far as the states you listed, does Illinois have modified? I've played in Iowa and against teams from Michigan and Minnesota, but haven't come across an Illinois modified team in my 15+ years of playing.

 

[blakcherry329]

IMO, Slowpitch is the reason for modified being down. When I started, slowpitch was kinda looked down upon and modified was the thing to do. I used to play 6 days a week, only one was slowpitch and that was to sub. Now you can't find a modified tourney around NNJ. Everyone wants to play slowpitch and see how far they can hit the ball.

 

[kalata31]

WI Modified
20-30 teams I was including slow pitch teams. I know this is a modified forum but around here you only have 3 leagues that I know of, so many guys play both. I, myself, play only modified and will sub for some of the weekend traveling slow-pitch teams but that is very few and far between. Out of all the modified teams that I know I would say only 6 probably do any kind of traveling out of state. TPS, Jim Beam, both of the Press Box teams, and maybe 1 or 2 from our league. The original post stated softball, so I was talking softball in general. Where are you from, who do you play for?

 

[blakcherry329]

WI Modified
20-30 teams I was including slow pitch teams. I know this is a modified forum but around here you only have 3 leagues that I know of, so many guys play both. I, myself, play only modified and will sub for some of the weekend traveling slow-pitch teams but that is very few and far between. Out of all the modified teams that I know I would say only 6 probably do any kind of traveling out of state. TPS, Jim Beam, both of the Press Box teams, and maybe 1 or 2 from our league. The original post stated softball, so I was talking softball in general. Where are you from, who do you play for?

Sorry, I assumed modified. My bad I'm from Northern NJ.
I don't travel anymore. I played in Deer Head a few times. I play in Jersey City, Park Ridge, and North Bergen modified leagues, bowling and sling. I pitch bowling style. I do play slowpitch, also, cuz I can pitch. Hitting that stuff is another story.
I don't really see a drop off in slowpitch, just modified. At least in my area...