Reinstatement of Softball Into the 2016 Olympics

“PLAY BALL!!” This is a saying that has been used for many years in softball as well as in baseball. Now, those two words will not be heard in the Olympics for at least half a decade. Softball is a big part in the lives of many women and taking it out of the 2012 Olympics is crushing their dreams. The sport should be reinstated in the 2016 Olympics because the sport will die if it is not, it gives young girls a dream, and it will greatly decrease the amount of women participating in the Olympic Games. Softball has been in the Olympics since 1996 and now the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to take it out. Taking softball out of the Olympics cut the amount of funding to the USA team which means that they are not able to tour as long or play as many games. An online article titled “USA softball Faces Precarious Future without Olympics” proves this by stating the following; “losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in support from the U.S. Olympic Committee means a limited travel schedule, less time to practice and no stipends that would allow players to give up every day jobs” (Associated press 1). If players cannot give up their every day jobs, then they will get too caught up with them and end up giving up the sport permanently. Jay Miller, U.S. head coach, says that “[i]n the past, out Olympic years especially, kids could make a pretty good living playing for the national team, where now they cannot” (Associated Press 1). With softball not being an Olympic sport it will not be easy to stick around just because you have a deep love for it. Ron Radigonda, the executive director of the Amateur Softball Association that runs USA softball, says that having “that Olympic program just [brings it] to the next level” (Associated Press 1). Cooke states that “[t]aking softball out of the Olympics really hurt the sport. There are a ton of talented girls with no place to go. College softball truly is the last real stop for these