International Olympic Committee will not reinstate softball for the 2016 Olympic Games
- Posted 3 months ago|
- 25 comments
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Softball will not be included in the programme for the 2016 Olympic Games as the 15 members of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Executive Board decided Thursday at a meeting in Berlin. One of the seven sports in contention for the 2016 Games, softball was passed over in favor of golf and rugby as the list of possible additions was narrowed down to a final two candidates.
As you can see from above, it was a sad day for softball globally.
I was so saddened and disheartened by the announcement today by the IOC. So many have worked so hard playing, coaching, supporting, this great game of softball to get it where it is today. I, in my short time of 25 years playing this game have seen and experienced it transcend, transcend beyond imagination. Thanks to the many before us, past,present, and future. The opportunities, growing, expanding, becoming... finally. It is played in over 130 countries. We have never had a positive drug test in our sport. We send our best players. I could go on and on. In 2008, having Venezuela qualify for its first Olympic games in our sport is proof that we are growing. Japan getting its first Olympic Gold in our sport. It's Botswana qualifying for World Championships, these opportunities. What an amazing accomplishment for them all! Regarding Olympics, now we will not ever know Who would be there in 2012? Take Gold? 2016?
Luckily here in the US we are blessed! We are blessed with the incredible NCAA as a goal, a hope to achieve along with getting your education. We are so very very lucky! We have the NPF and PFX pro leagues to look forward to, to hope for. There will still be USA softball.
My heart is deeply saddened for the many countries who will not have this funding and the many opportunities that we have. Honestly, it will be tough to continue the growth globally that we have had with our sport without the funding and it not being an Olympic Sport. This makes my heart ache.
People asked me today if I would've played in 2016? I can't even begin to think about me in this situation. I've had the chance! Its the girls who didn't get the chance, the future! The millions of girls who play this sport world wide. Its the girls in Venezuela and Botswana that is who my heart aches for. As a female athlete and ambassador, your goal/hope is to create more for the future. It's to leave the game and know that you have seen it grow and now it is better because of your era. This makes me feel as though we let the future of our sport down. Opportunities now are not what they were, we today took a step backwards as a sport. For this, I am deeply hurt and sad!
Yet there is the future, there is those millions of girls out there... We will continue to fight the fight! I, being married to a MLB player especially realize how far we have to go, a long long ways. Ace at 3 years old has noticed it, "Mommy wheres your clubhouse?" Yes, I have seen how far we have come but today again I am reminded how far we still have to go!
There still will be a USA softball, so girls can still have the dream of wearing red, white, and blue! No, it won't be in the Olympics but it still will be the chance to compete for your great country. This is what we have to build upon. Our sport is too great not to prevail. We have to move on, continue to create opportunity for women in our sport all over the world! We look forward to hosting World Championships next year on our soil in Oklahoma City, next July! This is the event of the world, now "our" Olympics. As softball fans and players all we can do is play it and support it. Continue to prove to our world what a great sport we all know it is.
Young girls out there we pledge to do our best, give it everything we have! Our goal is for more, more opportunity for you than what we had/have! This being said next week there will be some incredible softball being played in Akron, Ohio. The NPF finals! For those of you who do not know, YES we have a pro league! The National Pro Fastpitch! Come out, support, be uplifted by watching some of the worlds best compete! We open up Thursday and finals are til Sunday finishing with a 1 Champion! I look forward to seeing you there!
Dreaming & Always Always Believing!!!!
#27
As you can see from above, it was a sad day for softball globally.
I was so saddened and disheartened by the announcement today by the IOC. So many have worked so hard playing, coaching, supporting, this great game of softball to get it where it is today. I, in my short time of 25 years playing this game have seen and experienced it transcend, transcend beyond imagination. Thanks to the many before us, past,present, and future. The opportunities, growing, expanding, becoming... finally. It is played in over 130 countries. We have never had a positive drug test in our sport. We send our best players. I could go on and on. In 2008, having Venezuela qualify for its first Olympic games in our sport is proof that we are growing. Japan getting its first Olympic Gold in our sport. It's Botswana qualifying for World Championships, these opportunities. What an amazing accomplishment for them all! Regarding Olympics, now we will not ever know Who would be there in 2012? Take Gold? 2016?
Luckily here in the US we are blessed! We are blessed with the incredible NCAA as a goal, a hope to achieve along with getting your education. We are so very very lucky! We have the NPF and PFX pro leagues to look forward to, to hope for. There will still be USA softball.
My heart is deeply saddened for the many countries who will not have this funding and the many opportunities that we have. Honestly, it will be tough to continue the growth globally that we have had with our sport without the funding and it not being an Olympic Sport. This makes my heart ache.
People asked me today if I would've played in 2016? I can't even begin to think about me in this situation. I've had the chance! Its the girls who didn't get the chance, the future! The millions of girls who play this sport world wide. Its the girls in Venezuela and Botswana that is who my heart aches for. As a female athlete and ambassador, your goal/hope is to create more for the future. It's to leave the game and know that you have seen it grow and now it is better because of your era. This makes me feel as though we let the future of our sport down. Opportunities now are not what they were, we today took a step backwards as a sport. For this, I am deeply hurt and sad!
Yet there is the future, there is those millions of girls out there... We will continue to fight the fight! I, being married to a MLB player especially realize how far we have to go, a long long ways. Ace at 3 years old has noticed it, "Mommy wheres your clubhouse?" Yes, I have seen how far we have come but today again I am reminded how far we still have to go!
There still will be a USA softball, so girls can still have the dream of wearing red, white, and blue! No, it won't be in the Olympics but it still will be the chance to compete for your great country. This is what we have to build upon. Our sport is too great not to prevail. We have to move on, continue to create opportunity for women in our sport all over the world! We look forward to hosting World Championships next year on our soil in Oklahoma City, next July! This is the event of the world, now "our" Olympics. As softball fans and players all we can do is play it and support it. Continue to prove to our world what a great sport we all know it is.
Young girls out there we pledge to do our best, give it everything we have! Our goal is for more, more opportunity for you than what we had/have! This being said next week there will be some incredible softball being played in Akron, Ohio. The NPF finals! For those of you who do not know, YES we have a pro league! The National Pro Fastpitch! Come out, support, be uplifted by watching some of the worlds best compete! We open up Thursday and finals are til Sunday finishing with a 1 Champion! I look forward to seeing you there!
Dreaming & Always Always Believing!!!!
#27
Published to:
I am so sad! :(
NOOOOOOO ): thats soooo sad! Very well said though! I wish nothing the best in the NPF finals!
-God is Love
-Morgan
This is very sad news....My daughters dream is to go all the way to the Olympics with her softball.......USA softball here we come...
SERIOUSLY??!!! Handball and Badminton over SOFTBALL?? Obviously they made the wrong decision. We will keep up the good fight and not them them forget how near and dear we hold softball to our hearts.
Omg this is not good and soo sad.... but i am excited to go watch the npf playoffs and keeping dreams of playing professionally alive
Not so great
Wow this is a sad day for softball. Rugby over softball?
That's a real bummer. Still, we can look at American football and see how big and popular a sport can become even without inclusion in the Olympics.
Hope this gets reversed in the future!
That is so sad. How could they put rugby and golf over softball. :(
My 8 yr old has talked about going to the Olympics over and over with her softball. I don't know how I will explain this to her. Very sad...
I got the Olympic dream the same exact way you did. i stood next to the dugout durring the Bound 4 Beijing Tour because I wanted to hear and see everything you guys did. After watching you guys play andI knew I wanted to be just like u guys. UR AMAZING!!!
What idiots I think they should have considered the little girls and the mom's who had played softball who want to watch grown men hit a little ball and rugby seriously they all had a major brain breakdown
it's absolutley crazy to pick any sport over softballl. But Rugby and Golf
? That just makes you wanna cry!
What next women soccer? Who got to vote on this??:( What action do you get watching golf? Sorry hope that is not an insult..
It is sad to think that a sport that has grown so much in the last ten to fifteen years won't have a chance to compete in the Olympics because of a committee who thinks softball isn't important enough to select. Let the voters decide worldwide?
golf over softball! what has the world come to. i agree we should have a world wide vote. is golf even a sport it seems more like an activity for old people. AH this is so frusterating.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!
I'm shocked by this decision. I really thought that they'd see the light and reinstate softball. Golf over Softball. Golf is a game, not a sport. Who are these people and where are their heads?
Obviously they know nothing about sports.
Not so great
i dont like this decision at all!My dream was to play pro softball and go to the olympics..and now half of that is ruined.the commitee doesnt realize that there crushing little girls dreams!do i swich to a different sport so mabey my dream will come true?
This is terrible my daughters have worked very hard playing softball and now there dreams stop at college. Thanks for coming and plaing in our small town (Prescott, Arizona) before your last olympic games. It did give them hope at one time.
this really isent rite as a college pitcher i know this is a sad day after college unless u get luckly on a team softball is basically over this was softball players last hope
that's soo stupid!! softball should of been picked first over any of those so called sports!
This is a real drag. Golf is cool but over softball, come onnnnnnnnnnnnn.