I coach high school level girl's fast-pitch softball and the fact the International Olympic Committee is dropping fast-pitch after this Summer Olympics is BS.  They are crushing the dreams of a lot of kids who look up to players like Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman.

 

:shoot:To the IOC

 

Hard feelings on softball snub

Tournament proves sport's popularity, so girls wonder why it's getting Olympic ax

Thursday,  July 24, 2008 3:19 AM

By Mark Znidar

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Softball has been Ashley Dickerson's game since she was 4 years old, and tournament play has taken her across the country.

 

Of all of the possessions from her sport that she has accumulated over the years, few mean as much to her as the photograph she had taken with pitcher Lisa Fernandez, one of the stalwarts of the long-dominant U.S. Olympic team.

 

 

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http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/24/softball24.ART_ART_07-24-08_A1_RSAR3QV.html?sid=101

IIRC, the IOC has to have a two-third vote to eliminate a sport and one sport has to be eliminated to add another. 

 

Aren't other sports being dropped as well?

Yes, but I'm not sure what others.

 

Of course, yachting in the seaweed off the China coast will probably stay...but not softball.  They're simply pissed off because the US team whipped every other team and won the gold every time.  But rather than promote the program stronger abroad and build more competitive teams, they take the gutless way out.  They act like they can't beat the Team USA.  Heck, Virginia Tech's college team shutout Team USA this summer 1 to 0 and scored the game's only run off of Jennie Finch...who wasn't happy at all about getting beat.

 

What does it teach kids about the spirit of competition when the IOC choose to walk away rather than generate better competition?

Yes, but I'm not sure what others.

 

Of course, yachting in the seaweed off the China coast will probably stay...but not softball.  They're simply pissed off because the US team whipped every other team and won the gold every time.  But rather than promote the program stronger abroad and build more competitive teams, they take the gutless way out.  They act like they can't beat the Team USA.  Heck, Virginia Tech's college team shutout Team USA this summer 1 to 0 and scored the game's only run off of Jennie Finch...who wasn't happy at all about getting beat.

 

What does it teach kids about the spirit of competition when the IOC choose to walk away rather than generate better competition?

Noozer, you're normal very straight forward and think about what you post, unlike me, but do you really have any concrete evidence to say, "They're simply pissed off because the US team whipped every other team and won the gold every time."?  Come on, your more even keeled .

 

The one thing I do know, is that it is not the IOC committees responsibility to promote the sports but the Olympic Games.  It's the sports governing body responsibility to promote the sport.

 

The Olympics is a "ratings" game.  Does the world want to watch baseball or Beach Volleyball which has become an Olympic Juggernaut.  It's now, more popular, than regular volley ball.

 

The Olympics is a business.

I've got nothing against the sport, but I'm not sure it is really a global sport quite yet.  This was an issue with snowboarding in the winter games and it cause quite a stir as well.  People think the US tries to get sports into the games that they can bolster their medal count with.

I've got nothing against the sport, but I'm not sure it is really a global sport quite yet. This was an issue with snowboarding in the winter games and it cause quite a stir as well. People think the US tries to get sports into the games that they can bolster their medal count with.

 

Please remember it takes 120 people to place or eliminate a sport.  There are 120 members on the IOC.  They vote.  It's not a U.S.A vs. the world thing.

Softball is not going down without a fight:

 

http://www.internationalsoftball.com/backsoftball/index.html

 

MyTwoSense:  Sorry for the earlier rant, but even IOC members have commented that they felt the sport should be dropped because the US is so dominating in it.  The Russians dominated Olympic Hockey for two decades until the US team upset them in 1980....no one talked about dropping hockey.  The Chinese, Japanese and Canadians all have very competitive fast-pitch softball teams and have beaten or come close to beating TEAM USA in other competitions, but the IOC uses this lame excuse of non-competitiveness to drop the sport.

 

 

Softball is not going down without a fight:

 

http://www.internationalsoftball.com/backsoftball/index.html

 

MyTwoSense:  Sorry for the earlier rant, but even IOC members have commented that they felt the sport should be dropped because the US is so dominating in it.  The Russians dominated Olympic Hockey for two decades until the US team upset them in 1980....no one talked about dropping hockey.  The Chinese, Japanese and Canadians all have very competitive fast-pitch softball teams and have beaten or come close to beating TEAM USA in other competitions, but the IOC uses this lame excuse of non-competitiveness to drop the sport.

 

 

 

I'm sure IOC members have, but you're making the case out that ALL members are against it.  Members vote and campaign for sports that are popular in their home countries.

 

I'll have someone pull a list, but ticket sales, advertising (during a certain event) and ratings are what the olympics is looking at.  Is it possible from a world scale, not just here in the states, that softball isn't that popular of a sport?  Or a sport that folks world wide are NOT going to tune into to watch?  What about non medal ticket sales?

 

It appears you're looking at it from a coach/player perspective and not the business side.  You have to look at all the factors.

The point is the IOC already voted it out for the next Olympics, so the anti-softball sentiment has already been established. As for the sport's popularity, take a drive down to Berliner park in Columbus this week and see (read the initial story I posted).  It is a hugely popolar sport at the high school and college level, certainly not on the level of football and basketball, but the NCAA tournaments consistently draw big crowds. It is especially popular at the college level in the Southern and Western states (largely due to the climate), but it has grown significantly here in Ohio and the Northeast.

 

My point in posting this was just to say that these kids I coach don't have big time pro sports to look forward to.  They can only dream of a college scholarship, maybe playing for an NCAA championship (one of my former players almost made it to the NCAA College Softball World Series this year) and (if they're good enough) playing for Team USA and maybe going to the Olympics.

 

Part of that dream has been yanked away for the next Olympics.  I'm sorry, but sometimes we just have to consider more than just the bottom line or the business case. Do I have an emotional stake in this?  You bet.  When you see one of these girls crush a good pitch, run full out around the bases, crash into the catcher at home plate, gash a forearm, stand up, wipe off the dust and watch her leap for joy when she hears the umpire call her safe at home plate.... you get a little tied to these kids emotionally.   

The point is the IOC already voted it out for the next Olympics, so the anti-softball sentiment has already been established. As for the sport's popularity, take a drive down to Berliner park in Columbus this week and see (read the initial story I posted).  It is a hugely popolar sport at the high school and college level, certainly not on the level of football and basketball, but the NCAA tournaments consistently draw big crowds. It is especially popular at the college level in the Southern and Western states (largely due to the climate), but it has grown significantly here in Ohio and the Northeast.

 

My point in posting this was just to say that these kids I coach don't have big time pro sports to look forward to.  They can only dream of a college scholarship, maybe playing for an NCAA championship (one of my former players almost made it to the NCAA College Softball World Series this year) and (if they're good enough) playing for Team USA and maybe going to the Olympics.

 

Part of that dream has been yanked away for the next Olympics.  I'm sorry, but sometimes we just have to consider more than just the bottom line or the business case. Do I have an emotional stake in this?  You bet.  When you see one of these girls crush a good pitch, run full out around the bases, crash into the catcher at home plate, gash a forearm, stand up, wipe off the dust and watch her leap for joy when she hears the umpire call her safe at home plate.... you get a little tied to these kids emotionally.   

 

dude, i'm not saying you don't get emotionally invested.  You wouldn't be a coach if your didnt.

 

but it's a business, bottom line.  they made a decsion on 2005 to drop Softball and baseball.

 

Baseball is being eliminated. The cuban's and Japanese are powers in that sport.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/07/16/bc.oly.bbi.cuba.castro.ap/index.html

 

 

Are the Olympics really relevant anyway? Or is it just me as I get older?

Are the Olympics really relevant anyway? Or is it just me as I get older?

I feel they are relevant.  Each sport has its audience.  I mean I tune in for volleyball and track and field.  I'll watch basketball because of LeBron.

 

There are sports that I'm fascinated by because of the sheer determination and willpower an individual needs to have in order to compete like gymnastics, fencing or mental and physical connection to a partner like equestrian.  Then there is judo or Taekwondo/Judo, since the kids are take those classes.

 

Then there is badminton & table tennis since our families compete against each other in our ridiculous family tournment!

Are the Olympics really relevant anyway? Or is it just me as I get older?

 

I couldn't tell you the last olympic event I watched. Not even the easy to follow basketball (familiar faces) gets my attention.