Baseball
With the outdoor playing season fast approaching, there are tonnes of opportunities to play baseball and softball in the UK!
What are baseball and softball?
Both baseball and softball are bat and ball sports – but there are some interesting differences between the two!
Baseball is played between two teams of nine players each on a field with four white bases laid out on the pitch – known as and shaped like, a diamond. Teams switch between playing offense (batters) and defense (fielders). The defense tries to get the offense “out;” the offense tries to score as many “runs” as possible before the third out of each inning. The team that scores the most runs in nine innings (times at bat) wins the game.
DID YOU KNOW: While baseball is the national pastime and one of the most popular sports in the United States, it was first played in England! The first game ever recorded in history took place in Walton-on-Thames in 1749 – with the Prince of Wales (at the time) participating!
Softball a game between two teams of 10, similar to baseball but played with a larger ball and a slightly smaller field. Despite the game’s name, the standard softball is not soft; in fact, it is harder than a baseball! There are three types of softball: Fastpitch softball, the form of the sport played at the Olympics and in international competition; slowpitch softball, a more relaxed version of the game that’s the most popular format in the UK; and indoor softball, a special-to-the-UK version of the game!
How can I get involved?
ENGLAND
BaseballSoftballUK runs programmes across the country for Youth players through the Academy! The Academy is designed to help players of all skill levels turn the off-season into an opportunity to become better, stronger, and fitter athletes. BSUK’s expert coaches will be on hand to help you do it!
For more about the Academy, including upcoming dates, visit baseballsoftballuk.com/academy.
Team Finder
The Team Finder is the best way to find Youth programmes near you and get involved! Visit baseballsoftballuk.com, click Team Finder, and enter your postcode to see what baseball and softball programmes are in your area! Don’t see a team near you? Get in touch with us at playball@bsuk.com.
For all other updates, follow BSUK on social media!
Website: baseballsoftballuk.com
Email: info@bsuk.com
WALES
RBI Wales does great work with Youth Players across Wales – especially in schools! There are opportunities for both primary and secondary students to play at and after school, and RBI Wales also runs sessions at Eastern Leisure Centre and Boomerang Indoor Training Facility. In addition, RBI Wales runs clinics for the Cardiff Celts and the GB Softball U-13 Fastpitch team at Boomerang Indoor Training facility, so get involved and get playing!
Please get in contact with RBI Wales if you'd like to try out for the teams, come to a regular session or just have a go. School that would like to have taster sessions should also get in touch, as availability is running out quickly! RBI Wales always needs volunteers as well, so do get in touch if you’d be willing to assist.
Website: rbiwales.com
Email: info@rbiwales.com
SCOTLAND
Several teams run youth programmes in Scotland, and they can be found on Baseball Scotland’s website and social media! In addition, the BSUK Team Finder has a list of Scottish clubs with Youth sections that can be contacted – to access the Team Finder, visit baseballsoftballuk.com and click the icon on the home page.
Website: baseballscotland.garethalexander.co.uk/
Huge thanks to the team at Baseball/Softball UK for this article
