Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

Games where balls or similar objects are hit with sticks can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, and a reference to "baseball" in England has recently been discovered that dates from the mid-18th century. British games such as ball-and-trap, rounders and cricket were obviously forerunners of baseball as it developed in the United States, and softball was invented as an indoor version of baseball by a reporter for the Board of Trade in Chicago in 1887. George Hancock, the man considered the inventor of softball, started it all off when he tied a boxing glove into the shape of a ball and drew a diamond pitch on the floor of his gym. A broken broom handle was used as a bat. Starting as a smaller version of baseball, Hancock later developed his ‘indoor baseball’ into a set of rules.  The game was quick to catch on, but eventually moved outside. 

Women's fastpitch softball was an Olympic medal sport from 1996 to 2008, and fastpitch, slowpitch and other variations of softball are now played by over 20 million people in over 130 countries around the world. The event continues to be hugely popular in the United States and is enjoying growing popularity throughout Europe.

Choose your sport

The USA and Canada face off in 1985
Source: HARNIK NATI