Ahhhh, May! Softball season is once again upon us in all its variations – fastpitch, slowpitch, modified, indoors and outdoors. Hurrah! Hurrah! The college season, begun back when many of us were still shoveling snow off our walkways, is fast approaching its conclusion with perhaps the greatest pinnacle of softball anywhere in the world, the World Series – this year with a few surprises -- as a perennial powerhouse was weakened substantially by the loss of its legendary pitching coach, Nancy Evans. Another twist occurred when Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher threw nearly a perfect game against USA Softball, holding the dynasty hitless in her 1-0 win -- one walk shy of something most mortal pitchers only aspire to. But overall, in college ball, it's business as usual. New stars are born, old stars fade into the record books, new programs rise, while others slump. The good news is that next season, they'll be back again, and to borrow a phrase from the Seattle Mariners from a couple years back, there will be "Another night, another hero." For those athletes playing the game beyond the college level, however, this season is a little different for most of us.

This is the beginning of the last season of Olympic softball – at least for eight more years. As much as we'd all like to dream that we can somehow convince the IOC to throw out their selection procedures and get softball reinstated for 2012, the truth of the matter is that it just isn't going to happen. The ISF, USA Softball, thousands upon thousands of players, and a number of softball organizations and nations have appealed to the IOC. We've signed polls and sent letters, and as dismal as it is, we simply have to accept that 2012 is not a viable option for Olympic Softball. Once we accept that, we can move on to the real work ahead – getting softball re-instated for 2016. This will likely be more difficult than it might seem at first glance. More will be in play than personality conflicts or personal agendas. Much of the struggle will also be in re-establishing countries' programs that may have been stripped down or put in cryo storage as a result of huge funding cuts. Many countries will see between a 95% and 100% (as in no money) cut, with even the top programs being stripped of at least 50% of funding. Another consideration and one we must constantly battle is the perception that the "Gold" is unwinnable by any country other than the US.

Beyond that, there are the movements within the Olympics to pare down the games and the reluctance to build costly stadiums for softball and baseball (if it is re-instated as well. Lastly, softball, no matter how vigorously we argue that it is a different sport entirely, has had its reputation sullied as a result of syringes, congressional hearings, and the testimony of Bonds, Canseco, Clemens and the rest of the steroid gang...whether or not the accusations are true or not is immaterial... the reputation is now dimmer than once it was, and softball, riding along with "America's Pastime" -- in both good times and bad –now must share in that twilight.

But what is the real damage? For those women playing in the NPF, I see a possible positive effect: the Olympic-level talent often diluted by National Team travel and tournaments will return en force, and with it, good name recognition and perhaps increased draws at parks. The downturn? There are a lot of women who dream of playing pro ball, and unless the league expands, there are only a few spots to be had. With the return of 18-25 Olympic athletes to the pool of talent, it just gets harder to make the team in the NPF and realize the dream.
The real damage for those aspiring to play professionally will come in Europe, where although there are no true "professional leagues" many talented players have found the opportunity to travel and be paid to play softball. Many Olympic athletes from both the US and Australia, in fact, have gone to Europe and played in leagues in Holland, Italy, and in various European Cups. Frankly put, all that will soon disappear when the Olympic development money stops flowing. The funding to individual clubs will tank, and with it the ability to pay for top-level players from abroad.

In a previous column about paid players in foreign countries, I asserted the opinion that many view those players on the one hand as mercenaries, and on the other hand as high-level softball ambassadors that help raise the level of play throughout the world. Which one is truer, we will soon find out, unfortunately.
Ultimately, the greatest harm will come to those programs like Botswana, South Africa, Venezuela, Korea, and any other number of countries not in the top 5 or 6 trying to compete at the world level. Even established programs like Holland and Italy who often ride the Olympic bubble will be severely affected. I feel really lucky to have ridden some of that funding and enthusiasm to two seasons in Europe, and feel very sad for those who may not get to experience the wonders of different cultures, making softball "sisters" throughout the world, and seeing that the grass, dirt, and yes, human beings, are mostly the same everywhere.
So, what can we do? In several columns I've encouraged people to go to www.backsoftball.com – and I'm doing it again here. But – we need to do more. We need to first accept that 2012 is not going to happen and move on. Sometimes you learn more from a loss than a win – most good coaches will tell you that. What do we learn? We learn to help develop our partners. No one wants to spar with a prizefighter that beats them bloody every time they enter the ring. With the resources we still have at our disposal in the US, we need to collect used softball equipment and distribute it to developing nations. We need to fund athletes to give clinics in other countries. We need to become true ambassadors of our sport. We need to join with Australia, Canada, and Japan and create teams that barnstorm and play exhibitions. We need to teach and nurture, and be less concerned about winning GOLD and more concerned with creating a Golden Age for softball. These aren't new ideas, really. In some cases, they're restatements and compilations of ideas already out there. This is just a reminder, and a reality check. We want our next report card to read "Plays well with others." If we can do that, we'll be back in for 2016, and all those girls coming up now, will be able to have their Olympic dreams – deferred perhaps -- but in the end, realized. A great coach of mine said, "First you must dream, then you must do." It's time to stop dreaming about 2012 and DO for 2016.

As always, I welcome your comments and column ideas at gutallstop@hotmail.com . Until next issue, play hard, dream big, and "do," cuz there "ain't nothin soft" about it.