Baseball/Softball Extras
Participation Statistics:
Youth Participation
Little League Baseball
2.1 million players
Little League Softball
349,000 players
AAU Baseball
60,000 players
AAU Softball
5,000 players
ASA
1.1 million+ female players
(ages 8-18)
High School & Collegiate Participation
High School Baseball
474,000+ players (15,700+ teams)
High School Softball
382,000+ players (~16,000 teams)
NAIA Baseball
4,900+ student-athletes
NAIA Softball
3,700+ student-athletes
National Statistics
Senior Softball USA
1.5 million+ players
(ages 50+ for men, 45+ for women)
ASA
3.5 million+ players,
(245,000+ teams)
Overall Participation
Baseball
15 million+
(84% are males age 13 & younger)
Softball
2.3 million+ fastpitch players,
(71% female, 29% male)
9,835 million slowpitch players
(66% male, 34% female)
*Figures based on 2008 USA Sports
Participation Survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Baseball/Softball Associations
Softball Associations
Amateur Athletic Union Softball
(407) 934-7200
http://aausoftball.org
Senior Sports Manager: Debra Horn
debra@aausports.org
Amateur Softball Association/
USA Softball
(405) 425-3422
www.asasoftball.com
President: Andy Dooley
National Softball Association
(859) 887-4114
www.playnsa.com
Executive Director: Hugh Cantrell
hughcantrellnsa@aol.com
Senior Softball USA
(916) 326-5303
www.seniorsoftball.com
Executive Director: Fran Dowell
frand@seniorssoftball.com
Dixie Youth Softball
(205) 785-2255
President: James E. “Obie” Evans
obiedsi@aol.com
U.S. Specialty Sports Association
(321) 697-3636
www.usssa.com
National Women’s Program Director,
Slow Pitch: Tammy Totland
tammytotland@hotmail.com
National Federation of State High School Associations
(317) 972-6900
www.nfhs.org
Assistant Director: John Gillis
jgillis@nfhs.org
Baseball Associations
Amateur Athletic Union Baseball (407) 934-7200
http://aaubaseball.org/
Senior Sports Manager: Debra Horn
debra@aausports.org
Dixie Youth Baseball
(903) 927-2255
www.dixie.org
Commissioner: Wes Skelton
dyb@dixie.org
Little League International
(570) 326-1921
www.littleleague.org
Vice President of Operations: Pat Wilson
pwilson@littleleague.org
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(816) 595.8000
www.naia.org
Manager of Championship Sports:
Scott McClure
smcclure@naia.org
National Club Baseball Association
(412) 321-8440
www.clubbaseball.org/
Director of Team Development:
Kenny Rayl
kenny.rayl@clubbaseball.org
National Collegiate Athletic Association
(317) 917-6222
www.ncaa.org
Director of Championships: Steve Brown
USA Baseball
(919) 474-8721
http://web.usabaseball.com
Executive Director/CEO: Paul Seller
info@usabaseball.com
U.S. Specialty Sports
Association Baseball
(321) 697-3636
www.usssa.com
Vice President of Baseball: Joey Odom
joeyodom@aol.com
Sponsorship Tips
In today’s tough economy, securing corporate sponsorships for sports events has become tough. As David Perkins, COO of USA Baseball, said, “The landscape has changed. It’s not just about impressions or eyeballs anymore. Now, the question is, ‘How are you able to show a sponsor that you are impacting their bottom line?’ Selling sponsorships requires much more than just guaranteeing a certain number of people at your event.”
Perkins noted these components of successful sponsorships:
- Maintaining communication between properties and partners,
- Developing personal relationships, and
- Understanding the goals of both parties. Where are they coming from? What are their short-term and long-term objectives? And what are yours?
—Ashley Wright