Beginning as a club sport in the four high schools in Eugene, Oregon, we became the first youth based varsity club sport in the country. Marist, Thurston, and Willamette high schools joined soon after our inception in 1998. Due to budget cuts, Thurston, Willamette and North Eugene High School have not participated for several years.
In 2008, we expanded to include adults thanks, in large part, to the efforts of Ray Peterson and his wife Jeed. Adults do not participate in the high school league, but students and adults can participate in club functions outside the schools.
Each high school usually has a team of 10-15 players making our total membership 50-75 players per fall and spring season. Players receive a varsity club sport letter for participation. The beauty of this game is that it is a very low cost sport at which players of any age, gender, or athletic ability can play successfully. It also has a rich tradition of social and intergenerational interaction. Following that tradition, each of our competitions is followed by a gathering where players mingle and share snacks. Unlike any other sport played at high school, it has a low key and friendly atmosphere that highlights the positive aspects of competition and sportsmanship. It is more like a pickup game at a community picnic than a partisan sporting event.
As a high school club sport and as an independent FPUSA club, we are working to secure a dedicated space at each high school and within the city so that we can expand and regularize our league and our membership, especially to include the many adults who are showing interest in our club. We are currently working with the city to renovate University Park softball field. The space needed for our regular season competitions is about 300 square meters. This accommodates 5 simultaneous games. For larger tournaments during which there are 10-12 simultaneous games, we need about 660 square meters. This is about the size of a softball field, which is what we use in fall when these fields are unused. The surface of a softball field is acceptable as a sanctioned FPUSA surface for national competitions. In the spring when the fields are in use for softball, we are forced onto grass. Unfortunately, grass is not a sanctioned surface for competitions.
In 2008, we expanded to include adults thanks, in large part, to the efforts of Ray Peterson and his wife Jeed. Adults do not participate in the high school league, but students and adults can participate in club functions outside the schools.
Each high school usually has a team of 10-15 players making our total membership 50-75 players per fall and spring season. Players receive a varsity club sport letter for participation. The beauty of this game is that it is a very low cost sport at which players of any age, gender, or athletic ability can play successfully. It also has a rich tradition of social and intergenerational interaction. Following that tradition, each of our competitions is followed by a gathering where players mingle and share snacks. Unlike any other sport played at high school, it has a low key and friendly atmosphere that highlights the positive aspects of competition and sportsmanship. It is more like a pickup game at a community picnic than a partisan sporting event.
As a high school club sport and as an independent FPUSA club, we are working to secure a dedicated space at each high school and within the city so that we can expand and regularize our league and our membership, especially to include the many adults who are showing interest in our club. We are currently working with the city to renovate University Park softball field. The space needed for our regular season competitions is about 300 square meters. This accommodates 5 simultaneous games. For larger tournaments during which there are 10-12 simultaneous games, we need about 660 square meters. This is about the size of a softball field, which is what we use in fall when these fields are unused. The surface of a softball field is acceptable as a sanctioned FPUSA surface for national competitions. In the spring when the fields are in use for softball, we are forced onto grass. Unfortunately, grass is not a sanctioned surface for competitions.
