Slow-Pitch Softball's Participation Decline Challenges Rec Professionals

Paul Steinbach Headshot

The end didn't come all that suddenly. In its glory years, the Jock's Nitch Softball Classic drew 140 slow-pitch teams to Pittsburg, Kan., for three days of camaraderie and competition.

The end didn't come all that suddenly. In its glory years, the Jock's Nitch Softball Classic drew 140 slow-pitch teams to Pittsburg, Kan., for three days of camaraderie and competition. First, the women's division dropped 10 years ago. Five years later, the elite teams from St. Louis and Kansas City, several of which flew players in from points all over the country, were no longer signing up in sufficient numbers to support their own bracket. Last year, the total number of teams competing in the Classic stood at 70, half of what it was in the halcyon mid-1990s. With only 13 men's and seven co-ed teams registered two days prior to the 2011 entry deadline this past June, Jock's Nitch, a sporting goods retailer with 13 locations in Kansas and Missouri, unceremoniously gave its 23-year-old tournament the hook.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 469
Next Page
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025