[August 05, 2011] Twin Cities adults abandon softball, other team-oriented recreational leagues Tweet Jul 31, 2011 (Pioneer Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Moe Ingram hits the ball badly, sending it limping to the pitcher. "Oh, my goodness!" says Ingram, a 57-year-old shortstop. She dashes to first base, then pants in the heat, safe -- which is more than can be said for her sport. In Ingram's St. Paul league and across the state, the number of adults playing team sports is plummeting. Softball is fouling out, with the number of teams down by half since 1994, even as the state's population has increased. The number of adult recreational basketball teams in Minnesota has cratered by 75 percent in the same period. Other games, from touch football to broomball, are sliding. Experts see a vast migration away from team-oriented sports -- to the couch. They aren't sure why. It could be the higher fees, demands of work, competition from video games or a cultural shift away from thinking that team sports are cool. "I don't know why this is happening. We would love to know," said Brad Meyer, spokesman for the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department. "I guess it's a change in priorities." TEAMS DOWN BY HALF Softball used to be a common team activity -- like bowling -- that bound neighborhoods together. Sponsored by businesses, the teams of beer-drinking Babe Ruth wannabes packed into baseball diamonds all summer long. "My parents played four nights a week, in the co-ed and the men's leagues," Meyer said. But the number of adult softball teams in Minnesota has fallen by half, to 6,000, since 1994, said Perry Coonce, director of the Minnesota Sports Federation, which administers amateur youth and adult sports. Minnesota's drop fits national trends: The number of adult teams nationwide also fell by half in that time, to about 170,000 teams, according to the Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball. The drop in adult sports isn't spread evenly. Some suburbs are growing quickly enough to be adding teams. In Woodbury, for example, Reed Smidt schedules adult athletics and this summer has 85 softball teams. "I am turning away teams," he said. "I have only four fields. I could not grow if I wanted." Likewise, in Lake Elmo, the recent Huff 'n' Puff Tournament drew 96 teams, according to chair Sarah Carlson. MORE COMPETITION But more typical is St. Cloud. There, the number of softball teams is about 50, a fraction of the peak of 600 back in the 1990s, according to Coonce. In St. Paul, 539 teams now play on fields where 1,200 played in 1989. Why? Several experts said the demands of work are increasing, including longer hours and erratic schedules. "The 40-hour workweek is no longer the norm," said St. Paul's Meyer. Team sports take commitment and have inflexible schedules. Starting a team requires 50% Decline in number of adult softball teams in Minnesota and nationwide since 1994 75% Decline in number of adult basketball teams in Minnesota since 1994 66% Decline in number of adult softball teams sponsored by Tiffany Sports Lounge in St. Paul since 1991 -- from 18 to six. Sources: Minnesota Sports Federation; Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball; Blake Montpetit, owner of Tiffany Sports Lounge that as many as 15 people know one another -- and that's proving harder as communities become more fragmented. It's far easier for a weekend athlete simply to start biking or jogging. "You have to have a group that wants to play," said Woodbury's Smidt. Businesses are dropping sponsorships. For example, Tiffany Sports Lounge in St. Paul sponsored 18 adult teams in 1991, according to owner Blake Montpetit. Today he has six. "People are staying home doing more things, period," Montpetit said. He blames competition, including video games. "Gaming time has gone up exponentially," Montpetit said. And the age that adult sports are aimed at "is exactly the age bracket of the video gamer." Coonce said that inactive children grow up to be inactive adults. "If you don't pick up a bat or ball during childhood, you probably are not going to pick one up as an adult," Coonce said. REC CENTER CHANGES The adult move away from team sports tracks a similar move by children. Participation rates for high school sports have dropped by half in the past 30 years, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. Coonce said high school sports are too competitive and are often seen as a path to athletic scholarships in college. Children increasingly specialize in one sport, cutting exposure to a range of sports. "I am waiting for parents to figure out that sports specialization is not a good idea," Coonce said. "Chasing that college scholarship or pro contract dream is very overdone." The few youth sports that are increasing in popularity -- such as soccer -- are too strenuous for many adults. Many of the state's park and recreation directors are scrambling to respond. St. Paul is experimenting with NEOS, a brand of electronic playground games, and activities based on Nintendo's Wii. But to sustain their softball leagues, directors find that they must go out and ask people to play. "We never thought about recruiting before," Meyer said. "Now, we have to do our best to recruit." The drop in demand has caused cities to reshape their community centers. St. Paul has slashed its park-and-rec centers to 25 from 40, Meyer said. "We are going for quality over quantity." TALK, CAMARADERIE At a softball diamond in St. Paul this month, catcher Sarah Hofer called the 95-degree air "heavy," as if breathing was like lifting weights. "I like this," she said, resting on the bench after scoring a run on the diamond on Rice Street. Being on a team motivates her to exercise, even on hot days. "You are accountable to the team." Tracy Olson, who plays first base, said she loves her team, called "Juan Shining Moment" after a player's dog named Juan. "Where else can you get together with like-minded females that is not in a bar, without the kids?" Olson said. "There is the talk, the camaraderie. You need that." But maybe not enough. She wiped the sweat from her face, and then conceded: "Maybe it's a dying thing." Bob Shaw can be reached at 651-228-5433. To see more of the Pioneer Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.twincities.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]