If you think of summer and sports, you think baseball. Known as "America’s Favorite Pastime", this sport has grown internationally as well, especially in the Pacific Rim and South America.

Baseball is a highly competitive sport requiring players to be well disciplined, attentive, and have superior concentration skills. Players will need to 'think-ahead' of all the possible situations that can occur if the ball is hit to them or they are base runners. All players need to have good catching, throwing, running and batting skills, but the ability to 'think ahead' will make great players.

Baseball's twin brother, softball, is similar in many ways with a few notable exceptions.

1. The ball. Although the name implies soft, it isn't any softer than a baseball, just larger in diameter, although there are soft versions of both for beginning players. A baseball is 9" around whereas a softball is 11" around.
   
   
2. Pitching. There is slow-pitch and fast-pitch leagues. With slow-pitch, the ball is arced over home plate, usually imparted with back spin to create more fly balls, or pop-ups. With fast pitch, the ball is thrown underhanded very quickly. A good pitcher can throw a curve, slider, and change-up with ease.
   
   
3. Fielding. Instead of 9 players, softball leagues will play with 10 players with one outfielder assuming the position of 'rover'. Generally, this player will play shallow left with right handed batters, and shallow right with left handed batters.