Essay On Softball Literacy

Though the practices performed within softball literacy do not immediately seem as if they should be considered a literacy practice, according to two of the six propositions about the nature of literacy, it is. Not only does it involve the physical performance from a play, but also includes formal writings, new rules and regulations, and offer different rules in different countries. I think softball should be counted as a literacy practice because it appeals to Barton and Hamilton’s propositions and includes artifacts that make it a community and artifacts that provide the players with essential people skills.
One of the propositions Barton and Hamilton include when defining the nature of literacy is “Literacy is best understood as a set of social practices; these can be inferred from

events which are mediated by written texts.” (Page 4) Although the physical aspect of softball literacy does not require the reading of a formal text, the mental aspect of the literacy does. Personally, I have never read a softball rule book or manual but they do exist, and are mostly for the fans, coaches and umpires that are present at most every game. A few years ago my team was playing in a tournament game. All was going well: the game was being played normally until my team’s pitcher pitched the ball to inside and accidentally hit the batter. However, the batter did not make an attempt to get out of the way of the ball. She was still given her free base, this caused my coach to begin to throw a temper tantrum and demand to know why she was given a base though the rule has always been that the batter has to at least try and get out of the way. Before the argument could get too heated and my coach thrown out of the game, the umpire pulled out his updated rulebook that stated that the batter no longer had to get out of the way of an incoming ball which eliminated the previous rule saying that they had to try to move. The formal text did not only clarify the rules and regulations within the literacy but gave off an emotion. After reading the new regulation my coach was no longer angry at the situation, but angry because someone thought it would be okay to change the rule.
Softball literacy is a common literacy among scholars is because within the practice “Literacy practices change and new ones are frequently acquired through processes of informal learning and sense making.” (Barton and Hamilton pg.4) Throughout the years the game itself and the rules of softball have changed, particularly when it comes to safety precautions.

Growing up I was a catcher, and the rules that I learned my freshman year were not the rules that I followed by my senior year. Freshman year I was allowed to stand at home plate. The rule had changed for me having to stand in front of home plate and avoid any type of unnecessary contact with the runner. These new rules took effect because of the many players that were injured during collisions at home plate that have resulted in major injuries. During a game my freshman year, a batter hit the ball deep into the outfield, causing my team the need to relay the ball into me. As I got the ball the runner was getting closer and closer to me while not slowing down while I am waiting for her to reach home plate. Ultimately we collided and though she was unharmed, I developed a concussion and had to sit out for the rest of the

game.
Along with safety precautions evolving to better the health of athletes, rules have developed in order to keep the game as fair as possible. The International Softball Federation, with the International Baseball Federation incorporated the Mercy Rule into baseball and softball games. This rule includes rules to the score after certain innings. In softball, if a team is winning by more than ten runs by the fifth inning, then the game is to be ended giving the winning team the victory (Official Softball Rule Book). However, that is only within little league and high school guidelines. As the intensity of the sport increases, such as at the college or the travel ball level, the Mercy Rule changes to eight runs after the fifth inning the game is to be ended (Softball Mercy Rules, livestrong.com). The addition of these rules is a response to the feelings of the young players when they are losing too badly it becomes humiliating (Softball Mercy Rules, livestrong.com).
In addition to this rule change, there is one that affects both the game and the player. When my brother, who is now sixteen, started first started playing t-ball, the age minimum was five years old. But now the age minimum to begin playing is three years old. This change in the rule gives all young players the opportunity to play, but also enhances the chances of the game evolving to have a higher success rate. It may only seem like a small two year difference, but when learning the skills associated with the game this is a lot of time. Also, the age limit is a key factor to keeping the game fair. Within softball literacy, skill comes with time and time comes with age. It is not fair to have a child who is seven, and has only been playing a few years of their lives, to have to play against someone who is thirteen, and not only has more knowledge of the game about having more experience with situations that occur in the literacy.
Within the literacy are terms and artifacts that would not make sense to someone who was not familiar with the practice. They also create a community in the practice. One artifact in the practice is the jersey the players wear on game days. The jersey has the name of the team the player is representing, the number the player is and sometimes the player’s last name. The jersey symbolizes a unity between the players. The similarity of the jersey within different teams lets outsiders know what group they belong to. When they have the jersey on most of a player’s time is spent representing her team, but for a few minutes in the game she is representing herself, which is why some jerseys have last names on them. Because the majority of the time is spent playing for the succession of the team instead of herself players are given the responsibility to perform and act a certain way no matter the circumstance. I once played for a team that girls that did not like each other but were forced to be friends as soon as it was time to play. This was to ensure that the respect for the team and the game does not get tarnished due to an on field argument. Being able to put aside differences to succeed is a skill that can be translated into other literacies. On the field words such as, “shoot one”, “roll it up” and “hit your cut”. These terms provide the community with a more private sense which keeps it strong.