Whole new ball game for Galway!

One of Ireland’s fastest growing sports will move onto a new level in Galway from next week, after the Galway Softball Club has announced details of its first-ever competitive league commencing this Monday in St Mary’s College, Galway.

Softball is similar to baseball, but it is played with a bigger (and softer) ball – and its numbers are growing exponentially – not least in Galway, with the birth of this debut league.

Over sixty players have been divided over four teams, each with six male and four female players starting, with subs coming in at various times and positions.

Galway Softball PRO Joe Naughton is a huge advocate for the sport – and its social advantages as well.

“It’s a great game for anyone looking to start playing some sport, we have an age range for 20 to 55 – and as its co-ed, we have lots of couples and many people playing team sport for the first time, with twelve different nationalities helping the forty Irish form the league it really is a sport for everyone in Galway – and of course, there is plenty of team meetings in the pub after matches,” he says.

Historically Galway Tribes Softball Club has only competed in one-day blitzes in Dublin and in the Irish Open Softball Tournament, the sport’s version of the All-Ireland which takes place in UL every August.

The IOST has 24 teams from across the island of Ireland competing over a weekend, playing eight games to win the final.

Read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now. Or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie