A milestone moment arrived for women in sport in the United States this weekend. According to the reporting, womens professional baseball is back after 30 years. The return marks the revival of a professional stage for women in the sport, three decades after such a platform was last in place, and it drew attention as the new competition finally got underway.
The launch took place in the American Midwest. According to the reporting, the new league kicked off today in Springfield, Illinois. The city became the starting point for the revived competition, hosting the opening of a season that supporters have long hoped to see brought back for female players at the professional level.
The competition is built around a small group of clubs based in major cities. According to the reporting, the league is made up of four teams from New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The four sides connect the new competition to some of the largest cities in the country, spreading it across both coasts as the league begins its first campaign.
The format of the season was also outlined. According to the reporting, the four teams will play a 15-game season. The relatively short schedule sets the framework for this opening run of the revived league, giving the sides a defined number of games as the competition establishes itself.
Interest from players in taking part was significant. According to the reporting, more than 600 players showed up for tryouts for the new league. The large turnout underlined the demand among women to compete at this level and the appetite for a professional outlet in the sport after its long absence.
From that large pool, a much smaller group secured a place. According to the reporting, 120 players made the cut from the tryouts. Those selected are now part of what was described as a league of their own, taking the field as womens professional baseball returns after three decades away.