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| How softball is helping combat loneliness in London | How softball is helping combat loneliness in London |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Softball games are played in London's parks every night of the week during summer | Softball games are played in London's parks every night of the week during summer |
| When Dom Kleeman and her husband moved from the US, they had an isolated start to their new life in London. | When Dom Kleeman and her husband moved from the US, they had an isolated start to their new life in London. |
| "We moved over in the pandemic - we didn't know anybody," said Ms Kleeman. | |
| Since then, the couple have formed their social circle on a diamond-shaped pitch, by joining a local softball team. | Since then, the couple have formed their social circle on a diamond-shaped pitch, by joining a local softball team. |
| And like nearly 5,000 Londoners who play the sport each week, they have found a welcoming, inclusive community as well as a healthy hobby. | And like nearly 5,000 Londoners who play the sport each week, they have found a welcoming, inclusive community as well as a healthy hobby. |
| "We found MI6 (softball club) and they took us in," said Ms Kleeman. | |
| "Softball for us and for me became my social circle - it's super social, everyone's really friendly with each other. | "Softball for us and for me became my social circle - it's super social, everyone's really friendly with each other. |
| "I'm so grateful that I've found this community because it is my community in London. So, yeah, we are really lucky." | "I'm so grateful that I've found this community because it is my community in London. So, yeah, we are really lucky." |
| Dom Kleeman and her husband started playing softball to meet new people | Dom Kleeman and her husband started playing softball to meet new people |
| Softball originated in the US more than a century ago and has two formats - fastpitch and slowpitch - the latter being more popular in the UK. | Softball originated in the US more than a century ago and has two formats - fastpitch and slowpitch - the latter being more popular in the UK. |
| Different rules in slowpitch, including how the ball is thrown, allow for the sport to be mixed-sex (co-ed), which players cite as one of its main draws. | Different rules in slowpitch, including how the ball is thrown, allow for the sport to be mixed-sex (co-ed), which players cite as one of its main draws. |
| Duncan Waugh, who plays for MI6 and National Softball League team Legends, said: "It's unique because if you go back to the States, it's a very single-sex-driven game, just guys playing guys and girls playing girls. | Duncan Waugh, who plays for MI6 and National Softball League team Legends, said: "It's unique because if you go back to the States, it's a very single-sex-driven game, just guys playing guys and girls playing girls. |
| "Over here, because of the balance of that it adds different strategy, different tactics and different levels of value across the board." | "Over here, because of the balance of that it adds different strategy, different tactics and different levels of value across the board." |
| "You really get that sense of community from men and women playing together," said Gelske Huyer, who plays for Greater London Softball Mixed League (GLSML) Division 1 team MI6. | "You really get that sense of community from men and women playing together," said Gelske Huyer, who plays for Greater London Softball Mixed League (GLSML) Division 1 team MI6. |
| For Ms Huyer, who also plays for Legends, the co-ed aspect "creates an atmosphere of quality and tolerance". | For Ms Huyer, who also plays for Legends, the co-ed aspect "creates an atmosphere of quality and tolerance". |
| She added it was "very important to give people an outlet for competition in adulthood". | She added it was "very important to give people an outlet for competition in adulthood". |
| "There's competition and levels available for everybody - from novices to seasoned players - and the competition and camaraderie are high," she said. | "There's competition and levels available for everybody - from novices to seasoned players - and the competition and camaraderie are high," she said. |
| Ms Huyer says she's played softball with people from "every imaginable background" | Ms Huyer says she's played softball with people from "every imaginable background" |
| According to David Peters, who plays for the Fuzzy Ducks team, it is not just the gender balance that makes the sport feel so inclusive. | According to David Peters, who plays for the Fuzzy Ducks team, it is not just the gender balance that makes the sport feel so inclusive. |
| "In most sports, by the time you're over 35 or something, you're certainly in the autumn of your playing days," he said. | "In most sports, by the time you're over 35 or something, you're certainly in the autumn of your playing days," he said. |
| "The great thing about this is there's people playing a decent standard well into their 50s." | "The great thing about this is there's people playing a decent standard well into their 50s." |
| He added the softball scene in London was a "really welcoming community". | He added the softball scene in London was a "really welcoming community". |
| Softball rules | Softball rules |
| While softball shares similarities with baseball, there are some key differences. | While softball shares similarities with baseball, there are some key differences. |
| Softball is played with a bigger ball, and the ball is thrown underhand rather than overhand as in baseball. | Softball is played with a bigger ball, and the ball is thrown underhand rather than overhand as in baseball. |
| The "diamond" (area of play) in softball is smaller in softball, with bases being 60ft (18.28m) rather than 90ft (27.43m) apart. | The "diamond" (area of play) in softball is smaller in softball, with bases being 60ft (18.28m) rather than 90ft (27.43m) apart. |
| And softball games have fewer innings than baseball, with seven rather than nine. | And softball games have fewer innings than baseball, with seven rather than nine. |
| The London Softball League has six divisions with games played weekly from April to August | The London Softball League has six divisions with games played weekly from April to August |
| John Boyd, CEO of BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), said softball had also "captured a lot of the corporate psyche" in London. | John Boyd, CEO of BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), said softball had also "captured a lot of the corporate psyche" in London. |
| "If anyone wants to walk through Regents Park, you'll see 19 fields of softball being used for teams playing across many different corporate leagues," he said. | "If anyone wants to walk through Regents Park, you'll see 19 fields of softball being used for teams playing across many different corporate leagues," he said. |
| "Because it's a mixed sport - it's genuinely 50/50 - it creates a very positive environment for the workplace and from a social perspective too." | "Because it's a mixed sport - it's genuinely 50/50 - it creates a very positive environment for the workplace and from a social perspective too." |
| Inclusion is a key part of BSUK's strategy, Mr Boyd said. | Inclusion is a key part of BSUK's strategy, Mr Boyd said. |
| A few years ago, the agency set up an LGBTQ+ panel to look at evolving the sport into something "more modern than a binary-gender based game". | A few years ago, the agency set up an LGBTQ+ panel to look at evolving the sport into something "more modern than a binary-gender based game". |
| He added: "[The panel] came up with this set of rules called 'inclusive' softball rules. | He added: "[The panel] came up with this set of rules called 'inclusive' softball rules. |
| "That helped promote not just the two genders, but wider involvement from across the whole of the spectrum." | "That helped promote not just the two genders, but wider involvement from across the whole of the spectrum." |
| Those rules have since been adopted "widely across the sport", meaning players are categorised as "small ball hitters" and "big ball hitters" rather than men and women, he explained. | Those rules have since been adopted "widely across the sport", meaning players are categorised as "small ball hitters" and "big ball hitters" rather than men and women, he explained. |
| Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk | Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk |