Maybe it is just as simple as it is a generational thing. If you look at youth baseball for example...it appears that the participation is on the decline. Being involved in the baseball industry I hear that the game is to slow, it hasnt evolved and it is boring to the new generation. You see it on TV with MLB, fewer people attend games, TV ratings are down....if it wasn't for regional tv deals with teams who knows if any game but the playoffs would be on TV.

If the up and coming generations are not participating in sports (baseball) then how can one expect that softball will grow. I do believe that the Women's game is healthier than it has ever been due to the popularity and growth of fast pitch, but that is the exception.

THe game is to grounded in its history and afraid of change. If that continues nothing will change. It needs to evolve...figure out a way to attract people to play....make it less "boring" (I don't think softball is boring, faster game than baseball, but perceptually)

The newer generations are happy getting a participation trophy and not challenging themselves competitively so the conference will be what it is....