FAMILY BAT: Softball remains popular among Orange...

FAMILY BAT: Softball remains popular among Orange County adults, but the team chemistry is changing. Co-ed teams--where men and women hit and field in equal numbers--have grown by 22% during the past five years. . . . “Softball is becoming a family recreation,” explains local organizer Tim Ittner. “Mom and dad play on the field together while the kids play a few feet away in the park.”

Diamond Lovers

More than one-fourth of the 4,545 softball teams playing in Orange County last year were co-ed:

Men: 70%

Women: 3%

Co-ed: 27%

Source: Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation and Southern California Softball Assn.