By: Katie Nelson

Center Editor

Many of us have spent weekends at the baseball fields in Los Gatos, watching siblings with our snack shack goodies or playing in recreational or competitive games. From Little League for young kids to competitive softball club teams for high schoolers, these sports are part of a Los Gatos childhood for lots of high schoolers. However, for a long time, there has been a disparity regarding the distribution of space for softball and baseball, something that parents and local softball groups are hoping to soon change. 

The Inventory of Public Facilities details that Los Gatos Little League almost always occupies both Balzer and Blossom Hill baseball fields for an annual fee of a thousand dollars, leaving little availability for other activities, including softball. According to the town record, at Blossom Hill Park, the Little League books the field Monday through Sunday until dusk every day during the spring season and sometimes during the fall season as well. Thus, Little League holds a complete monopoly over these fields, as they reserve them for nearly all daylight hours almost year round. LGCS Fastpitch Softball League also collaborates with local elementary, middle, and high schools for more field space, but similarly, Little League often exercises control of them as well. Senior Addison Sorto, a Los Gatos High school and softball player, explained how she has noticed the lack of space throughout her softball career: “Since I was eight, I have noticed far more baseball fields in this town than softball fields” and also explained that her practices “would be cut shorter because we would need to share the field with other teams.”

 Due to how the town has allocated much of the field time to The Little League and the lack of alternative fields, there is a shortage of space for girls’ softball. Some parents have argued that the disparity of field space for softball and baseball violates Title IX, which prohibits exclusion or denial of benefits on the basis of sex for any interscholastic, intercollegiate, or intramural athletics. 

While Little League is entitled to reserve these times for the baseball fields, many parents have argued for an equal number of softball fields in this town to allow for greater amount of field availability.  Slight differences of the field shape and size exist between the sports, prompting people to create fields that can accommodate both games. However, this is not always the case in Los Gatos, as Balzer, Baggerly, and multiple school fields are set up exclusively for baseball.

The Los Gatos Little League website states that the league is not male-exclusive. However, the almost all-male environment and the lack of future opportunities for women playing baseball makes it less ideal option for girls in the area. Although they have the choice to play Little League, when it comes to a collegiate or professional career, softball is the only option. Thus, the lack of softball facilities in Los Gatos makes it more difficult for female athletes to obtain athletic scholarships than male athletes for baseball. 

The shortage of field space has inspired the community to request new softball fields to give girls equal opportunities. While parents and softball league have made significant progress by raising awareness, there is still room to grow. Currently, plans for new fields have been proposed in the LGUSD facility updates of Measure CC. If the board fails to approve the grant in the next few months, a group of parents plans to file a lawsuit under Title IX. 

Sorto described how when she was younger, her cousins argued that softball wasn’t a sport, backing up their claim with the fact that there were never fields close to home that they could come watch her play. She concluded, “I truly hope that no girls ever get told that the sport they play isn’t a real sport and continue to play because they love it. More fields in this town is a must so girls can have the option to practice when they want to.”