Why Are Softball Players So Thick? (3 Core Reasons)

I watched softball with my friends the other night, and one of them said, why are so many softball players thick? I replied that I haven’t even noticed as most people I have seen have been very athletic as the sports require fast movements and fast reflexes.

However, those words stuck with me, and after that, I noticed that many softball players are, in fact, thick in size, which can be a great advantage in certain positions. Nonetheless, this got me wondering, why are so many softball players thick?

In general, softball players can be thick because of the sport’s nature. Many softball players work hard at the gym and eat over their daily maintenance calories to build muscle and strength. Size and height have also been a big perk in sports, so thick people choose softball and succeed in it.

Every sport has its big players and small players, and so does softball. This isn’t something new and unusual. Now, let’s take a more in-depth view of why some softball players are thick.

Read also: 11 Best Softball Brands: The Queens Of Softball

3 Reasons Why Softball Players Can Be Thick

In essence, there are three main reasons why softball players can be thick. Let’s start with the sport itself.

1. Softball as a sport

There are thousands of sports in the world, some more popular than others. Softball certainly is one of the most popular when looking at all sports globally, and certain things make it different from the others.

In softball, there is a lot of waiting, strategic thinking, and tactics involved in addition to pure cardio, such as running. This means that softball doesn’t burn as many calories as running track, powerlifting, boxing, and you name it.

So if the sport isn’t as physically demanding as other sports where people are thinner in their body shape, it attracts people that doesen’t love excessive cardio and a ton of sweat per training session.

Personally, I like sports with strategic thinking and workout for my mind and the body, not only pure exercise for the body.

The nature of softball attracts more thick people and keeps them thick in the process. Don’t get me wrong; many highly athletic people are in godlike shape playing softball, so the answer isn’t black or white, but more in the grey area.

2. Muscles and strength

If you want to succeed in softball, you need to launch with explosive speed, throw and swing the ball with great power, and throw yourself in the ball’s direction with great strength. All of this, as you can imagine, requires a great deal of muscle.

So how do you get a lot of muscle fast? There are many things related to that, but the two main things are that you need to consume more than your maintenance calorie intake, and you need to consume enough protein. This gives your muscles the nourishment they need for growth. This is also known as ”bulking”.

When you are consuming over your maintenance calories as many athletes are doing, including softball athletes, it is easy to consume a bit more than required for maximum muscle growth, which will be stored as fat in the body.

Therefore, if softball players are trying to build a lot of muscles and power fast before the season or whenever, it will likely result in muscle growth and some fat gain.

To further understand how muscle growth works and how it can be related to gaining weight in terms of fat, I highly recommend that you read this article from Healthline, as it explains everything in full.

3. It’s personal

Last but not least, we all are built differently, and our preferences are different the same.

Many people that are into sports are thick. This depends on the sport; as you can be thick in softball, baseball, and American football, you can’t be overly thick in soccer or professional running as it isn’t naturally as fast. However, you can’t be a professional defensive NLF player if you are thin, as you would be crushed.

So, it’s a personal choice which is also reflected by the position played in softball. For example, many shortstops aren’t thick as they are most in movement and need to be extremely fast to perform optimally. However, catchers have to have very strong legs and powerful arms to be in the position needed and throw balls fast.

Looking past the personal choice to be thick and own great muscle mass, we all are born differently, which is why some people are thicker and some thinner than others. By looking at the skill set that comes with your body, you can apply the best sports for your skillset. Who doesen’t like to play a sport they are good at?

Does Size Matter In Softball?

If you are thicker or thinner than the average, you might be wondering whether size matters in softball?

Size does matter in softball, as you can apply for the position best suited for your body type. Many shortstops often have low body fat, and are thin, fit, and short in size to have the best agility possible. In contrast, many thick players like to be catchers as it requires great strength in legs and arms.

As you can see, there are some pros and cons depending on which position you want to play. However, in most cases, size isn’t an issue in either direction, and you can play whatever position you desire.

However, if you want to play a certain position, but you feel that your size is an issue one way or the other, it can always be changed.

If you feel too big and slow, you can always slim down a couple of pounds to meet your goals. On the other hand, if you feel that you lack power and mass, you work towards getting bigger muscles and gaining some mass by getting the right, healthy nutrition and workout plan.

If things such as this are wondering you, I suggest that you talk to your coach, parents, or teammates as they can have valuable tips and information you can benefit from.

Can Big Girls Play Softball?

If you are thick in size and you found your way to this article, you may be wondering, can you even play softball? Self-doubt is a normal thing with all body types, and there is nothing to worry about. So, can big girls play softball?

Big girls can play softball. Having a big size is a great advantage in many things, such as delivering powerful throws and swinging the ball hard. Also, a bigger size means more reach on the field, which can also be beneficial.

Ultimately where it goes down to is the skills, not the size. A smaller person can be more powerful than a bigger, and a bigger can be faster than a smaller. You need to determine your particular skills and hone all skills needed for softball to choose the best position for you and to perform at least decently in all parts required in softball.

And there is a part for every body type to shine, regardless of the size. For the rest parts, you need to hone your skills and attributes that aren’t your strongest field as very few people are amazing at everything.

And if you are, that’s great! In that case, you should consider a pro career as it could be amazing!