Lots of people like softball. The hot dog stands, the Big League Chew, clapping as your little sister takes a swing at a ball that's going maybe twenty miles per hour if the wind's behind it. It's a fun and relaxing game that builds character and gives you a weekly excuse to get ice cream after practice.

But softball as an NCAA and professional women's sport is anything but relaxing. It's still fun, but it's really hardcore fun. When you go beyond Little League, you enter a whole new world—one of tough competitors, fierce dedication, and complete devotion. There's a reason they say that there's no crying in softball. (Unless you win a championship…in which case, you're allowed to sob like a baby.)

The new uniforms are just so beautiful. (Source)

Aspiring softballers can begin as young as four years old and join local co-ed T-ball leagues or all-girl Little League teams to learn the basics of the game. Little League includes programs for girls ages four through eighteen, including all-star teams, Big League, and Senior Big League. Some of these games are so popular that they're televised on ESPN, which means you have to take the game a bit more seriously than you did when you were six. Sorry, no more zoning out and finding shapes in clouds.

With a pinch of luck, you'll make it onto the varsity squad in high school where you'll probably perfect your skills as a pitcher, catcher, infielder, or outfielder. You'll also hone those base-running skills, develop a sharp eye at the plate, learn to connect well with the ball, and upgrade your mental armor to withstand new levels of pressure.

Thinking about college softball? (Well, of course you are. You're reading this.) You're going to have to be thinking about playing college softball during your freshman year of high school. Yep, that's right—your freshman year. NCAA recruiters look at freshmen and sophomores, so if you want to play for an NCAA program, you'll need to know that really early on. You'll also have to put together a resume and a video of your greatest hits and submit them to coaches and recruiters for college programs that interest you. Proactivity is where it's at.

But before you rush out to buy some scented stationery for that resume, consider this: just because you played in Little League and high school doesn't mean you're guaranteed a spot playing softball in the NCAA. There are about 372,000 women who play softball in high school. Only 31,000 move on to play in college. That's less than 10%, for those keeping count. That number shrinks to only 6,000 players in NCAA Division I (source). Those are some slim odds.

Are they insurmountable odds? Nope. If a player's really good, then she'll catch the eye of an NCAA recruiter or two. But to be counted as really good, you have to make it into all-star leagues, earn MVP titles, and help your team get to the Little League World Series, All-Division and All-State championships. No small feat indeed.

On top of that, there's the money to consider. The average athletic scholarship for all NCAA female athletes is $14,713 (source), but a player could receive significantly more or less depending on the position she plays and how she ranks among her teammates.

There are 295 NCAA Div-I teams, each with an average roster of 20. Twelve of those players can receive scholarships (source). That means of the 6,000 Div-I players, about 3,500 receive scholarship money, either partial or full (source). Yikes.

That's good motive to push yourself to be the best, but it also means you can't count on it to finance your entire college education. Just servin' you up some super fresh realness, kids. How's it taste?

Hmm. So 10% odds of playing college softball. Doesn't sound too hard. Going pro should be equally as easy, right? Makes sense.

Except, you know, not really. Getting into a top softball college is nothing compared to making it as a pro. There's only one professional softball league in the United States, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), and there are 72 players total on five teams.

In case you missed that, we'll repeat it…seventy-two players total. And even fewer players are selected to play on the USA Women's Softball Team, which represents the country in international matches. Those are the players whose posters will be hung on the bedrooms of aspiring softball players.

Jennie has superstar biceps to match her superstar pitching skills.

If you want to be on a poster or a Wheaties box someday, you're going to have to be superstar. Not a superstar like Mary Katherine Gallagher, but a superstar like pitcher Jennie Finch.

So if you're the crème de la crème, then you've got a chance at a scholarship. Just realize that the scholarship train usually stops at the end of college. Once that ride's done, you'll be pretty darn glad you have the primary education degree taxi waiting to pick you up.