Jordan Raye of the LGFPA Soft Rockers delivers a pitch during a game Sunday at YSI.

Many young athletes have aspirations of playing sports competitively beyond high school and college. For boys, they have professional baseball, football, basketball, soccer and tennis, just to name a few. But compared to baseball, little opportunity exists for softball enthusiasts.

Some players take their talents and play overseas, and some play in the six-team National Pro Fastpitch league, which former Kansas University softball standout Serena Settlemier is a part of. But many fans of the sport wished it offered greater opportunity.

“I wish there was because we’ve been watching the College World Series,”said Phenix softball coach Pete Ramler. “We talk about that. It’s really pretty exciting to watch.”

Ramler has been coaching softball for about five years and has also coached boys sports. He said the differences in coaching boys and girls were many, but like baseball players, softball players were good athletes as well.

Phenix player Dellynn Hansen has been playing softball since she was in kindergarten. She said playing softball offers its own challenges.

“I like the competition,” Hansen said. “I want to see how good I can do at certain positions.”

Hansen said her future goals as a softball player are to play in college, and hopefully play in the College World Series. Hansen and teammate Jordan Erickson have been selected to play in the 2007 Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame Tournament this weekend in Oklahoma City. Ramler said he has little doubt that both girls have the talent to play at a higher level.

“They both have skills. They both work hard. It’s very realistic,” Ramler said.

But setting lofty goals isn’t just for players in the upper divisions. Allison Ramos of the LGFPA team Red Flames said softball is her favorite sport and she has already set her sights on becoming a top player.

“I want to be an all-star,” Allison said.

Ramos helped the Flames win their first game of the season last week and their coach, Richard Ramos, said while teaching fundamentals and sportsmanship were important, at such a young age, having fun was the top priority.

“At this age it’s about having fun,” Ramos said. “They enjoy (winning). They’ll start getting competitive. I know once they get to the next age group they start to get a little more competitive and they’ll settle in on positions.”

Allison said that while she enjoys playing other sports, they don’t have the same excitement playing softball does.

“It’s so much fun and it’s not boring,” she said. “You get to do things. You don’t sit there like nothing’s happening.”