Baseball, the National Pastime #ShesUp

How can baseball be called the national pastime when 52% of the nation isn’t given the same chance of playing it?

As recently as the 1970s, girls were unilaterally denied the chance to play youth baseball. It took lengthy court battles to right that wrong, but even those legal wins didn’t open the floodgates for girls’ access to the sport. In fact, those legal hurdles were quickly followed by social hurdles. The majority of young female athletes who are passionate about baseball are still pressured to switch to a more “appropriate” sport, as no schools on any level in the U.S. offer girls baseball programs. (While softball is available, baseball and softball are considered two different sports, according to Title IX.)

To help open more doors for girls in baseball, we’re working with colleges around the country to create paths for girls to continue playing at the next level.

The #ShesUp campaign featured real girls in baseball and their stories, led by the creative team of Cheryl Van Ooyen (Creative Director, Executive Producer) and Dick Gordon (Creative Director, Editor), and their talented partners:

Agency: Carousel NYC
Director: Erica Eng
Creative Director/Editor: Dick Gordon
Creative Director/Writer/Executive Producer: Cheryl Van Ooyen
Executive Producer: Suzanne Crowe
Executive Producer: Chris Zander
DoP: Kristen Smith
Music: Sofi Tukker
Sound Design: Steve Rosen