"Hardball" shines a light into a world that can seem lonely for those in it. Even though over 1,000 girls play baseball at the high school level, it still seems like an anomaly and the girls who do pursue it often feel alone in the endeavor, fighting a cultural norm when all they really want is to play the game they love.
This story is important in part because it is a reflection of our society and our cultural relationship to gender, specifically gender roles, gender expectations, and women in sports. Its about freedom to pursue dreams, hopes, and one’s own path regardless of gender. 60 years ago, a color barrier would fall. Are we on the cusp of the falling of the gender barrier?