International Softball Federation –Online Videos Wraps Busy Month for International Softball on the ‘Net
PLANT CITY, FLORIDA(RUSHPRNEWS) JULY 31, 2008 — Continuing its aggressive growth, the International Softball Federation has launched a channel on YouTube, the world’s largest online video community. The page, www.youtube.com/ISFsoftball, is starting off with three videos being featured in the channel, with numerous additions planned in the weeks and months to come.
“We have been very proactive, this month in particular, with our online initiatives,” said ISF President Don Porter. “From the Facebook pages we put up for the ISF and Back Softball (announced July 8th) to the announcement last week about fans being able to write for the Web through the ISF and Sportingo, to now this important step we’re taking to expose existing and new viewers to our sport, it’s an exciting time to be interactive with softball without having to play, coach, or umpire the game.”
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Mr. Porter added, “YouTube is the world’s largest online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share videos. This relationship will allow us to continue moving forward with getting our games and our videos shown around the world through traditional broadcast outlets as well as new media.”
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The ISF’s YouTube channel is currently showing the video that was made for Back Softball, the Olympic reinstatement campaign, as well as a 5-minute highlight reel from the XI Women’s World Championship and a two-minute piece from when softball was played in Amman, Jordan, at the Peace Through Sport camp.
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There is also a button that allows page visitors to make a secure online donation to the ISF, which is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.
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The ISF president expressed optimism for other multimedia opportunities in the future, noting that the world governing body will again have a presence in Monaco in October at Sportel, the international sports convention for television and new media. Mr. Porter noted that exhibiting at last year’s event started the ISF on the way to both the Sportingo and YouTube opportunities.
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The ISF is the world governing body of the sport as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). Softball (women’s fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 131 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of participants in the sport worldwide.
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YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, (1.813) 864 0100, ext. 229, or (1.813) 453 8762 (cell) or Back Softball Media Relations Director Laura Walden at lwalden@backsoftball.com or +1 813 864 0100, ext. 224.
Key words: YouTube, softball, ISF, BackSoftball, Don Porter, IOC, GAISF, Fast Pitch, Beijing 2008, BOCOG
NEWS SOURCE Sports Features CommunicationsTM
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