<P> New Zealand are the current Men's World Champions, having won the title in 2013 . Prior to that, Australia won the World Championship in 2009 and New Zealand had won the previous three tournaments before that . The current Junior Men's World Champion is Argentina, having won the title in 2012 . In the Women's World Championships the United States is the most dominant team, having won three of the past four Olympic tournaments and the past seven World Championships . The current Junior Women's World Champion is the United States . </P> <P> Women's softball made its first Olympic appearance in 1996 and made its final Olympic appearance in the 2008 games . Softball and Baseball have both failed attempts to be reinstated to the Olympics for 2012 and 2016 . In 2012 the heads of the International Softball and Baseball Federations announced they were uniting to increase their chances in playing in the 2020 games. "The proposal calls for men's baseball and women's softball to be played at a single venue over seven to 10 days . Each tournament would feature eight teams . Baseball and softball would be two disciplines under a single sports banner . The merger still requires formal approval from the congress of both federations . Softball and baseball are competing with karate, roller sports, squash, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu for inclusion in 2020 . Only one spot on the Olympic program is open. The IOC executive board will decide next May which sport to recommend for inclusion . The final decision will be made in a vote of the full IOC in Buenos Aires in September 2013". </P> <P> New Zealand is the most successful nation at men's world championship softball, having won their seventh title in 2017 . The New Zealand women's team have also won a number of World Championship titles in the past . The game is widely played in New Zealand and is the second most popular summer sport behind cricket . </P> <P> Softball is played in all states and territories in Australia and at all levels of academic education . The game is widely promoted to maintain fitness, health, personal achievements and pleasure . Australia has excellent softball teams which are a reflection of its coaching, education and training system . </P>

Who was the first person to play softball