Basebaall is still huge in the south...but you rarely seee kids playing a pick up game...i believe it has something to do with the perceived cost: a soccer ball is like $15 bucks... a baseball bat, glove, and ball are well over $100---sometimes well over $500 of course, the baseball crap can be purchased on the cheap, but most people buy nice stuff...because of this, you'll rarely eet a ten year old who doesn't play organized ball that even owns a bat, glove, whatever... here's what i say: use your influence as a much as possible...when i worked at an after school center, i got 4 gloves and a bat really cheap and we played baseball almost every day...when i was a pe coach, we played wiffle ball in the gym after weight training every day...kids still enjoy baseball...its fun...its just that basketball and soccer "seem" easier and less stressful, so that's what most kids think of first