With softball returning to the Summer Olympics last year (won’t be included in the 2024 Olympics) and the emergence of the Women’s College World Series, the sport is heading in the right direction when it comes to growth. But could we see softball become a force in the professional ranks? In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, softball legend Jennie Finch revealed what she wants to see from the sport in the next decade.ย
“I hope it continues to flourish,” Finch exclusively told PopCulture. “I hope the opportunity continues to grow. I know my nine-year-old is growing up watching college softball every weekend on TV. And we walked into a stadium full of 12,000 fans in Oklahoma City. And so I really hope that we can bridge that gap from the collegiate level into the pro-level. It’s been kind of a struggle.ย
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“I was part of the National Pro Fastpitch League. Now we have Athletes Unlimited. We have Women’s Pro Fastpitch, as well. So hopefully we can just find a place professionally for these athletes. So it’s not just 15 that can go on and play USA softball. And it’s not just a summer job, barely getting by, but you know, women can actually dream of being a professional softball player and make a somewhat of a living unlike it is now. That would be the goal and the dream. And that’s the vision that we’re hopefully moving towards.”
Finch, 41, helped softball grow in the United States. She led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and followed that up with a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Before the Olympics, Finch led the Univesity of Arizona to a Women’s College World Series championship in 2001. He turned pro in 2005 competing in National Pro Fastpitch for six seasons. Finch is considered to be the most famous softball player in history because of the impact she made on an off the field. And there is one moment that stands out when it comes to her career.ย
“Representing my country, USA across my chest, going into Athens, Greece and Beijing, and being able to travel the world playing the game that I love was such a dream and playing with women that I looked up to,” Finch said. “I literally was in some of their autograph lines, Lisa Fernandez, Leah O’Brien Amico. And then here I was eight years later, sharing a dugout with them, training with them as teammates. So just so thankful for the opportunities there. And hopefully, we can continue to provide those for the future and even more.”
