Softball stars eager for Olympic return

In 1996, women's softball was first introduced to the Olympic stage. Twenty-five years later, the sport’s Olympic journey will continue as 18 of the best athletes will compete in Japan.

How important is this visibility for these athletes? Michele Smith, a member of the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams, recalls the pressure she felt when competing in her first Olympics. She said while speaking on a panel titled "MLB Stand Beside Her: A Celebration of USA Softball Olympians" that she felt like she was not only representing her country, but the entire history of the sport.

Growing up, all of Smith's "diamond sport" heroes were men. She felt such an honor "to give our sport the credibility it finally deserved to be on that world platform."

Leah Amico, also a member of the 1996 team, echoed how important it was for young girls to see softball and have heroes to look up to.

"We wanted to keep passing that down to let people know the history being made," Amico said.

After the 1996 Olympics, softball's popularity boomed. Smith recalled Southeastern Conference schools beginning to offer scholarships and invest in softball like they did other sports.

"The sport just kind of exploded," she joked.

These women were role models for young athletes. Jennie Finch, who played on the 2004 and '08 Olympic teams, was just a young fan at the time.

"I remember waiting in [Michele] Smith, [Leah] Amico's autograph line," Finch said. "Then here I was, eight years later, having the opportunity to play with these women."

Finch added that seeing these athletes on the world's largest stage made her realize that she had more opportunities in the sport than just coaching.

Natasha Watley grew up playing softball and dreamed of being an Olympian. She was competitive and driven, but by no means a runner or gymnast. She remembers only seeing women at the Olympics in those competitions and thinking that was her only avenue. When she saw the 1996 team, she hoped to continue playing the sport she loved on a professional level.

Watley and Finch both represented the U.S. in 2004 and '08 and have continued to build the sport as Youth Softball Ambassadors for MLB.

At the 2008 Olympics, Finch and her teammates found out that softball would no longer be an Olympic sport beginning in ‘12.

"It felt like a death," Finch said.

Their coach, Mike Candrea, called a team meeting. Watley remembers his piece of advice: "Control the controllables." After taking home the silver medal, many American softball players didn't know what was next for their sport.

Both Haylie McCleney and Janie Reed, who were young players at the time, shifted their focus to playing at the collegiate level. Reed said college seemed like the next step, as "it was the biggest stage at the time." Her now-teammate McCleney said that all she focused on was being the best softball player.

In 2020, the Olympic committee voted to once again add softball back to the games, beginning with the Olympics in Tokyo.

"It really is an honor to represent ‘lost’ Olympic teams between '08 and now," Reed said.

When the pandemic postponed the games, McCleney knew that her team would take this extra time and view it as an opportunity.

"Our sport has waited 12 years for this," said McCleney. "Now we are just going to wait 13 [years]."

McCleney added that her hope is for softball to boom again, like it did in 1996.

The 18 women on the Olympic roster and USA Softball have partnered with MLB leading up to the games. On trips to Washington, D.C., and New York, McCleney said she felt like "the red carpet was rolled out for us." She wants future generations to have the same treatment and continue to create more visibility for women's sports.

Reed fondly recalls these trips and the Play Ball events that the team has attended, soaking in every moment.

"I don't think people outside of our sport know how big this Olympic year is," Reed said.

Finch and Watley use their ambassador roles to connect with and inspire future stars in the sport. They both said how exciting it is for this next generation of players to have the Olympic dream back.

McCleney joked, "You can come take our spots. … We're playing the game for you."