OKLAHOMA CITY — The USA Softball Women’s National Team and Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.) are nominees for June 2010 awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The team is being considered for the Team of the Month Award for their Gold Medal performance at the recent ISF Women’s World Championship while Haber is being considered for the Female Athlete of the Month. … Continue Reading
Written by Rayburn Hesse, Spy Softball
In response to a question from SPY, the International Softball Federation disclosed today that IOC President Rogge has informed ISF there is no possibility that the IOC Congress will consider reinstating softball in 2016 when the Congress convenes in October.
ISF advised SPY: “with regards to the IOC Session in October, Jacques Rogge has, unfortunately, told all five of us candidate sports (meaning, the ones other than golf and rugby) that they will only consider those two sports that the Executive Board recommended and that if one or none of those two fail to get enough votes for 2016, the Session will not consider any of the others (baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, or squash).”
… Continue Reading
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The USA Softball Women’s Pan American Qualifier team and Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.) are nominees for August 2009 awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The team is being considered for the Team of the Month Award for their Gold Medal performance while Langenfeld is being considered for the Female Athlete of the Month.
Fan votes count for 10-percent of the total while votes of the Olympic Family comprise the rest. Both polls are available below. To vote for the Women’s Pan American Qualifier Team, you can also go to http://twtpoll.com/jgedtq. Or you can vote for Langenfeld at http://twtpoll.com/87q1gx. The last day to vote is Sunday, Sept. 6. … Continue Reading
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Shortstop Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) was selected as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Female Athlete of the Month for her impressive performances with the USA Softball Women’s National Team in July 2009, the USOC announced today. She led the team in several categories including hits, RBI and stolen bases.
“I am truly honored and excited to receive the USOC July Athlete of the Month as I know I was on a list of highly talented individuals. This summer was a great one for USA Softball and I, as always, am honored to be a part of this team,” said Watley. “The year after the Olympics is always a tough year because you are training nonstop before the Games and then the letdown after is tough. It can be hard to come back out and get back in the training mode but I am happy with the success USA Softball has had this summer.” … Continue Reading
By Pirate Irwin
PARIS (AFP) — Should softball regain its place as an Olympic sport it could bring an improvement in women’s rights in the Middle East, His Royal Highness Prince Feisal of Jordan told AFP on Sunday.
The 45-year-old – younger brother of King Abdullah II – said that the sport deserved to be restored for the 2016 Games after losing its spot post the 2008 edition. … Continue Reading
With the future of Olympic softball at stake, it would take something extraordinary to keep Jessica Mendoza from helping the sport she loves. Not even the prospect of giving birth in a month is stopping her.
“As soon as they asked me, it was a no-brainer,” said Mendoza, an outfielder for the U.S. squads that won gold in 2004 and silver last summer in Beijing. … Continue Reading
IOC President Rogge confirms the seven sports under consideration for addition to the program for the 2016 Olympics will be reduced to two at the IOC Executive Board meeting in August in Berlin.
Baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby, squash and softball will make presentations in June to the Executive Board ahead of the August decision on which to cut.
“”We are going to study carefully the seven applicant sports and out of the seven we are going to propose two sports to the IOC Session,” he says. The vote will take place around October 6 at the Session in Copenhagen. … Continue Reading
Baseball hopes to submit a joint bid with softball in an effort to gain reinstatement for both to the Olympics for the 2016 Summer Games.
The presidents of the International Baseball Federation and International Softball Federation are scheduled to meet today in Orlando to discuss baseball’s idea. Because the sports are among seven competing for a maximum of two openings on the 2016 program, baseball argues that a joint bid would improve its chances and those of the women’s sport. … Continue Reading
Two-time Olympian Michele Smith and several BackSoftball Athlete Ambassadors were in Plant City over the weekend for the first time with a workshop in support of the program.
Olympians Saskia Kosterink of the Netherlands, Danielle Stewart of Australia, Jessica Mendoza of Team USA and other athletes along with two-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Donna de Varona and North American Vice President Dale McMann of Canada discussed the progress of the program’s goals, which is to encourage the International Olympic Committee to reinstate women’s softball to the Olympics, starting with the 2016 Games. … Continue Reading
After shining on the grand stage of the Beijing Olympics this summer, ace softball pitcher Yukiko Ueno has been busy. She was selected as the Japan Softball League’s the most valuable player and best pitcher, and her off-season schedule has been filled with awards ceremonies, guest appearances, and media invitations. She even has interviews lined up for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. … Continue Reading
