March 24, 2025 • 62 mins
AJ is joined by Natasha Watley, a two-time Olympic medalist, Hall of Famer, and former Pro All-Star softball player. Natasha shares her experiences, the lessons she learned from mentors, and her advice for young athletes. They also delve into Natasha's ongoing efforts to support the game of softball through partnerships, advocacy, and professional softball league involvement.
Looking for more diamonds? Follow AJ on Instagram and X.
Share the diamonds you received from this episode by leaving a rating and a review!
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is in partnership with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with athletes, Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Everywhere we went my line was full of young black
girls and like I think for me, that was a
realization like how powerful it is for them to see
you on that field and it completely changes your perspective.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me, AJ Andrews, where we
dive headfirst into the world of softball and celebrate the
women who are not only dominated the game but changing
the status quo. And today I am talking to someone
that completely changed the status quo when it came to
me and how I saw myself in the game back
(00:49):
in the day when I was in Little League Brand
New Age eleven, maybe game five into my softball career,
and I remember I was at a beef o Brady's
in Clearwater, Florida, and they had the World Series playing,
and so it was on the TV and I'm just
(01:10):
looking the right eating my Chigan nuggets and fries, and
I see it's UCLA and Michigan playing, and.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So that was I looked it up.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I was two thousand and five two thousand and five,
UCLA and Michigan play and I remember seeing this dominant,
amazing woman on screen who looked just like me, and
her name was Natasha Wattley. And I remember sitting in
that Beefo Brady's thinking that, oh wow, this game that
(01:41):
I just tried out today could get me there, it
could get me on TV. And then seeing Natasha made
me realize I could be exactly like her. And from
that moment, almost like seeing my dreams realized in one person,
sitting in that Beefo Bradies as I'm stuffing my face
with chicken nuggets and fries. First it was when a
(02:02):
dream was formed to play collegiate softball. Was that day
and that beatiful Brady's watching Natasha Walley on my screen,
And then she was the person that really put into
play me making all the efforts to make that dream realized.
So without further ado, I had to do. Who I'm
speaking about already, but I want to welcome my idol.
(02:25):
Two time metal winning Olympian gold medalist, four time First
Team All American, She's been a pro, seven time All Star,
Hall of Famer, in my opinion, the greatest.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
To ever do it.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Natasha Wally, Oh, thank you so much for coming well
my personal hype woman. But man, that just feels so
good to hear. And you know how I feel about you,
so thank you for the kind words. But thank you,
thank you, and you make me feel old.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
No, and nothing's changed. It's so interesting from eleven years old,
j why do you want to play softball? Well, I
saw Natasha a while Also, my mom, my mom, buy
me everything UCLA after that day. I still have a
big old ucl and from Florida. But she had got
me like a big old UCLA letterman because I was
like the only thing she could find some maybe like
a Burlington or somewhere in Florida, because you know, everything's
(03:20):
like gators or the FSU. And so I had everything
UCLA after that day.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Oh my gosh. Yeah. Still to this day, I would
have loved to have seen you in the UCLA uniform
like that would have been That would have been a dream.
Let's go. No, I don't think I was never recruited.
Go prove bang it, sue. We could have got even
l a little pit sooner.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
But it's been hard too though, being from Florida for
my family to go watch watch the games, true, but
I just remember everything's from eleven to now. The story
has never changed as far as why it is that
I'm here today, And if I had never been at before,
Brady's in that chicken nug it's taking that breath to
look up at the TV. I don't know where who
(04:04):
AJ would be today.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Honestly, Oh gosh, well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I mean I feel so honored and I feel that
makes me feel really special.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So thank you, thank you well, Nasashow.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
We know what it's like to lead it off, and
I want to lead this Dropping Diamonds podcast episode off
with dropping diamonds were dropping Jah and start with affirmation.
So I just felt like this quote, which is a
good quote, it's just very fitting for today and is
work until your idols become your rivals. And then I
added this part and then your idols again because you
(04:38):
continue in every phase of like whether it's soft, far
or beyond, you're still someone that I look up to.
An affirmation I like to bring out of that is
there's no limit to what I can do or who
I can be. I will use my idols as guides
to become the best meet.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, I love that Dropping diamonds dropping diamonds would quote
that you live by or that's really stuck with you
throughout the time.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Gosh, I have a ton. What I was playing not
a really good one, but what doesn't kill you makes
you strong?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Eh.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That was at like six am.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Wake it up, Like, oh my gosh, this is not
gonna kill me, It's gonna make me stronger. Oh my gosh,
I have a ton. I love my Angelo and I'm
going to butcher it. But there's one just talking about
how you make people feel, how they don't necessarily remember
what you say, but how you make them feel.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And that's exactly it. You wouldn't always remember the words
you say, but they always remember the way you made
them feel.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Make it make them feel.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, I'm like I was gonna butcher it, but something
to that effect, and that always that's always stuck with me.
Just yeah, like I always want to make sure when
I'm around people that we're embracing them, we're uplifting them,
we're empowering them.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So yeah, what do you feel like is an affirmation
we can take from that? Like the intention for a day?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, I think that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Is just making sure or you make people feel seen
and I don't know, I'm just I mean even strangers
just hi, how are you?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Good morning?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Just making people feel present, you know, because we can
get really lost in our days and with all the
things that we personally have to do. So just making
people feel seen at all times, that's been something that
I try to do.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Oh yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
To today's affirmation, Well, what doesn't kill you make you stronger.
I remember that as you're going out to your lift,
your job, or your practice, I will get stronger today
because I'm not going to die.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, yes, it is not going to hurt you. So
at the end you will be very happy. So it's
always the before that sucks.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And make people feel seed while you're going out and
getting stronger.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, yes, yes, shining bright like a diamond.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Going to add a little bit more glimmer to the
already long resume that in Natasha Wally giving her her
diamonds on the field, Natasha broke records lines and brought
representation to a sport that she names her first love.
She's not retired and is a partner of MLB and
continues to seek to bring awareness and the Global Agency
(07:12):
of Softball to inspire girls and women around the world.
I think if you are a black woman beyond that
as well. But for sure, if you're a black woman
you onto the game of softball, one of your idols
is Natasha Watley, the legacy that you've been able to
lead throughout this sport, especially because as black women in
(07:33):
this game, we don't always see a lot of us,
and so oftentimes I feel kind we see somebody looks
like us and say, oh, this is someone that I
think I can become. This is the person why I'm
going to get to the next level of this game
end of my career. For you, was there anyone that
really inspired you to want to keep playing or that
(07:54):
it was an idol for you?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, I mean inspired me to keep playing outside of
my parents. I looked up to a lot of men.
I looked up to MLB players. I wanted to be
Auzzie Smith. I wanted to be Fred McGriff. I wanted
to be in Atlanta Brave, which is really random, but
I just I mean, obviously heroes are genderless, and I
(08:15):
envisioned myself being an MLB player one day, So you know,
I always say how powerful it would have been had
I had someone who looked like me to look up to,
Like wow, like how that would have catapulted my visions
of what the possibilities could be. I looked up to
Lisa Fernandez, but I didn't see her and probably till
like later, And that was just more so just how
(08:38):
she played with passion and how she approached the game.
She was a competitor. But prior to that, I didn't
really have a lot of visuals of anybody playing softball
that I'm like, oh, shoot, like that's what it could
look like. So I just looked up to a lot
of men, which I don't think is wrong or bad.
I think, like I said, heroes are genderless and so
it doesn't really matter. But how powerful would it have
(09:01):
been had I had a black woman playing softball that
I had the opportunity to look up to.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
How do you feel like that would have impacted you
if you did have a black woman to look up to.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I think just the.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Like I said, like the possibilities or what I envisioned
what my career could potentially look like, I think it
would have. I feel like, as I was doing it
was just kind of like blind, like just this is
fun and just going to the next step, Okay, what's next?
But I just never really had this pipeline of like, oh, okay,
that's exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
What I want to do.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
My vision of what exactly what I wanted to do
was to be an MLB player and to play for
the Atlanta Braves. So imagine if I had a woman
to look up to that was an Olympian or whatever
it is. I think that you would have this kind
of road map to follow and not kind of going
through the journey blind, which is not wrong.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And I think that that made me.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Enjoy my journey a little bit more going through it blind,
because I've just enjoyed where I would at and enjoyed,
you know, just where my feet were, not looking too far.
But I think it would have fast tracked a little
bit more having someone to kind of hone in on.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You really were kind of like the pavement, at least
for me and for so many other young young black
women getting into the game. But because when I was
started playing Little League, I mean up until college, I
was the only black player on all of my teams
up until college.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Isn't it crazy to think about that? Like looking back,
like and I don't know about your experience but for me, obviously,
like nothing was wrong with it, And I look at pictures,
I'm like, WHOA, Like I was really the only look
on this team. But I think about and that's the
attestament to sports, right, like just making you feel like
(10:49):
you can accomplish anything and that you can contribute to
a team no matter what you look like or all
of those things. But I think I look back, I'm
just like blown away, like wow, like that is a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It is a big deal. It's such a big deal.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
And luckily I've had such great teammates throughout my career
where I didn't feel alienated or it felt different by
any regard. But it can feel oftentimes, I know for
many people when you sometimes you feel you don't have
anyone to relate to, or you don't have anyone to
look up to, or have these different conversations with. Did
you have any specific struggles as you were coming up
(11:26):
through playing football?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Honestly, now, yeah, because I feel like softball and you know,
killing it on the field was the common denominator and
exactly like, never felt alienated, never felt different. If anything,
I felt like I had superpowers. And I think that's
a testament to my parents. My parents definitely supported me
and made me feel like the way you're gonna lead,
(11:50):
you're gonna lead with character, and if you get it
done on the field, you're going to be in somebody's
lineup and you're just as good as anybody and they're
just as good as you. You know. So it's just
this very humbling, level headed parenting that I had. So
I think I felt the same, Like shoot, like I'm
no different, but yeah, like the relatability like that definitely
(12:11):
lacked in terms of I'm sure you could relate like
staying up all night taking my braids out right, you know,
and then going the next day and wearing a hat,
and the girls, you know, my white teammates like what
is going on? Yesterday you had long hair, now you don't.
And I'm like, just let's play, you know. I like, yeah,
you talk about it like that relatability.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know, you need a haircut?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yes, yeah, I got to a place I just I
just said yes, yes, yes, And tomorrow I won't have
a haircut, so.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Right, I will actually be back at the same length
that it was yesterday.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah. Oh gosh.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
When I think about how much the importance of representation
and obviously from my own story, it's a testament of
being able to watch you and how that was transformative
in my life. I can think of the exact moment
when I realized that I was also that person for
(13:04):
many other people the way you were for me. And
I was coming off of a game. I had a
terrible game. I don't remember what I did. I know
I was like, oh for something, oh for three, oh
for four?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Awful?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
And this young woman came up to me, black woman
with her daughter, said oh, please, can you know and
my daughter would love me get to auto grabh this
our first softball game and you're my daughter's favorite player.
I was like, huh, it's your first game. I went,
oh for four? How am I your favorite player? And
she spoke about how, oh, well, she's the first time
she saw a black girl playing on a big field
(13:36):
and she said, wow, mom, she looks like me.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And I don't know what like jolted me in that
moment when I realized none of this matters, AJ Like,
your stats don't matter. The performance that's the matter. What
matters that you showed up. What matters that you're there
and you are realizing dreams for people the same way
which Natasha. You were just playing trying to win a
world series. You had no idea who was watching you,
(14:00):
totally man, you had no idea that in years time
it would be someone that ultimately went to LSU and
played pro all because she sat down and was inspired
by you watching you on TAVY and I had that
realization of oh my god, I'm really that person for
other people as well, and it doesn't matter what my
performance is. I couldn't tell you what you did when
I watched you. I have no idea what happened that game.
(14:22):
I just remember seeing you. It hit me in that
moment that oh wow, yeah just smout as that I
show up. Was there a moment for you when you
realize just how important representation was?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
After our games are USA games, my whole line would
be the maybe the four black girls that were in
the park watching the game would be in my line
like the first in line, and everywhere we went, my
line was full of young black girls. And like I
think for me that was a realization like okay, yeah
you can go zero for ten and how powerful it
(14:56):
is for them to see you on that field and
to see you wearing a USA uniform in all of
these things, Like it completely changes your perspective, right, And
I feel like when we were on those tours, they
were such a grind, and I felt like we were
rock stars. Like we would get on a bus and
we would bust to the next city, which would be
like an hour or two hours, and then it was
(15:16):
just a grind and we would have to wake up
and play another game. And I think that that was
the motivation of like, there's some young girl that's going
to be in this crowd today that's going to see
me for the first time, and it doesn't matter if
I'm zero for ten, it doesn't matter if I'm ten
for ten. She's going to be the first of my line,
and I want to be there for her, and I
want to be that visual for her. I want to
(15:36):
be I want to hold this spot for her. I
want to have her her eyes are going to be
on me the whole entire day. And so like that
was my motivation, is like I'm going to kill it
today no matter what. I want to be that for her.
So yeah, I think those moments when it kind of
clicks of oh my gosh, this is really important. This
platform that we have because we remember being that little
(15:57):
girl and yeah, like I didn't have that vis visual
on a daily basis, And you know, I'm now I
get emotional because I've got a little girl.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I've got a little girl and I'm.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Raising I think about the visuals and I think about you,
Aj and that she gets to see you, and that
we get to turn on our TV and she gets
to see powerful black women on the TV playing sports
on a daily It is her norm for us to
turn on the TV. And you know, not even just
to see black women, but just to see women's sports
in general and to see someone like you. It's a
(16:28):
whole different meeting in mommyhood. But I know what it
meant for us to be young girls just to have
someone to look up to, And yeah, I didn't necessarily,
like really have that in a softball form, But I
just think about the young girls too.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I mean, you talk about your gorgeous daughter, Carter, and
how turning on the TV and seeing women's sports is
a norm when that was something that we only saw
women's sports when it was a big game maybe back
in the day. And the fact that she has the
opportunity to be inspired by so many people when you
(17:03):
kind of look at life through the lens of Carter
and the things that you lacked as far as the
representation and the inspiration and all that she has. What
are the feelings that you get knowing that she has
so many more options and the opportunity to be inspired
and feel like she's represented.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Oh my god, it's the best feeling in the world.
It's the best feeling in the world. Knowing that she
has these visuals and knowing that I lacked.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
It, you know, And yeah, I'm.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Very honored and humbled of the career that I've had.
But I just think of all the possibilities that she
is able to have, and like they're endless. They're endless,
and like there's nothing out there that she won't know
about that she can't do. I already think like her
personality is forming in this shape of like I'm here,
(18:00):
is here, Like you feel her energy before she's entered
the room, and like she just takes up space, like
she is just like oh, like she is everything I
wish that I was at two or three, you know,
Like I don't know. It just really pumps me up
and makes me really excited to see all of the
visuals that she gets to see on daily basis.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And talk about her being aries taking up that space
and her knowing that, oh, I'm that girl I love
the same time with Carter and she took the picture saying, no,
this is my picture.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
You guys are besties already, Like yeah, AJ, And I'm like,
go give Aja a hug, and you know, she's like, okay,
you know, just not afraid.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And that picture AJ, she had it.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In her purse or her she's like a little like
purse or yeah, like she had it in it and
we were cleaning it out the other day and she
had it and she like her eyes got so big
and I'm like, that was Aja.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
You took a picture with AJ.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
And we have it in her little dresser in her room.
You guys are besties. You guys are bonded for life.
I know. You know.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
She definitely reminds me I'm a sidecarre. She's like, you know,
this is this is my story.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
You are. You're an extra thank you know, oh yeah, gosh.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
When we speak about your legacy and all that you've
been able to accomplish, it all started with being that
triple threat power and you being able to get up
to the plate, whether it's but slap hit. Because when
I think of being a triple threat, everything all comes
back to you, like the start of so much of
softball and what we define as like power slappers and
(19:33):
what that comes from. I feel you were the example.
And so when you think about developing being a dynamic
triple threat hitter, what comes first? What do you think
it you know, really takes to get to that level.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah, great question. Honestly, I think the first thing is
just putting the ball in play, right. I think a
lot of times young triple threats or young triple threats
in the making, they get so caught up in the
fact I've got to refine all these different tools. So
I've got to hit for power, I've got to have
a hard step, I've got to bounce the ball. I've
got just put the ball in play, put some pressure
(20:09):
on defense. If you've got speed, use that to your advantage,
and just keep it simple. I think that's one of
the things that I feel happy on the hindsight of
looking back of like my triple threat career of just honestly,
like when I got into college, all I did was
tap and go, Like put the ball in play. Bounce
the ball, tap and go, put the ball in play,
bounce the ball, use my speed. Not until I got
(20:30):
into college really did I really develop a hard slap
hitting for power, you know, just really buying into the
mindset of reinventing myself of okay, like what other dimensions
could I add to my game?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
So I think I got really.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Good at bouncing the ball and touch and go and
just putting pressure, and then you start to develop just
adding on different layers. So I think just for young
triple threats, just you know, focus on what your strength is.
So if it is a hard slap, like, focus on
just getting really good at that and then starting to
build the other things around as you go. But like
when you're trying to like learn all the things at once,
(21:06):
probably not going to help you out the best. So
you know, just focus on one thing and then kind
of develop and build off of that.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
We'll be dropping more diamonds after these messages. Why do
you think building is so important being more than just
a power slopper or a soft slopper or a hitter.
Why do you feel like having all those different tools
(21:38):
helps you out the plate.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
One you're undefendable. Two you can adjust to any situation,
any picture, any situation. And also too, it's almost like
a pictures have a couple of pitches and then one
day a pitch is actually working and then the other
pitches not. Same thing for us as triple threats, like
I'm sure you can relate. Like some days you're like,
oh my gosh, Like I can bounce this ball like
nobody's business. So I'm I'm just going to continue to
(22:01):
do that. And you know, my hard slaps, like my
timings off and so now that I've got different tools,
I just have something that I can rely on on
a daily basis. And I think that that feels like
you have a superpower, Like yeah, it doesn't matter what situation,
who I'm facing, I know that I can figure something
out and make something happen.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
If you look back to you feel there was a
specific moment when I don't know, maybe like you surprised yourself,
whether it was the top it went super high, or
like your first home run that when you kind of
got out of the box of what you're used to
this slap and go what was the game or that
moment We're like, oh, no, I can add all of
these things.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I don't just have to tap and go wow.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I mean probably in college. I don't know if I
remember a moment. I will say Sue Coachank was at UCLA.
She really challenged me, probably my sophomore junior or the fall.
She would just take away slapping in general, and it's
just like you're gonna hit only and just to hit away.
Sometimes I felt naked it, like, uh, you recruited me
to be a slaper, Like why would you ever do
(23:03):
this to me? Not realizing that she was challenging me
and helping me build. So I think in those moments
when I actually started to get success on like hitting
for power, like oh shoot, like this could be really scary,
Like I got options, y'all, like don't even worry. Like
in Japan, which was way later in my career, it
was like the first time that I actually slapped a
(23:25):
home run because I'd never really like tried to hit
the ball over the fence on my hard slaps. I
would actually like, I don't know, but one time, just
effortless just ran through the box and hit the ball
over the I'm like, I don't even.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Know, like you know, I just say that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
It was that feeling like I don't even know, but
I've got some options. So it made the game fun.
Makes the game fun.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah. I remember the first time I slapped a home
run and I was thinking.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Oh, oh uh oh, y'all get ready, and it was
slap a home run over the fence, because I've had
like many in the park home runs totally. But then
when I slapped it over, I was like, oh, oh,
I'm in the gym, y'all, y'all gonna back up.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Don't don't move up on me, just because yeah, this
could be scary for everybody. Of all, like, it's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Kachurin at LSU did the same thing when it came
to hitting. She just she always gave me the green light,
which I loved. I didn't always feel as comfortable standing
in and hitting as I did slapping, which you know,
when you think about it, I feel like that's so
funny for us that we felt more comfortable running through
the box than just stating still and hitting makes no sense.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
I remember vividly.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I don't remember what game it was, but I was
doing well and I just got up to play. I
was like, should I did a little little swing motion.
She's like yeah, like she shrugged her shoulders. It's just
not her heck yeah, And then I hit a triple
or something and and after that I felt more comfortable
and was able to do that much much, much, much more.
But I love how she was always open and willing
(24:56):
to let me try new things to really come into
my own and become that triple threat player.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I love coaches that challenge you like that and just
like let you kind of do your own thing. I
think when they try to put a blanket on you
and try to control, like do this in this moment,
like you're not able to be free and experiment and
love that, Like, see what you're actually capable of doing?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You playing for Sue inquist and at UCLA, the dynasty
that UCLA is in collegiate softball. What was your recruitment process? Like,
how did you know UCLA.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Was a school for you?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Well, Aj, you're dating my memory so long ago, gosh,
I mean I grew up in Soka, I grew up
in Los Angeles. So again, we talked about my journey,
like I just it wasn't on TV, Like I didn't
pop on a TV, and I couldn't really watch softball
like we can watch it now and so I a
big testament to my dad of just taking me to
(25:55):
cal State Fullerton. It was the Judy Garment Tournament and
seeing all the college teams there go EACLA. So it
just UCLA was on my radar, like that was really
the only school that I saw playing at the collegiate level.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And so I just wanted to be a Bruin.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And so when the recruiting crosses happened, it was so late,
I mean it was much later than athletes now. So
it was my junior senior year of high school, and
it was a dream. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna take
all of my visits. I'm gonna take all my five visits.
I knew I wanted to stay close. I'm only child.
I'm really close to my mom and dad, So I
didn't want to go too far. And I like, you, like,
(26:30):
there's no way that I could go to the other
side of the country and not have them be able
to see me. So I took all of my Pack
eight visits at the time, Pack ten, all of the
evolution of PAC twelve.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
It was Pack eight at the time.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So I went to Washington, Cal Arizona, Arizona State and Ucla.
But you know, that was one of the things that
my dad was like, see all of your options. You know, obviously,
yes UCLA is on your radar, take all the options
in and then Ucla.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Like, it just was a fit. It was.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
I grew up watching you slay basketball. Men's basketball RAFERL
Johnson was a hero, Jackie Robinson was a hero like
all of these different Bruins that just I've learned about
growing up and being able to see. So it was
just a dream. So when Sue said that, it was
an opportunity, and I tried to play tough to get
(27:20):
by taking all those visits, but deep down new I
wanted to be a Bruin. So forever indebted to Sue,
and she's a mentor to this day. I talked to
her last week. I talked to her all the time,
and she's just always just been one of the biggest
supporters of.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Me and everything that I have going on.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
What is something that the legendaries suit said to you
that you still utilize today or that really helped change
your game as a player.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Gosh, Well, the thing that really helped change my game
was reinventing myself. You know, She challenged me to get
out of just being that tap and do just really
who couldn't be if you, you know, reinvent yourself. She
has so many suisms, so many quotes. I mean, just
be patient with your rate of success. I think that's
one thing that I always hear, like, especially just you know,
(28:11):
beyond my playing days of now running a nonprofit and
just any new thing that I'm taking on, Like, just
be patient with your rate of success. It's gonna look different.
Don't look left, don't look right, stay in your lane.
That's something that she would always say. I think one
of the things that I am so thankful for her
(28:32):
is I was I'm just a quiet person, quiet shy.
My favorite story about her is my freshman year. She'd
make me come into her office. Sounds kind of creepy now,
but she would make me come in her office and
she would just film me. She'd put the camera on
and she would almost do like a mock interview, and
she would say, tell me how your day was, what
(28:54):
were your classes today, what'd you learn? What are you
working on in softball? What's your intent for the day.
Like she would just make me talk, and I aj,
I would hate it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
I would hate it.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
And I'm like, why does this even matter? Like you've
recruited me to be a shortstop, to be a slab hitter,
Like I could do those things just you know, lean
on me for those But why are you making me
come and you talk in your office? But she said,
one day, people are gonna want to hear what you
have to say. And that has been something that has
stuck with me forever, of use your voice, and you
(29:29):
are going to be someone that people want to hear,
and they want to hear what you have to say.
And so that's always been something that I always hear
in the back of my head of people want to
hear what you have to say. And so if you're
gonna get it done on the field, you're gonna have
to talk. You're gonna have to do an interview, You're
gonna have to do podcasts with AJ. Obviously, you know,
(29:49):
in my adult life, I've come a long way, but
my eighteen nineteen year old self, I was on mute.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I did not want to talk.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
People are gonna want to hear what you have to say.
And she was so right. It's almost like she just
saw the future for you, and she just knew you're
going to be successful, and it was like, listen, you're
going to have to talk. Whether it's ECLA or beyond.
There's so much success waiting for you when you think
about success and your career and who you are when
(30:20):
you be able to accomplish. If you define success, what
would that sound like for you?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Success to me is having goals and reaching them. I
think now more the impact that you have on others,
it is success. I mean even just hearing your story
of just being a visual for you that gives my
journey and my career purpose, and that to me is success.
Accolades and gold medals and all those things are great
(30:49):
things to talk about, but honestly, like those journeys to
get there are what I'm proud of of, overcoming days
of doubt, overcoming days of honestly like not waking up
and wanting to have to work out and do the
things and not realizing like all the good stuff on
the other side. So I just I think to me,
(31:09):
success is impact on others and just really savoring and
enjoying the journeys to reaching goals.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Throughout the journey, you've done some really amazing things, whether
it's leading you CLA to a World Series Championship title
in two thousand and three, being ducted into the Hall
of Firm and being an Olympian winning gold in two
thousand and four and winning silver in two thousand and eight.
(31:37):
When you think about all the things you've been able
to achieve, what is your biggest takeaway from those moments?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
The biggest takeaway is the transformations, the growth. I mean,
like I said, my eighteen year old, nineteen year old self,
like I wouldn't even know who that is now knowing
you know how I feel about approaching challenges now, eighteen
(32:06):
year old Tasha was scared and timid, like, but you
do it, but you do it scared, But now you
do it fearless, And I think just that's maturity. I
just think the transformation. I think that the whole entire journey.
Like I said, you win these medals and you do
all these things, but there's a grind that nobody sees
daily that you're overcoming so many different things and challenges
(32:30):
and sacrifices. You know, I played in Japan for I
don't even know eight years, sacrificing being away from my
family and being your way from starting a family and
doing all those things, but there was huge transformations and
growth of just me learning a lot about myself and
actually becoming a better softball player over in Japan, but
just different things. I think about just the transformation along
(32:54):
the journey.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Transformation. It's not the destination, it's the journey and who
you becomes throughout.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
It's definitely that, and I think we are getting away
from that nowadays. People just want this instant gratification. You
want it now, and that's that Sue inquits be patient
with your rate of success. Like things just they don't
come overnight, and I think we have lost that in society,
like everybody wants things to happen right now that they don't,
(33:23):
you know, Like there's a grind and there's a story
behind every successful person you see, and I wish people
would appreciate that a little bit more, that journey, that grind,
because it's I think the grind is real.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
The grind is real, and the grind ultimately develops you
into who you are as a person. When you think
about the grind of becoming an Olympian or winning a
college World Series, playing in Japan, I'm so curious about
especially two thousand four thousand and eight Olympics, that.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Grind and that journey.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Was there anything that was transformative in those times? So
like your favorite story from there that ultimately, like you
still still sits with you today, that you feel like
kind of helped you to becoming who you are as
a person and player.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I don't know if there's anything that really like sticks out.
I just think about just this grind that I like,
it really was this time of just putting my head
down and honing on on the craft. And it's bad
to say, but it's just this really selfish time because
you have to be the best you to contribute to
a team. And so I don't even know how many
(34:29):
years that was, but waking up early training being the
best version of me mentally, physically, emotionally so that I
could contribute to a team and to do that every
single day, it is a lot. It is a lot,
and I feel like the transformation is actually making it
(34:51):
to the Olympics and actually like just being able to
stand on the podium whether you win gold, you win silver.
I mean like those were moments where the journey just
was so special because you just dedicate your whole entire
life to honing in on your craft and being the
best version of you. So there's not a moment. I
just think it's just like I look back and I
just think of like this long grind.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Do you have a favorite time throughout that grind? Was
there anything that kind of like leastened up the the intensity.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Of it all? Hmmm? Seriously, AJ Like, no, I not, no.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Olympics, I get it. It's like, no, It's intense the
whole time.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
It was just it was super intense.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Like I mean, I would say obviously like traveling with
the USA Tea and we traveled to Italy.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
We were there for a month before.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
The Athens Olympics, so that was two thousand and four,
but we got to explore Italy. It was intense training
like we were there to train. So I mean, like
those moments of being together. You know, these teammates become
sisters and now they're a sister, you know, like most
of all, not most everybody I still stay in touch with,
(35:59):
but it's such an intense time.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
And so I guess the times that we were.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Together and I think those are the things that stick out,
and I think that those are what we love about
being on a team. Is those those moments that you
get with your teammates and those moments that you share.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
All right, we have more diamonds to drop after these messages.
I feel like anytime I think of favorite time playing
or favorite story, I always think of stories of other people.
I can't, for the life of me, think of something
(36:37):
that happened to me. It's like, well, actually, one of
my favorite things is when Bianca Bell did this, or
when Savana Jequish did that. Nothing comes from my own
thing because of those relationships and the fun that we
had as teammates but also as friends trying to get
to the common goal. We talked earlier about the quotes
and I said, it's like work until your adols become
(36:58):
your rivals and then your idols again. That moment was
realized when I was drafted to Chicago Bandits and played
against you when you were with your trouble. I say
pride at the time, and it's almost like this surreal
moment of no way, that's the reason why I'm playing softball.
(37:21):
I'm about to try to defend against right now. Okay,
thank you life and how we like the things that
I've worked hard to get to, and it's just everything
as we talked about earlier being realized and when you
think about your career and what everything's taught you, the
grind your teammates to be patient with the rate of success.
(37:45):
How have you been able to allow yourself to be patient?
Because it sounds easier said than done when you want
to reach success and you want to get to the
highest pinnacles? Is there something or you try to implement
whenever you feel like you're going too fast or self
doubt creeps in, how do you get yourself back to
(38:07):
even keel and be patient.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
To try to slow down. I love to just write
out steps.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I mean even just I don't know, like not a
really good example, but we had to clean our garage
and it was very overwhelming, like where the heck do
you even start? So well, my husband, not me but myself,
and he helped me, but I wrote down just what
are we going to start first? And I love like
just like having steps, and I think just with anything,
(38:36):
like having a roadmap. Okay, like I want to be
a five hundred hitter, what does that look like? So
start with the end in mind? Like how do I
want this garage to look? This location is going to be?
Like all of our entertaining items. These are going to
be all of Carter's toys, and yeah, ag, I still
have a lot of freaking softball stuff, so like this
is going to be like some of the softball stuff
(38:56):
in case. You know, I'm still doing stuff here now,
so if we need that, So start with the end
in mine and like kind of work backwards, and you
know what's going to be the priority? What do you
want to tackle first? And I think too things can
be so overwhelming. Yes, I want to be an All American.
I want to be in Olympian. I want to be
a goal glover, like you know, like let's start to
(39:19):
work backwards and start to set little mini goals and
like the little micro goals and you just put a
timeline on them. And the first thing we're going to
tackle is the left side of the garage first, all right,
And we're gonna get that done by Sunday and we'll
come back again and we'll tackle the right side of
the garage.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
That'll be next Sunday.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
You know. So I just like to like kind of
cut things and chop them down and just start with
the end in mine and kind of work backwards.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
And I think that's been my mantra.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Like even just Okay, I'm going to work on like
a million inside pitches right now because I just want
to get better on the inside pitch.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But what does that look like.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
I'm gonna start on the tee and I'm gonna start
with front toss and you know, just kind of chop
it backwards and cut things down a little bit to
not make it seem so big.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I think that is such good advice, especially, I mean
not even just in softball, in life. You write like
the problem down, you almost you're kind of taking away
half of it.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Okay, you wrote that down.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Now it's how do I solve the thing whatever it
is that you're trying to get to to kind of
take away this because when you're just thinking about it,
that's when stress comes in. Now, you just implement what
you need to do. And you posted earlier on Instagram
about things you would have done differently had you had
to start your softball career all over again, and you
(40:39):
think about how you say you write things down and
you're able to start from the top and work down,
but you talk about how one you would have embraced
failure sooner you would have prioritized mental training. You would
have been more vocal, taken up more space, trust the
process had take recovery and nutrition seriously, advocate for yourself more,
(41:05):
and train smarter, not just harder to start off with
embracing failure sooner, because failure is such a scary word
for US athletes and something I think so many people
try to avoid. When you say you would have embraced it,
why embraced it.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
More specifically with softball, just knowing that it was part
of the game. Like, as simple as it sounds, I
was a low key at Like I am a low
key perfectionist, Like I want everything to be right and
I want to do everything right. That does not apply
in our sport at all. You do not get a
hit ten times out of the ten at that sets
(41:42):
you take. You do not make every play defensively. Sometimes
you have balls go through your legs and sometimes you
airmail things and it just doesn't go right. So embracing
failure to me means okay, embracing that it's a part
of the game. In two, when we're having practice or
(42:03):
we're preparing, we're minimizing those mistakes, Like we're not trying
to practice to be perfect. We're trying to practice to
minimize the mistakes that we make because they are inevitable.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
They're going to happen. It's part of the game.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
And so I wish that I would have had that
a little bit sooner, because I spent a lot of
time frustrated about my oh for three days and three
errors that I kicked, you know, while I was playing
soccer as a shortstop and kicking the ball and just pissed,
you know, and like just so much wasted energy of Okay,
(42:36):
that's part of the game. The best part of the
game is that there's a next play, there's a next
set back, there's a next day, there's a next opportunity
to put the uniform back on. How can you make
this better? And so I think that that's all a
part of like embracing failure, and like failure is such
a harsh word, but just embracing the successes that you
(42:57):
don't have because those eventually turning to successes because you're
starting to minimize those mistakes that will happen.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
I've looked at it as a way of you have
to start looking at failure as a friend rather than
a foe. Like the failure is there to actually help you.
That failure is there to actually help you see what
it is that you need to work on or to
be successful. When I think about making diving catches in
the outfield, the only reason I'm able to make these
great catches is because I've missed them before, right, And
(43:26):
so because I missed those first ones, I was able
to analyze how I missed it, why I missed it,
so that one missed turned into a hundred catches because
I knew what to do different. And so that failure
quote unquote was actually one of my best friends. That's
what led me to be an All American, to winning
a gold Glove because I failed. I love the embracing it.
(43:48):
You embrace failure, take it as a friend rather than
as a foe. And as you're prioritizing talk about prioritizing
mental training, and I advocating for entrusting the process. When
you are prioritizing mental training, what do you feel like
is the best mythology to mental training, what works the best,
(44:09):
and how throughout that can just the process.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
Yeah, well, my generation, I think the first thing was
just the awareness of it. It wasn't a topic that
we talked about. It wasn't a bucket that we spent
a lot of time on. I would say more in
college it was more of a thing that we would
focus on. The first book that I read on mental
training was Heads Up Baseball and it's by doctor Tom
(44:34):
Hansen and Ken Revisa. And Ken Revisa used to actually
he passed away a couple of years ago and just
an incredible man, but he used to work with us
at UCLA and just would come once a week and
we would just visualize. We would I don't know if
it was a form of meditating, but just visualizing our opponent,
(44:55):
visualizing our practice, how we want this day to go,
how do we want this game to go? Putting those
into practice. Visualization was one of the things that I
think mentally helped me as an athlete, because if you
can see yourself doing it, you can actually do it.
Also to just being able to have actual skills in
place when things don't go your way, because they're not
(45:17):
going to go your way, to be able to manage
that failure. I hate using the word failure too, but
helping you manage that strikeout, what is your going to
be your go to? Do you need a minute. Are
you a person that you know just gets over it quickly?
Do you have that short term memory? Is it, you know,
taking off your batting gloves? Is it taking off your helmet?
Then the at bat's over? Maybe you need to keep
(45:38):
your helmet on in the dugout for a little bit
longer and so that you can get over it. But
what are those tools that you have to you know,
just get over those those mistakes or the successes that
you don't have. So I think mental training to me
is being aware of what's going to make you tick,
what's going to make you get over those hurdles that
(45:58):
you have the other tack Dicca's visualization, I think just
visualizing before a game, taking that time to see the game,
I see the picture that you're gonna face. Because once
you face or you've already faced her ten times and
you're prepared, you feel good, you feel confident. So I
think those were some of the things that.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Helped visualizing your success was I feel transformative for me
being able to see myself already win in order to
get to the win. Yes, and when you're being vocal
and taking up space and advocating for yourself more, how
do you feel like that would have made a difference
in your career.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Oh gosh, I mean the biggest one is just sometimes
just a mental break, just being able to speak up
and say, hey, coach, I need a mental break because
it is overwhelming and there's just it is a grind,
and sometimes it was just like nope, God, put your
head down. You got to keep doing the work. So
I wish there was more moments where I would say like, hey,
like it's okay to ask for a break or asked
(47:00):
for just like, hey, I need an hour. Can I
just come an hour later. I'm sure Sue would have
really been appreciative of that, because then you show up
and you already had a bad day, you got a
bad grade on your test, and it just kind of
downward spirals the other way too. I think we've talked
to aj about an incident that I had, like when
it came to marketing dollars.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
Don't need to get into the.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Whole story, but just advocated for myself in the sense
of I compartmentalized marketing and playing on the field. To me,
all that mattered at the time was able to be
on the field, to be able to compete contribute to
my team, like that's all that mattered. But everything is
connected because post college, in order to play, you've got
(47:44):
to make money, right, and you've got to have those
marketing dollars, and so I completely shut down this whole
other side. But there was a couple of incidents that
happened that weren't in my favor, and I wish that
I would have spoke up a little bit more, took
up a little bit more space and said, hey, this
is not right.
Speaker 3 (47:59):
You know, a chance on me, whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
Of just speaking up and advocating for myself in those moments,
I think would have been better for the next athlete
that came behind me, because those in those moments, it
wasn't necessarily about me. It was about the trajectory of softball,
the trajectory of athletes receiving sponsorships and deals and all
those things, because they are connected. Where there was a
(48:23):
part where I was trying to separate them and they're
not connected. What happens off the field doesn't really affect
on the field, which they do, you know, in order
to be able to train and do it year round
and keep the lights on and do all the things
on those sponsorship deals, they do matter.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
And I think that that especially nowadays with NIL or
whether it's just even entering the transfer portal, just advocating
for what's the best for you and what you feel
like it's going to get you in the place to
be successful because it's to your point for some people
watching behind you, and it's like you're doing this more
not just for yourself, but also for the game. And
(49:00):
you being someone who you speak about the now, but
your voice is so powerful now and the advocate you
are for the game of softball, whether it's through philanthropy
with Natasha Watley Foundation, through your entrepreneurship, through your partnership
with MLB where you're continuing to help with so with
the diversity, equity and inclusion with so many young girls
getting back into the game and continuing to grow that,
(49:23):
and you're speaking engagements and you being able to realize
when a little girl raised her hand and asked, but
what is softball? And it made you realize that there's
so much more that I need to do, which now
has led you to being in AUSL on the AUSL
Advisory Board, completely giving your wisdom and your knowledge continuing
(49:45):
in professional softball. What are the ways in which you
see AUSL growing, professional softball growing, and what are you
advising them to do in order to keep where do
you keep this game moving forward?
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Yeah, I mean the first thing is just the opportunity
for athletes once they leave college, to have an opportunity
to play professionally. I mean, that's it, right. We've yet
to really have a sustainable league that has lasted because
there's so many Like our college game is booming. It
is got the visibility, everybody's got their TVs on when
(50:20):
Women's College World Series comes on. But a week or
two weeks later, a lot of those athletes they fall off.
We don't hear about them again. We don't ever get
to see them again. And AUSL. I just my vision
for AUSL is for these athletes to have a place
to go and continue they're playing days, to extend their
(50:41):
playing careers.
Speaker 3 (50:42):
I mean, the coolest part.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Of my softball journey, I don't know about yours was
being a professional athlete to say that I do this
for a living, that this is something I'm passionate about,
but I'm a professional. I'm getting paid to do or
and play the game that I love, and so that
is My ultimate dream is for that to be an
opportunity and for that to be a reality for athletes
(51:06):
want to leave college. And as an advisor, it's been amazing.
I mean because I've myself, Jenny Finch, Justic Mendoza, Kat Osterman,
and so many other women before us. There's been so
many different iterations of pro leagues that we have been apart,
and I feel like it's just sharing experiences, sharing the positives,
sharing the negatives. If I were an athlete, how would
(51:29):
I want a league? How would I want my experience
to be as an athlete, And so as much as
we can trying to share those experiences and just be
a sounding board to help shape this league. And it's
been fun to be a part. There's been a lot
of hard conversations to have, but more importantly, I think
at the end of the day, it's leaving the sport
(51:52):
better than we found it, and hopefully this iteration of
a pro league is better than what we've seen in
the past.
Speaker 1 (51:58):
Because the college softball people love what college softball and
so it's like trying to find the tie to then
go from college to pro. Okay, we'll keep watching. There's
more you don't have to stop, and I'm excited to
see what that looks like with this new format, and
now instead of just following a player, you can get
excited about the team again and continue to follow moving
(52:22):
through that. There's more to cover, but first let's take
a quick break. I'm excited to move into this next
segment because it's my favorite segment, no fly zone segment.
Speaker 2 (52:40):
Okay, of course.
Speaker 1 (52:42):
Of course, Toosh, what would you say, I mean talking
about turning the field into a no fly zone, not
just the outfield, in field, all the above. What is
it your favorite play you have ever made in your career?
Speaker 2 (52:58):
The favorite play that I've ever made, I would say
stopping here girl. She was a picture at UCLA, but
stopping a potential threat to her no hitter. She had
a no hitter going and it was like, I don't
remember who hit it, but we were playing cow and
(53:18):
she rips like a well ground ball at the middle.
But I dove made the play, threw for my knees,
save the no hitter. Oh yeah, we win it for
my teammate.
Speaker 3 (53:31):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
I feel like you should have said that in your
best announcer voice.
Speaker 3 (53:34):
It's oh too, Yeah, a no hitter on the line. Here,
So and so steps up to the place. She rips
it up the middle. But who comes out of nowhere?
Natasha Wally.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
She dies, She makes a play on her knees, she
gets up, makes the throw. Hey, she's out, and then.
Speaker 3 (53:49):
No hitter is sick. The no hitter is saved.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
The no hitter is saved. We weren't talking about it.
So that's why don't talk about it. Don't talk about it.
Go on hit her to talk about it. What do
you think fel like is essential to becoming a top
tier shortstop and being able to make those plays that
save no hitters.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Oh gosh, well, top tier shortstop. I mean make the
routine plays, just simple, Like we don't need flashy stuff.
Yeah okay, yeah, dive if there's a no hitter on
the line, But no flashy I mean, flashy plays.
Speaker 3 (54:24):
Are great, they happen.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
But I love like a fundamental, solid defender just the
ball is hit in her direction, like there's never any doubt,
like she's just gonna handle the ball, take care of it.
All the extras they happen, and you have these sweet
plays that come. But I love just a solid, fundamental
shortstop that can take care of the ball, who has
(54:46):
range but makes the routine plays look easy.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
Is there a player you can think of right now?
Speaker 3 (54:53):
We talk about.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
Giving people and players their diamonds that maybe isn't talked
about it enough, you feel like deserves a little more sparkle.
Speaker 3 (55:01):
Oh a ton, where do we begin? Like what like
shortstops or just in general?
Speaker 1 (55:08):
Yeah, I'll let you pick.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Oh gosh, in general, I mean when we talk about
ausl like Alicia Acossio to me is an athlete that
sticks out because she can do it offensively, which I
don't think she gets talked about enough how versatile she is,
but she can defend. You can probably put her in
the outfield At Florida she played in field, but she's
(55:32):
a pitcher and she's legit. She can defend her own
in the circle. She definitely stands out to me, we're
gonna talk about your.
Speaker 3 (55:40):
Sister a.
Speaker 2 (55:42):
Like Alia gets it done. She gets done offensively defensively.
Talk about no flies out right Andrew's emails it just
do not hit it in your guys's direction because it
will be caught. We're not talking about her enough about
what she's capable of doing offensively and defensive should I
keep going, there's like so many.
Speaker 3 (56:02):
You know, who I really.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Love watching defensively is Hannah Flippim. I feel like she
is unassuming. You watch her. You could put her defensively anywhere.
You could put her at short, second, third. She gets
it done. She's just her softball like Q is out
the roof. Yes, you can watch her. You can see
that she's analytical, she's really methodical. Offensively, she's great as well.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
All right, yeah, you guys just got your diamonds. Little
sprinkle sprinkle from the Tash to Waltley. Nobody better to
get him from either. Got it shined a little bit, Tash.
My last thing I have for you is we talked
a lot about failure and be patient at your rate
of success? Is that the nomination about your rate of success?
(56:49):
And you don't like to use the word failure, but
failure can be so transformative for someone's career. And you
think about you have to fail in order to get
to success. So for you, what was your favorite quote
unquote failure that ultimatelyly led to some of your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
Biggest failure and a story that I share a lot,
was not making the junior national team. My senior year
in high school, so I don't know here I am.
I'm this like big top dog recruit going to the
school of my dreams.
Speaker 3 (57:24):
At that moment, I'd already.
Speaker 2 (57:26):
Decided to go to UCLA, but there was this junior
USA team tryout and I went just like low key
philling myself because I just had come off of this
high of committing to UCLA and I just didn't show.
Speaker 3 (57:41):
Up in my best self.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Like I just thought I could just show up and
learn very quickly that you just can't just show up
how you show up. You know, you've got to prepare
and all of the things. It just this trial completely
went left. But it was a moment where it was
a Dutch chet for me just in terms of like
(58:04):
how do I want this to play out? How do
I want this softball career to play out? Like it
wasn't everything to be a part of this team, Like
it didn't hurt anything, but I think it taught me
a great lesson of how you show up and how
important that is and coming prepared anytime there was any
other USA tryout in the after that. Please believe that
Homegirl came prepared. Hustling my brains out like just all things,
(58:27):
and not that I didn't like hustle, it just didn't
go my way, and like, you just there's so much
more than just like being there physically. You've got to
you know, embrace the people around you. I think got
tryouts to making people around you better and pushing them
as well. So I don't know, I think that that
was a big moment. It's a funny story because it
was in San Diego and at the time, this is
(58:50):
like pre emails, pre like digital error. So they would
like put the list on the wall, like all of
the girls would come out. We would have to like
go and visually like see our name on the list,
and it was the saddest day. Like I'm Watley, so
I'm w So I would go and look at okay,
not w okay, maybe it's my jersey number. Oh no,
it's my jersey number, just not on it, and so
(59:11):
like trying to like hold it in. And so the
next morning, my mom and dad they come and pick
me up and so it's like a two hour drive home.
Speaker 3 (59:19):
I cried the entire way.
Speaker 2 (59:21):
So it was just kind of like those moments of
like this does mean something to me, and you know,
you do have control of how you show up at
you know, had I not made the team and I
showed up with my best self and like came prepared,
and I could have went to sleep at night knowing
that I did everything in my power, but it just
I didn't. I didn't show up that way. And so
I think that was a big lesson learn long story,
(59:44):
but just it was a big lesson, Like this junior
team was devastating to me, and like that's not making
a team or you know, blowing an opportunity that just
didn't sit right with me. So it was a big moment.
Speaker 1 (59:58):
And then you go on and for a time All American. Yeah,
it sounds like four time All American Olympian gold medalist,
a Hall of Famer. It sounds like you never let
any moment pass you by after.
Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
That, and you're not big lesson learned, Like we not
let anything get us get past us. It was a
big lesson learned. And I was like I was gonna quit,
like I didn't make the team, Like why should I
keep playing? Like it just so like just very very
dramatic at the time, but in hindsight, a big lesson
learn it needed it needed to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:30):
Happen, and it's so going to happen so early because yeah, yeah,
it just formed the rest of your career. Imagine you
didn't make that team and then you go on and
you win Olympic gold medal. It's like, Okay, well I'm
gonna show up this time.
Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
Yeah show I'm showing up and I'm gonna show out.
So we will not we will not leave any doubt
in anybody's mind.
Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
And I think it also plays a role.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
And so what we've we've touched on and what I
feel like is such a great diamond to in this
episode of be patient at your rate of success because
that moment felt like a failure and it's like, well,
I'm just gonna quit if I can't be.
Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
On y team.
Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
And then you go in out and you are a
pivotal person that helps the team win years and years
down the line collegiately and for the Olympics. And so
for all those listening, just know that your race is
different from those around you. Be patient with your rate
(01:01:31):
of success because just because it may seem slower to
get there doesn't mean that once you arrive it's not
going to be bigger than everybody else. Yes, Tash, thank
you so much for joining me and coming on the show.
To all the listeners, thank you for listening to today's episode.
Remember there's no limit to what you can do or
who you can be. Use your idols as guides and
(01:01:54):
become the best me. I'll meet you here next week
at the Diamond by Hi for now. Dropping Diamonds with
Aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
(01:02:17):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz.
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary dou Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with Aj Andrews on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with athletes, Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Everywhere we went my line was full of young black
girls and like I think for me, that was a
realization like how powerful it is for them to see
you on that field and it completely changes your perspective.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me, AJ Andrews, where we
dive headfirst into the world of softball and celebrate the
women who are not only dominated the game but changing
the status quo. And today I am talking to someone
that completely changed the status quo when it came to
me and how I saw myself in the game back
(00:49):
in the day when I was in Little League Brand
New Age eleven, maybe game five into my softball career,
and I remember I was at a beef o Brady's
in Clearwater, Florida, and they had the World Series playing,
and so it was on the TV and I'm just
(01:10):
looking the right eating my Chigan nuggets and fries, and
I see it's UCLA and Michigan playing, and.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
So that was I looked it up.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I was two thousand and five two thousand and five,
UCLA and Michigan play and I remember seeing this dominant,
amazing woman on screen who looked just like me, and
her name was Natasha Wattley. And I remember sitting in
that Beefo Brady's thinking that, oh wow, this game that
(01:41):
I just tried out today could get me there, it
could get me on TV. And then seeing Natasha made
me realize I could be exactly like her. And from
that moment, almost like seeing my dreams realized in one person,
sitting in that Beefo Bradies as I'm stuffing my face
with chicken nuggets and fries. First it was when a
(02:02):
dream was formed to play collegiate softball. Was that day
and that beatiful Brady's watching Natasha Walley on my screen,
And then she was the person that really put into
play me making all the efforts to make that dream realized.
So without further ado, I had to do. Who I'm
speaking about already, but I want to welcome my idol.
(02:25):
Two time metal winning Olympian gold medalist, four time First
Team All American, She's been a pro, seven time All Star,
Hall of Famer, in my opinion, the greatest.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
To ever do it.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Natasha Wally, Oh, thank you so much for coming well
my personal hype woman. But man, that just feels so
good to hear. And you know how I feel about you,
so thank you for the kind words. But thank you,
thank you, and you make me feel old.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
No, and nothing's changed. It's so interesting from eleven years old,
j why do you want to play softball? Well, I
saw Natasha a while Also, my mom, my mom, buy
me everything UCLA after that day. I still have a
big old ucl and from Florida. But she had got
me like a big old UCLA letterman because I was
like the only thing she could find some maybe like
a Burlington or somewhere in Florida, because you know, everything's
(03:20):
like gators or the FSU. And so I had everything
UCLA after that day.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Oh my gosh. Yeah. Still to this day, I would
have loved to have seen you in the UCLA uniform
like that would have been That would have been a dream.
Let's go. No, I don't think I was never recruited.
Go prove bang it, sue. We could have got even
l a little pit sooner.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
But it's been hard too though, being from Florida for
my family to go watch watch the games, true, but
I just remember everything's from eleven to now. The story
has never changed as far as why it is that
I'm here today, And if I had never been at before,
Brady's in that chicken nug it's taking that breath to
look up at the TV. I don't know where who
(04:04):
AJ would be today.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Honestly, Oh gosh, well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I mean I feel so honored and I feel that
makes me feel really special.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So thank you, thank you well, Nasashow.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
We know what it's like to lead it off, and
I want to lead this Dropping Diamonds podcast episode off
with dropping diamonds were dropping Jah and start with affirmation.
So I just felt like this quote, which is a
good quote, it's just very fitting for today and is
work until your idols become your rivals. And then I
added this part and then your idols again because you
(04:38):
continue in every phase of like whether it's soft, far
or beyond, you're still someone that I look up to.
An affirmation I like to bring out of that is
there's no limit to what I can do or who
I can be. I will use my idols as guides
to become the best meet.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, I love that Dropping diamonds dropping diamonds would quote
that you live by or that's really stuck with you
throughout the time.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Gosh, I have a ton. What I was playing not
a really good one, but what doesn't kill you makes
you strong?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Eh.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
That was at like six am.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Wake it up, Like, oh my gosh, this is not
gonna kill me, It's gonna make me stronger. Oh my gosh,
I have a ton. I love my Angelo and I'm
going to butcher it. But there's one just talking about
how you make people feel, how they don't necessarily remember
what you say, but how you make them feel.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And that's exactly it. You wouldn't always remember the words
you say, but they always remember the way you made
them feel.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Make it make them feel.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, I'm like I was gonna butcher it, but something
to that effect, and that always that's always stuck with me.
Just yeah, like I always want to make sure when
I'm around people that we're embracing them, we're uplifting them,
we're empowering them.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So yeah, what do you feel like is an affirmation
we can take from that? Like the intention for a day?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, I think that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Is just making sure or you make people feel seen
and I don't know, I'm just I mean even strangers
just hi, how are you?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Good morning?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Just making people feel present, you know, because we can
get really lost in our days and with all the
things that we personally have to do. So just making
people feel seen at all times, that's been something that
I try to do.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Oh yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
To today's affirmation, Well, what doesn't kill you make you stronger.
I remember that as you're going out to your lift,
your job, or your practice, I will get stronger today
because I'm not going to die.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, yes, it is not going to hurt you. So
at the end you will be very happy. So it's
always the before that sucks.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And make people feel seed while you're going out and
getting stronger.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, yes, yes, shining bright like a diamond.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Going to add a little bit more glimmer to the
already long resume that in Natasha Wally giving her her
diamonds on the field, Natasha broke records lines and brought
representation to a sport that she names her first love.
She's not retired and is a partner of MLB and
continues to seek to bring awareness and the Global Agency
(07:12):
of Softball to inspire girls and women around the world.
I think if you are a black woman beyond that
as well. But for sure, if you're a black woman
you onto the game of softball, one of your idols
is Natasha Watley, the legacy that you've been able to
lead throughout this sport, especially because as black women in
(07:33):
this game, we don't always see a lot of us,
and so oftentimes I feel kind we see somebody looks
like us and say, oh, this is someone that I
think I can become. This is the person why I'm
going to get to the next level of this game
end of my career. For you, was there anyone that
really inspired you to want to keep playing or that
(07:54):
it was an idol for you?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, I mean inspired me to keep playing outside of
my parents. I looked up to a lot of men.
I looked up to MLB players. I wanted to be
Auzzie Smith. I wanted to be Fred McGriff. I wanted
to be in Atlanta Brave, which is really random, but
I just I mean, obviously heroes are genderless, and I
(08:15):
envisioned myself being an MLB player one day, So you know,
I always say how powerful it would have been had
I had someone who looked like me to look up to,
Like wow, like how that would have catapulted my visions
of what the possibilities could be. I looked up to
Lisa Fernandez, but I didn't see her and probably till
like later, And that was just more so just how
(08:38):
she played with passion and how she approached the game.
She was a competitor. But prior to that, I didn't
really have a lot of visuals of anybody playing softball
that I'm like, oh, shoot, like that's what it could
look like. So I just looked up to a lot
of men, which I don't think is wrong or bad.
I think, like I said, heroes are genderless and so
it doesn't really matter. But how powerful would it have
(09:01):
been had I had a black woman playing softball that
I had the opportunity to look up to.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
How do you feel like that would have impacted you
if you did have a black woman to look up to.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I think just the.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Like I said, like the possibilities or what I envisioned
what my career could potentially look like, I think it
would have. I feel like, as I was doing it
was just kind of like blind, like just this is
fun and just going to the next step, Okay, what's next?
But I just never really had this pipeline of like, oh, okay,
that's exactly.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
What I want to do.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
My vision of what exactly what I wanted to do
was to be an MLB player and to play for
the Atlanta Braves. So imagine if I had a woman
to look up to that was an Olympian or whatever
it is. I think that you would have this kind
of road map to follow and not kind of going
through the journey blind, which is not wrong.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And I think that that made me.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Enjoy my journey a little bit more going through it blind,
because I've just enjoyed where I would at and enjoyed,
you know, just where my feet were, not looking too far.
But I think it would have fast tracked a little
bit more having someone to kind of hone in on.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You really were kind of like the pavement, at least
for me and for so many other young young black
women getting into the game. But because when I was
started playing Little League, I mean up until college, I
was the only black player on all of my teams
up until college.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Isn't it crazy to think about that? Like looking back,
like and I don't know about your experience but for me, obviously,
like nothing was wrong with it, And I look at pictures,
I'm like, WHOA, Like I was really the only look
on this team. But I think about and that's the
attestament to sports, right, like just making you feel like
(10:49):
you can accomplish anything and that you can contribute to
a team no matter what you look like or all
of those things. But I think I look back, I'm
just like blown away, like wow, like that is a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
It is a big deal. It's such a big deal.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
And luckily I've had such great teammates throughout my career
where I didn't feel alienated or it felt different by
any regard. But it can feel oftentimes, I know for
many people when you sometimes you feel you don't have
anyone to relate to, or you don't have anyone to
look up to, or have these different conversations with. Did
you have any specific struggles as you were coming up
(11:26):
through playing football?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Honestly, now, yeah, because I feel like softball and you know,
killing it on the field was the common denominator and
exactly like, never felt alienated, never felt different. If anything,
I felt like I had superpowers. And I think that's
a testament to my parents. My parents definitely supported me
and made me feel like the way you're gonna lead,
(11:50):
you're gonna lead with character, and if you get it
done on the field, you're going to be in somebody's
lineup and you're just as good as anybody and they're
just as good as you. You know. So it's just
this very humbling, level headed parenting that I had. So
I think I felt the same, Like shoot, like I'm
no different, but yeah, like the relatability like that definitely
(12:11):
lacked in terms of I'm sure you could relate like
staying up all night taking my braids out right, you know,
and then going the next day and wearing a hat,
and the girls, you know, my white teammates like what
is going on? Yesterday you had long hair, now you don't.
And I'm like, just let's play, you know. I like, yeah,
you talk about it like that relatability.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You know, you need a haircut?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yes, yeah, I got to a place I just I
just said yes, yes, yes, And tomorrow I won't have
a haircut, so.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Right, I will actually be back at the same length
that it was yesterday.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yeah. Oh gosh.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
When I think about how much the importance of representation
and obviously from my own story, it's a testament of
being able to watch you and how that was transformative
in my life. I can think of the exact moment
when I realized that I was also that person for
(13:04):
many other people the way you were for me. And
I was coming off of a game. I had a
terrible game. I don't remember what I did. I know
I was like, oh for something, oh for three, oh
for four?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Awful?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
And this young woman came up to me, black woman
with her daughter, said oh, please, can you know and
my daughter would love me get to auto grabh this
our first softball game and you're my daughter's favorite player.
I was like, huh, it's your first game. I went,
oh for four? How am I your favorite player? And
she spoke about how, oh, well, she's the first time
she saw a black girl playing on a big field
(13:36):
and she said, wow, mom, she looks like me.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And I don't know what like jolted me in that
moment when I realized none of this matters, AJ Like,
your stats don't matter. The performance that's the matter. What
matters that you showed up. What matters that you're there
and you are realizing dreams for people the same way
which Natasha. You were just playing trying to win a
world series. You had no idea who was watching you,
(14:00):
totally man, you had no idea that in years time
it would be someone that ultimately went to LSU and
played pro all because she sat down and was inspired
by you watching you on TAVY and I had that
realization of oh my god, I'm really that person for
other people as well, and it doesn't matter what my
performance is. I couldn't tell you what you did when
I watched you. I have no idea what happened that game.
(14:22):
I just remember seeing you. It hit me in that
moment that oh wow, yeah just smout as that I
show up. Was there a moment for you when you
realize just how important representation was?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:34):
After our games are USA games, my whole line would
be the maybe the four black girls that were in
the park watching the game would be in my line
like the first in line, and everywhere we went, my
line was full of young black girls. And like I
think for me that was a realization like okay, yeah
you can go zero for ten and how powerful it
(14:56):
is for them to see you on that field and
to see you wearing a USA uniform in all of
these things, Like it completely changes your perspective, right, And
I feel like when we were on those tours, they
were such a grind, and I felt like we were
rock stars. Like we would get on a bus and
we would bust to the next city, which would be
like an hour or two hours, and then it was
(15:16):
just a grind and we would have to wake up
and play another game. And I think that that was
the motivation of like, there's some young girl that's going
to be in this crowd today that's going to see
me for the first time, and it doesn't matter if
I'm zero for ten, it doesn't matter if I'm ten
for ten. She's going to be the first of my line,
and I want to be there for her, and I
want to be that visual for her. I want to
(15:36):
be I want to hold this spot for her. I
want to have her her eyes are going to be
on me the whole entire day. And so like that
was my motivation, is like I'm going to kill it
today no matter what. I want to be that for her.
So yeah, I think those moments when it kind of
clicks of oh my gosh, this is really important. This
platform that we have because we remember being that little
(15:57):
girl and yeah, like I didn't have that vis visual
on a daily basis, And you know, I'm now I
get emotional because I've got a little girl.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I've got a little girl and I'm.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Raising I think about the visuals and I think about you,
Aj and that she gets to see you, and that
we get to turn on our TV and she gets
to see powerful black women on the TV playing sports
on a daily It is her norm for us to
turn on the TV. And you know, not even just
to see black women, but just to see women's sports
in general and to see someone like you. It's a
(16:28):
whole different meeting in mommyhood. But I know what it
meant for us to be young girls just to have
someone to look up to, And yeah, I didn't necessarily,
like really have that in a softball form, But I
just think about the young girls too.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I mean, you talk about your gorgeous daughter, Carter, and
how turning on the TV and seeing women's sports is
a norm when that was something that we only saw
women's sports when it was a big game maybe back
in the day. And the fact that she has the
opportunity to be inspired by so many people when you
(17:03):
kind of look at life through the lens of Carter
and the things that you lacked as far as the
representation and the inspiration and all that she has. What
are the feelings that you get knowing that she has
so many more options and the opportunity to be inspired
and feel like she's represented.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
Oh my god, it's the best feeling in the world.
It's the best feeling in the world. Knowing that she
has these visuals and knowing that I lacked.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
It, you know, And yeah, I'm.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Very honored and humbled of the career that I've had.
But I just think of all the possibilities that she
is able to have, and like they're endless. They're endless,
and like there's nothing out there that she won't know
about that she can't do. I already think like her
personality is forming in this shape of like I'm here,
(18:00):
is here, Like you feel her energy before she's entered
the room, and like she just takes up space, like
she is just like oh, like she is everything I
wish that I was at two or three, you know,
Like I don't know. It just really pumps me up
and makes me really excited to see all of the
visuals that she gets to see on daily basis.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And talk about her being aries taking up that space
and her knowing that, oh, I'm that girl I love
the same time with Carter and she took the picture saying, no,
this is my picture.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
You guys are besties already, Like yeah, AJ, And I'm like,
go give Aja a hug, and you know, she's like, okay,
you know, just not afraid.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And that picture AJ, she had it.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
In her purse or her she's like a little like
purse or yeah, like she had it in it and
we were cleaning it out the other day and she
had it and she like her eyes got so big
and I'm like, that was Aja.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
You took a picture with AJ.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
And we have it in her little dresser in her room.
You guys are besties. You guys are bonded for life.
I know. You know.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
She definitely reminds me I'm a sidecarre. She's like, you know,
this is this is my story.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
You are. You're an extra thank you know, oh yeah, gosh.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
When we speak about your legacy and all that you've
been able to accomplish, it all started with being that
triple threat power and you being able to get up
to the plate, whether it's but slap hit. Because when
I think of being a triple threat, everything all comes
back to you, like the start of so much of
softball and what we define as like power slappers and
(19:33):
what that comes from. I feel you were the example.
And so when you think about developing being a dynamic
triple threat hitter, what comes first? What do you think
it you know, really takes to get to that level.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah, great question. Honestly, I think the first thing is
just putting the ball in play, right. I think a
lot of times young triple threats or young triple threats
in the making, they get so caught up in the
fact I've got to refine all these different tools. So
I've got to hit for power, I've got to have
a hard step, I've got to bounce the ball. I've
got just put the ball in play, put some pressure
(20:09):
on defense. If you've got speed, use that to your advantage,
and just keep it simple. I think that's one of
the things that I feel happy on the hindsight of
looking back of like my triple threat career of just honestly,
like when I got into college, all I did was
tap and go, Like put the ball in play. Bounce
the ball, tap and go, put the ball in play,
bounce the ball, use my speed. Not until I got
(20:30):
into college really did I really develop a hard slap
hitting for power, you know, just really buying into the
mindset of reinventing myself of okay, like what other dimensions
could I add to my game?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
So I think I got really.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Good at bouncing the ball and touch and go and
just putting pressure, and then you start to develop just
adding on different layers. So I think just for young
triple threats, just you know, focus on what your strength is.
So if it is a hard slap, like, focus on
just getting really good at that and then starting to
build the other things around as you go. But like
when you're trying to like learn all the things at once,
(21:06):
probably not going to help you out the best. So
you know, just focus on one thing and then kind
of develop and build off of that.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
We'll be dropping more diamonds after these messages. Why do
you think building is so important being more than just
a power slopper or a soft slopper or a hitter.
Why do you feel like having all those different tools
(21:38):
helps you out the plate.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
One you're undefendable. Two you can adjust to any situation,
any picture, any situation. And also too, it's almost like
a pictures have a couple of pitches and then one
day a pitch is actually working and then the other
pitches not. Same thing for us as triple threats, like
I'm sure you can relate. Like some days you're like,
oh my gosh, Like I can bounce this ball like
nobody's business. So I'm I'm just going to continue to
(22:01):
do that. And you know, my hard slaps, like my
timings off and so now that I've got different tools,
I just have something that I can rely on on
a daily basis. And I think that that feels like
you have a superpower, Like yeah, it doesn't matter what situation,
who I'm facing, I know that I can figure something
out and make something happen.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
If you look back to you feel there was a
specific moment when I don't know, maybe like you surprised yourself,
whether it was the top it went super high, or
like your first home run that when you kind of
got out of the box of what you're used to
this slap and go what was the game or that
moment We're like, oh, no, I can add all of
these things.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
I don't just have to tap and go wow.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I mean probably in college. I don't know if I
remember a moment. I will say Sue Coachank was at UCLA.
She really challenged me, probably my sophomore junior or the fall.
She would just take away slapping in general, and it's
just like you're gonna hit only and just to hit away.
Sometimes I felt naked it, like, uh, you recruited me
to be a slaper, Like why would you ever do
(23:03):
this to me? Not realizing that she was challenging me
and helping me build. So I think in those moments
when I actually started to get success on like hitting
for power, like oh shoot, like this could be really scary,
Like I got options, y'all, like don't even worry. Like
in Japan, which was way later in my career, it
was like the first time that I actually slapped a
(23:25):
home run because I'd never really like tried to hit
the ball over the fence on my hard slaps. I
would actually like, I don't know, but one time, just
effortless just ran through the box and hit the ball
over the I'm like, I don't even.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Know, like you know, I just say that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
It was that feeling like I don't even know, but
I've got some options. So it made the game fun.
Makes the game fun.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah. I remember the first time I slapped a home
run and I was thinking.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Oh, oh uh oh, y'all get ready, and it was
slap a home run over the fence, because I've had
like many in the park home runs totally. But then
when I slapped it over, I was like, oh, oh,
I'm in the gym, y'all, y'all gonna back up.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Don't don't move up on me, just because yeah, this
could be scary for everybody. Of all, like, it's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Kachurin at LSU did the same thing when it came
to hitting. She just she always gave me the green light,
which I loved. I didn't always feel as comfortable standing
in and hitting as I did slapping, which you know,
when you think about it, I feel like that's so
funny for us that we felt more comfortable running through
the box than just stating still and hitting makes no sense.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
I remember vividly.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I don't remember what game it was, but I was
doing well and I just got up to play. I
was like, should I did a little little swing motion.
She's like yeah, like she shrugged her shoulders. It's just
not her heck yeah, And then I hit a triple
or something and and after that I felt more comfortable
and was able to do that much much, much, much more.
But I love how she was always open and willing
(24:56):
to let me try new things to really come into
my own and become that triple threat player.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I love coaches that challenge you like that and just
like let you kind of do your own thing. I
think when they try to put a blanket on you
and try to control, like do this in this moment,
like you're not able to be free and experiment and
love that, Like, see what you're actually capable of doing?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You playing for Sue inquist and at UCLA, the dynasty
that UCLA is in collegiate softball. What was your recruitment process? Like,
how did you know UCLA.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Was a school for you?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Well, Aj, you're dating my memory so long ago, gosh,
I mean I grew up in Soka, I grew up
in Los Angeles. So again, we talked about my journey,
like I just it wasn't on TV, Like I didn't
pop on a TV, and I couldn't really watch softball
like we can watch it now and so I a
big testament to my dad of just taking me to
(25:55):
cal State Fullerton. It was the Judy Garment Tournament and
seeing all the college teams there go EACLA. So it
just UCLA was on my radar, like that was really
the only school that I saw playing at the collegiate level.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And so I just wanted to be a Bruin.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And so when the recruiting crosses happened, it was so late,
I mean it was much later than athletes now. So
it was my junior senior year of high school, and
it was a dream. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna take
all of my visits. I'm gonna take all my five visits.
I knew I wanted to stay close. I'm only child.
I'm really close to my mom and dad, So I
didn't want to go too far. And I like, you, like,
(26:30):
there's no way that I could go to the other
side of the country and not have them be able
to see me. So I took all of my Pack
eight visits at the time, Pack ten, all of the
evolution of PAC twelve.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
It was Pack eight at the time.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So I went to Washington, Cal Arizona, Arizona State and Ucla.
But you know, that was one of the things that
my dad was like, see all of your options. You know, obviously,
yes UCLA is on your radar, take all the options
in and then Ucla.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Like, it just was a fit. It was.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
I grew up watching you slay basketball. Men's basketball RAFERL
Johnson was a hero, Jackie Robinson was a hero like
all of these different Bruins that just I've learned about
growing up and being able to see. So it was
just a dream. So when Sue said that, it was
an opportunity, and I tried to play tough to get
(27:20):
by taking all those visits, but deep down new I
wanted to be a Bruin. So forever indebted to Sue,
and she's a mentor to this day. I talked to
her last week. I talked to her all the time,
and she's just always just been one of the biggest
supporters of.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Me and everything that I have going on.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
What is something that the legendaries suit said to you
that you still utilize today or that really helped change
your game as a player.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Gosh, Well, the thing that really helped change my game
was reinventing myself. You know, She challenged me to get
out of just being that tap and do just really
who couldn't be if you, you know, reinvent yourself. She
has so many suisms, so many quotes. I mean, just
be patient with your rate of success. I think that's
one thing that I always hear, like, especially just you know,
(28:11):
beyond my playing days of now running a nonprofit and
just any new thing that I'm taking on, Like, just
be patient with your rate of success. It's gonna look different.
Don't look left, don't look right, stay in your lane.
That's something that she would always say. I think one
of the things that I am so thankful for her
(28:32):
is I was I'm just a quiet person, quiet shy.
My favorite story about her is my freshman year. She'd
make me come into her office. Sounds kind of creepy now,
but she would make me come in her office and
she would just film me. She'd put the camera on
and she would almost do like a mock interview, and
she would say, tell me how your day was, what
(28:54):
were your classes today, what'd you learn? What are you
working on in softball? What's your intent for the day.
Like she would just make me talk, and I aj,
I would hate it.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
I would hate it.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
And I'm like, why does this even matter? Like you've
recruited me to be a shortstop, to be a slab hitter,
Like I could do those things just you know, lean
on me for those But why are you making me
come and you talk in your office? But she said,
one day, people are gonna want to hear what you
have to say. And that has been something that has
stuck with me forever, of use your voice, and you
(29:29):
are going to be someone that people want to hear,
and they want to hear what you have to say.
And so that's always been something that I always hear
in the back of my head of people want to
hear what you have to say. And so if you're
gonna get it done on the field, you're gonna have
to talk. You're gonna have to do an interview, You're
gonna have to do podcasts with AJ. Obviously, you know,
(29:49):
in my adult life, I've come a long way, but
my eighteen nineteen year old self, I was on mute.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I did not want to talk.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
People are gonna want to hear what you have to say.
And she was so right. It's almost like she just
saw the future for you, and she just knew you're
going to be successful, and it was like, listen, you're
going to have to talk. Whether it's ECLA or beyond.
There's so much success waiting for you when you think
about success and your career and who you are when
(30:20):
you be able to accomplish. If you define success, what
would that sound like for you?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Success to me is having goals and reaching them. I
think now more the impact that you have on others,
it is success. I mean even just hearing your story
of just being a visual for you that gives my
journey and my career purpose, and that to me is success.
Accolades and gold medals and all those things are great
(30:49):
things to talk about, but honestly, like those journeys to
get there are what I'm proud of of, overcoming days
of doubt, overcoming days of honestly like not waking up
and wanting to have to work out and do the
things and not realizing like all the good stuff on
the other side. So I just I think to me,
(31:09):
success is impact on others and just really savoring and
enjoying the journeys to reaching goals.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Throughout the journey, you've done some really amazing things, whether
it's leading you CLA to a World Series Championship title
in two thousand and three, being ducted into the Hall
of Firm and being an Olympian winning gold in two
thousand and four and winning silver in two thousand and eight.
(31:37):
When you think about all the things you've been able
to achieve, what is your biggest takeaway from those moments?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
The biggest takeaway is the transformations, the growth. I mean,
like I said, my eighteen year old, nineteen year old self,
like I wouldn't even know who that is now knowing
you know how I feel about approaching challenges now, eighteen
(32:06):
year old Tasha was scared and timid, like, but you
do it, but you do it scared, But now you
do it fearless, And I think just that's maturity. I
just think the transformation. I think that the whole entire journey.
Like I said, you win these medals and you do
all these things, but there's a grind that nobody sees
daily that you're overcoming so many different things and challenges
(32:30):
and sacrifices. You know, I played in Japan for I
don't even know eight years, sacrificing being away from my
family and being your way from starting a family and
doing all those things, but there was huge transformations and
growth of just me learning a lot about myself and
actually becoming a better softball player over in Japan, but
just different things. I think about just the transformation along
(32:54):
the journey.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Transformation. It's not the destination, it's the journey and who
you becomes throughout.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
It's definitely that, and I think we are getting away
from that nowadays. People just want this instant gratification. You
want it now, and that's that Sue inquits be patient
with your rate of success. Like things just they don't
come overnight, and I think we have lost that in society,
like everybody wants things to happen right now that they don't,
(33:23):
you know, Like there's a grind and there's a story
behind every successful person you see, and I wish people
would appreciate that a little bit more, that journey, that grind,
because it's I think the grind is real.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
The grind is real, and the grind ultimately develops you
into who you are as a person. When you think
about the grind of becoming an Olympian or winning a
college World Series, playing in Japan, I'm so curious about
especially two thousand four thousand and eight Olympics, that.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Grind and that journey.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Was there anything that was transformative in those times? So
like your favorite story from there that ultimately, like you
still still sits with you today, that you feel like
kind of helped you to becoming who you are as
a person and player.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I don't know if there's anything that really like sticks out.
I just think about just this grind that I like,
it really was this time of just putting my head
down and honing on on the craft. And it's bad
to say, but it's just this really selfish time because
you have to be the best you to contribute to
a team. And so I don't even know how many
(34:29):
years that was, but waking up early training being the
best version of me mentally, physically, emotionally so that I
could contribute to a team and to do that every
single day, it is a lot. It is a lot,
and I feel like the transformation is actually making it
(34:51):
to the Olympics and actually like just being able to
stand on the podium whether you win gold, you win silver.
I mean like those were moments where the journey just
was so special because you just dedicate your whole entire
life to honing in on your craft and being the
best version of you. So there's not a moment. I
just think it's just like I look back and I
just think of like this long grind.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Do you have a favorite time throughout that grind? Was
there anything that kind of like leastened up the the intensity.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Of it all? Hmmm? Seriously, AJ Like, no, I not, no.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Olympics, I get it. It's like, no, It's intense the
whole time.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
It was just it was super intense.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Like I mean, I would say obviously like traveling with
the USA Tea and we traveled to Italy.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
We were there for a month before.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
The Athens Olympics, so that was two thousand and four,
but we got to explore Italy. It was intense training
like we were there to train. So I mean, like
those moments of being together. You know, these teammates become
sisters and now they're a sister, you know, like most
of all, not most everybody I still stay in touch with,
(35:59):
but it's such an intense time.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
And so I guess the times that we were.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Together and I think those are the things that stick out,
and I think that those are what we love about
being on a team. Is those those moments that you
get with your teammates and those moments that you share.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
All right, we have more diamonds to drop after these messages.
I feel like anytime I think of favorite time playing
or favorite story, I always think of stories of other people.
I can't, for the life of me, think of something
(36:37):
that happened to me. It's like, well, actually, one of
my favorite things is when Bianca Bell did this, or
when Savana Jequish did that. Nothing comes from my own
thing because of those relationships and the fun that we
had as teammates but also as friends trying to get
to the common goal. We talked earlier about the quotes
and I said, it's like work until your adols become
(36:58):
your rivals and then your idols again. That moment was
realized when I was drafted to Chicago Bandits and played
against you when you were with your trouble. I say
pride at the time, and it's almost like this surreal
moment of no way, that's the reason why I'm playing softball.
(37:21):
I'm about to try to defend against right now. Okay,
thank you life and how we like the things that
I've worked hard to get to, and it's just everything
as we talked about earlier being realized and when you
think about your career and what everything's taught you, the
grind your teammates to be patient with the rate of success.
(37:45):
How have you been able to allow yourself to be patient?
Because it sounds easier said than done when you want
to reach success and you want to get to the
highest pinnacles? Is there something or you try to implement
whenever you feel like you're going too fast or self
doubt creeps in, how do you get yourself back to
(38:07):
even keel and be patient.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
To try to slow down. I love to just write
out steps.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I mean even just I don't know, like not a
really good example, but we had to clean our garage
and it was very overwhelming, like where the heck do
you even start? So well, my husband, not me but myself,
and he helped me, but I wrote down just what
are we going to start first? And I love like
just like having steps, and I think just with anything,
(38:36):
like having a roadmap. Okay, like I want to be
a five hundred hitter, what does that look like? So
start with the end in mind? Like how do I
want this garage to look? This location is going to be?
Like all of our entertaining items. These are going to
be all of Carter's toys, and yeah, ag, I still
have a lot of freaking softball stuff, so like this
is going to be like some of the softball stuff
(38:56):
in case. You know, I'm still doing stuff here now,
so if we need that, So start with the end
in mine and like kind of work backwards, and you
know what's going to be the priority? What do you
want to tackle first? And I think too things can
be so overwhelming. Yes, I want to be an All American.
I want to be in Olympian. I want to be
a goal glover, like you know, like let's start to
(39:19):
work backwards and start to set little mini goals and
like the little micro goals and you just put a
timeline on them. And the first thing we're going to
tackle is the left side of the garage first, all right,
And we're gonna get that done by Sunday and we'll
come back again and we'll tackle the right side of
the garage.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
That'll be next Sunday.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
You know. So I just like to like kind of
cut things and chop them down and just start with
the end in mine and kind of work backwards.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
And I think that's been my mantra.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Like even just Okay, I'm going to work on like
a million inside pitches right now because I just want
to get better on the inside pitch.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
But what does that look like.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
I'm gonna start on the tee and I'm gonna start
with front toss and you know, just kind of chop
it backwards and cut things down a little bit to
not make it seem so big.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I think that is such good advice, especially, I mean
not even just in softball, in life. You write like
the problem down, you almost you're kind of taking away
half of it.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Okay, you wrote that down.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Now it's how do I solve the thing whatever it
is that you're trying to get to to kind of
take away this because when you're just thinking about it,
that's when stress comes in. Now, you just implement what
you need to do. And you posted earlier on Instagram
about things you would have done differently had you had
to start your softball career all over again, and you
(40:39):
think about how you say you write things down and
you're able to start from the top and work down,
but you talk about how one you would have embraced
failure sooner you would have prioritized mental training. You would
have been more vocal, taken up more space, trust the
process had take recovery and nutrition seriously, advocate for yourself more,
(41:05):
and train smarter, not just harder to start off with
embracing failure sooner, because failure is such a scary word
for US athletes and something I think so many people
try to avoid. When you say you would have embraced it,
why embraced it.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
More specifically with softball, just knowing that it was part
of the game. Like, as simple as it sounds, I
was a low key at Like I am a low
key perfectionist, Like I want everything to be right and
I want to do everything right. That does not apply
in our sport at all. You do not get a
hit ten times out of the ten at that sets
(41:42):
you take. You do not make every play defensively. Sometimes
you have balls go through your legs and sometimes you
airmail things and it just doesn't go right. So embracing
failure to me means okay, embracing that it's a part
of the game. In two, when we're having practice or
(42:03):
we're preparing, we're minimizing those mistakes, Like we're not trying
to practice to be perfect. We're trying to practice to
minimize the mistakes that we make because they are inevitable.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
They're going to happen. It's part of the game.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
And so I wish that I would have had that
a little bit sooner, because I spent a lot of
time frustrated about my oh for three days and three
errors that I kicked, you know, while I was playing
soccer as a shortstop and kicking the ball and just pissed,
you know, and like just so much wasted energy of Okay,
(42:36):
that's part of the game. The best part of the
game is that there's a next play, there's a next
set back, there's a next day, there's a next opportunity
to put the uniform back on. How can you make
this better? And so I think that that's all a
part of like embracing failure, and like failure is such
a harsh word, but just embracing the successes that you
(42:57):
don't have because those eventually turning to successes because you're
starting to minimize those mistakes that will happen.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
I've looked at it as a way of you have
to start looking at failure as a friend rather than
a foe. Like the failure is there to actually help you.
That failure is there to actually help you see what
it is that you need to work on or to
be successful. When I think about making diving catches in
the outfield, the only reason I'm able to make these
great catches is because I've missed them before, right, And
(43:26):
so because I missed those first ones, I was able
to analyze how I missed it, why I missed it,
so that one missed turned into a hundred catches because
I knew what to do different. And so that failure
quote unquote was actually one of my best friends. That's
what led me to be an All American, to winning
a gold Glove because I failed. I love the embracing it.
(43:48):
You embrace failure, take it as a friend rather than
as a foe. And as you're prioritizing talk about prioritizing
mental training, and I advocating for entrusting the process. When
you are prioritizing mental training, what do you feel like
is the best mythology to mental training, what works the best,
(44:09):
and how throughout that can just the process.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
Yeah, well, my generation, I think the first thing was
just the awareness of it. It wasn't a topic that
we talked about. It wasn't a bucket that we spent
a lot of time on. I would say more in
college it was more of a thing that we would
focus on. The first book that I read on mental
training was Heads Up Baseball and it's by doctor Tom
(44:34):
Hansen and Ken Revisa. And Ken Revisa used to actually
he passed away a couple of years ago and just
an incredible man, but he used to work with us
at UCLA and just would come once a week and
we would just visualize. We would I don't know if
it was a form of meditating, but just visualizing our opponent,
(44:55):
visualizing our practice, how we want this day to go,
how do we want this game to go? Putting those
into practice. Visualization was one of the things that I
think mentally helped me as an athlete, because if you
can see yourself doing it, you can actually do it.
Also to just being able to have actual skills in
place when things don't go your way, because they're not
(45:17):
going to go your way, to be able to manage
that failure. I hate using the word failure too, but
helping you manage that strikeout, what is your going to
be your go to? Do you need a minute. Are
you a person that you know just gets over it quickly?
Do you have that short term memory? Is it, you know,
taking off your batting gloves? Is it taking off your helmet?
Then the at bat's over? Maybe you need to keep
(45:38):
your helmet on in the dugout for a little bit
longer and so that you can get over it. But
what are those tools that you have to you know,
just get over those those mistakes or the successes that
you don't have. So I think mental training to me
is being aware of what's going to make you tick,
what's going to make you get over those hurdles that
(45:58):
you have the other tack Dicca's visualization, I think just
visualizing before a game, taking that time to see the game,
I see the picture that you're gonna face. Because once
you face or you've already faced her ten times and
you're prepared, you feel good, you feel confident. So I
think those were some of the things that.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Helped visualizing your success was I feel transformative for me
being able to see myself already win in order to
get to the win. Yes, and when you're being vocal
and taking up space and advocating for yourself more, how
do you feel like that would have made a difference
in your career.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Oh gosh, I mean the biggest one is just sometimes
just a mental break, just being able to speak up
and say, hey, coach, I need a mental break because
it is overwhelming and there's just it is a grind,
and sometimes it was just like nope, God, put your
head down. You got to keep doing the work. So
I wish there was more moments where I would say like, hey,
like it's okay to ask for a break or asked
(47:00):
for just like, hey, I need an hour. Can I
just come an hour later. I'm sure Sue would have
really been appreciative of that, because then you show up
and you already had a bad day, you got a
bad grade on your test, and it just kind of
downward spirals the other way too. I think we've talked
to aj about an incident that I had, like when
it came to marketing dollars.
Speaker 3 (47:20):
Don't need to get into the.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Whole story, but just advocated for myself in the sense
of I compartmentalized marketing and playing on the field. To me,
all that mattered at the time was able to be
on the field, to be able to compete contribute to
my team, like that's all that mattered. But everything is
connected because post college, in order to play, you've got
(47:44):
to make money, right, and you've got to have those
marketing dollars, and so I completely shut down this whole
other side. But there was a couple of incidents that
happened that weren't in my favor, and I wish that
I would have spoke up a little bit more, took
up a little bit more space and said, hey, this
is not right.
Speaker 3 (47:59):
You know, a chance on me, whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
Of just speaking up and advocating for myself in those moments,
I think would have been better for the next athlete
that came behind me, because those in those moments, it
wasn't necessarily about me. It was about the trajectory of softball,
the trajectory of athletes receiving sponsorships and deals and all
those things, because they are connected. Where there was a
(48:23):
part where I was trying to separate them and they're
not connected. What happens off the field doesn't really affect
on the field, which they do, you know, in order
to be able to train and do it year round
and keep the lights on and do all the things
on those sponsorship deals, they do matter.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
And I think that that especially nowadays with NIL or
whether it's just even entering the transfer portal, just advocating
for what's the best for you and what you feel
like it's going to get you in the place to
be successful because it's to your point for some people
watching behind you, and it's like you're doing this more
not just for yourself, but also for the game. And
(49:00):
you being someone who you speak about the now, but
your voice is so powerful now and the advocate you
are for the game of softball, whether it's through philanthropy
with Natasha Watley Foundation, through your entrepreneurship, through your partnership
with MLB where you're continuing to help with so with
the diversity, equity and inclusion with so many young girls
getting back into the game and continuing to grow that,
(49:23):
and you're speaking engagements and you being able to realize
when a little girl raised her hand and asked, but
what is softball? And it made you realize that there's
so much more that I need to do, which now
has led you to being in AUSL on the AUSL
Advisory Board, completely giving your wisdom and your knowledge continuing
(49:45):
in professional softball. What are the ways in which you
see AUSL growing, professional softball growing, and what are you
advising them to do in order to keep where do
you keep this game moving forward?
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Yeah, I mean the first thing is just the opportunity
for athletes once they leave college, to have an opportunity
to play professionally. I mean, that's it, right. We've yet
to really have a sustainable league that has lasted because
there's so many Like our college game is booming. It
is got the visibility, everybody's got their TVs on when
(50:20):
Women's College World Series comes on. But a week or
two weeks later, a lot of those athletes they fall off.
We don't hear about them again. We don't ever get
to see them again. And AUSL. I just my vision
for AUSL is for these athletes to have a place
to go and continue they're playing days, to extend their
(50:41):
playing careers.
Speaker 3 (50:42):
I mean, the coolest part.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Of my softball journey, I don't know about yours was
being a professional athlete to say that I do this
for a living, that this is something I'm passionate about,
but I'm a professional. I'm getting paid to do or
and play the game that I love, and so that
is My ultimate dream is for that to be an
opportunity and for that to be a reality for athletes
(51:06):
want to leave college. And as an advisor, it's been amazing.
I mean because I've myself, Jenny Finch, Justic Mendoza, Kat Osterman,
and so many other women before us. There's been so
many different iterations of pro leagues that we have been apart,
and I feel like it's just sharing experiences, sharing the positives,
sharing the negatives. If I were an athlete, how would
(51:29):
I want a league? How would I want my experience
to be as an athlete, And so as much as
we can trying to share those experiences and just be
a sounding board to help shape this league. And it's
been fun to be a part. There's been a lot
of hard conversations to have, but more importantly, I think
at the end of the day, it's leaving the sport
(51:52):
better than we found it, and hopefully this iteration of
a pro league is better than what we've seen in
the past.
Speaker 1 (51:58):
Because the college softball people love what college softball and
so it's like trying to find the tie to then
go from college to pro. Okay, we'll keep watching. There's
more you don't have to stop, and I'm excited to
see what that looks like with this new format, and
now instead of just following a player, you can get
excited about the team again and continue to follow moving
(52:22):
through that. There's more to cover, but first let's take
a quick break. I'm excited to move into this next
segment because it's my favorite segment, no fly zone segment.
Speaker 2 (52:40):
Okay, of course.
Speaker 1 (52:42):
Of course, Toosh, what would you say, I mean talking
about turning the field into a no fly zone, not
just the outfield, in field, all the above. What is
it your favorite play you have ever made in your career?
Speaker 2 (52:58):
The favorite play that I've ever made, I would say
stopping here girl. She was a picture at UCLA, but
stopping a potential threat to her no hitter. She had
a no hitter going and it was like, I don't
remember who hit it, but we were playing cow and
(53:18):
she rips like a well ground ball at the middle.
But I dove made the play, threw for my knees,
save the no hitter. Oh yeah, we win it for
my teammate.
Speaker 3 (53:31):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (53:31):
I feel like you should have said that in your
best announcer voice.
Speaker 3 (53:34):
It's oh too, Yeah, a no hitter on the line. Here,
So and so steps up to the place. She rips
it up the middle. But who comes out of nowhere?
Natasha Wally.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
She dies, She makes a play on her knees, she
gets up, makes the throw. Hey, she's out, and then.
Speaker 3 (53:49):
No hitter is sick. The no hitter is saved.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
The no hitter is saved. We weren't talking about it.
So that's why don't talk about it. Don't talk about it.
Go on hit her to talk about it. What do
you think fel like is essential to becoming a top
tier shortstop and being able to make those plays that
save no hitters.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Oh gosh, well, top tier shortstop. I mean make the
routine plays, just simple, Like we don't need flashy stuff.
Yeah okay, yeah, dive if there's a no hitter on
the line, But no flashy I mean, flashy plays.
Speaker 3 (54:24):
Are great, they happen.
Speaker 2 (54:26):
But I love like a fundamental, solid defender just the
ball is hit in her direction, like there's never any doubt,
like she's just gonna handle the ball, take care of it.
All the extras they happen, and you have these sweet
plays that come. But I love just a solid, fundamental
shortstop that can take care of the ball, who has
(54:46):
range but makes the routine plays look easy.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
Is there a player you can think of right now?
Speaker 3 (54:53):
We talk about.
Speaker 1 (54:54):
Giving people and players their diamonds that maybe isn't talked
about it enough, you feel like deserves a little more sparkle.
Speaker 3 (55:01):
Oh a ton, where do we begin? Like what like
shortstops or just in general?
Speaker 1 (55:08):
Yeah, I'll let you pick.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Oh gosh, in general, I mean when we talk about
ausl like Alicia Acossio to me is an athlete that
sticks out because she can do it offensively, which I
don't think she gets talked about enough how versatile she is,
but she can defend. You can probably put her in
the outfield At Florida she played in field, but she's
(55:32):
a pitcher and she's legit. She can defend her own
in the circle. She definitely stands out to me, we're
gonna talk about your.
Speaker 3 (55:40):
Sister a.
Speaker 2 (55:42):
Like Alia gets it done. She gets done offensively defensively.
Talk about no flies out right Andrew's emails it just
do not hit it in your guys's direction because it
will be caught. We're not talking about her enough about
what she's capable of doing offensively and defensive should I
keep going, there's like so many.
Speaker 3 (56:02):
You know, who I really.
Speaker 2 (56:03):
Love watching defensively is Hannah Flippim. I feel like she
is unassuming. You watch her. You could put her defensively anywhere.
You could put her at short, second, third. She gets
it done. She's just her softball like Q is out
the roof. Yes, you can watch her. You can see
that she's analytical, she's really methodical. Offensively, she's great as well.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
All right, yeah, you guys just got your diamonds. Little
sprinkle sprinkle from the Tash to Waltley. Nobody better to
get him from either. Got it shined a little bit, Tash.
My last thing I have for you is we talked
a lot about failure and be patient at your rate
of success? Is that the nomination about your rate of success?
(56:49):
And you don't like to use the word failure, but
failure can be so transformative for someone's career. And you
think about you have to fail in order to get
to success. So for you, what was your favorite quote
unquote failure that ultimatelyly led to some of your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
Biggest failure and a story that I share a lot,
was not making the junior national team. My senior year
in high school, so I don't know here I am.
I'm this like big top dog recruit going to the
school of my dreams.
Speaker 3 (57:24):
At that moment, I'd already.
Speaker 2 (57:26):
Decided to go to UCLA, but there was this junior
USA team tryout and I went just like low key
philling myself because I just had come off of this
high of committing to UCLA and I just didn't show.
Speaker 3 (57:41):
Up in my best self.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Like I just thought I could just show up and
learn very quickly that you just can't just show up
how you show up. You know, you've got to prepare
and all of the things. It just this trial completely
went left. But it was a moment where it was
a Dutch chet for me just in terms of like
(58:04):
how do I want this to play out? How do
I want this softball career to play out? Like it
wasn't everything to be a part of this team, Like
it didn't hurt anything, but I think it taught me
a great lesson of how you show up and how
important that is and coming prepared anytime there was any
other USA tryout in the after that. Please believe that
Homegirl came prepared. Hustling my brains out like just all things,
(58:27):
and not that I didn't like hustle, it just didn't
go my way, and like, you just there's so much
more than just like being there physically. You've got to
you know, embrace the people around you. I think got
tryouts to making people around you better and pushing them
as well. So I don't know, I think that that
was a big moment. It's a funny story because it
was in San Diego and at the time, this is
(58:50):
like pre emails, pre like digital error. So they would
like put the list on the wall, like all of
the girls would come out. We would have to like
go and visually like see our name on the list,
and it was the saddest day. Like I'm Watley, so
I'm w So I would go and look at okay,
not w okay, maybe it's my jersey number. Oh no,
it's my jersey number, just not on it, and so
(59:11):
like trying to like hold it in. And so the
next morning, my mom and dad they come and pick
me up and so it's like a two hour drive home.
Speaker 3 (59:19):
I cried the entire way.
Speaker 2 (59:21):
So it was just kind of like those moments of
like this does mean something to me, and you know,
you do have control of how you show up at
you know, had I not made the team and I
showed up with my best self and like came prepared,
and I could have went to sleep at night knowing
that I did everything in my power, but it just
I didn't. I didn't show up that way. And so
I think that was a big lesson learn long story,
(59:44):
but just it was a big lesson, Like this junior
team was devastating to me, and like that's not making
a team or you know, blowing an opportunity that just
didn't sit right with me. So it was a big moment.
Speaker 1 (59:58):
And then you go on and for a time All American. Yeah,
it sounds like four time All American Olympian gold medalist,
a Hall of Famer. It sounds like you never let
any moment pass you by after.
Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
That, and you're not big lesson learned, Like we not
let anything get us get past us. It was a
big lesson learned. And I was like I was gonna quit,
like I didn't make the team, Like why should I
keep playing? Like it just so like just very very
dramatic at the time, but in hindsight, a big lesson
learn it needed it needed to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:30):
Happen, and it's so going to happen so early because yeah, yeah,
it just formed the rest of your career. Imagine you
didn't make that team and then you go on and
you win Olympic gold medal. It's like, Okay, well I'm
gonna show up this time.
Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
Yeah show I'm showing up and I'm gonna show out.
So we will not we will not leave any doubt
in anybody's mind.
Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
And I think it also plays a role.
Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
And so what we've we've touched on and what I
feel like is such a great diamond to in this
episode of be patient at your rate of success because
that moment felt like a failure and it's like, well,
I'm just gonna quit if I can't be.
Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
On y team.
Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
And then you go in out and you are a
pivotal person that helps the team win years and years
down the line collegiately and for the Olympics. And so
for all those listening, just know that your race is
different from those around you. Be patient with your rate
(01:01:31):
of success because just because it may seem slower to
get there doesn't mean that once you arrive it's not
going to be bigger than everybody else. Yes, Tash, thank
you so much for joining me and coming on the show.
To all the listeners, thank you for listening to today's episode.
Remember there's no limit to what you can do or
who you can be. Use your idols as guides and
(01:01:54):
become the best me. I'll meet you here next week
at the Diamond by Hi for now. Dropping Diamonds with
Aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
(01:02:17):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz.
Tari Harrison is our supervising producer, and this episode was
mixed and mastered by Mary dou Listen to Dropping Diamonds
with Aj Andrews on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!