Team USA member Natasha Watley, surrounded by players from the RBI program, hosts a softball clinic at L.A. Southwest College Saturday. Also with Watley, in the front row from left are Monica Cartwright and Carla Garcia and in the back from left are Loren Williams, Shanel Tolbert, Lea Stinson and Arianna Smith.

By RON GUILD, Sports Editor

Story Published: Jan 5, 2010 at 4:51 PM PST

Story Updated: Jan 9, 2010 at 1:31 PM PST

Natasha Watley would like nothing better than to find the next Natasha Watley.
A four-time first-team All-American at UCLA and Team USA shortstop (she was part of the gold medal-winning national team at the 2004 Olympics) isn’t just hoping it happens. She’s taking a proactive approach.

Her Natasha Watley Foundation, which started in March, is aimed at increasing opportunities in softball for young girls. Modeled after the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, her foundation narrows its scope to softball.

Watley and Monica Abbott, one of the top pitchers in women’s softball, will be the headliners at the Natasha Watley/RBI clinic, set for 10 a.m. Saturday at L.A. Southwest College. Tairia Flowers, Amanda Freed, Andrea Duran and Toni Mascarenas are other Olympians and college All-Americans who will be on hand to provide instruction.

RBI founder John Young said RBI alumni such as Kenora Posey (Crenshaw High, University of Tennessee), Tatiana McElroy (Washington Prep, Oregon State) and Adrienne Alo (Carson, Oregon State) are also expected to participate in the clinic.
“I really want the softball side to be on the same level as the baseball side and to increase opportunities for girls in the inner city,” Watley said. “That’s why I started my foundation.”

It’s not just about the softball, either.

“We want to implement character-building for girls and focus on off-the-field things,” she said.

Saturday’s clinic is a step in that direction.

“It’ a chance to share my experiences,” Watley said. “We all want to do our part to inspire the next generation.”

With softball not part of the next Olympic Games, international opportunities have decreased. While still on the International Olympic Committee’s menu, it won’t return any sooner than 2016, if then.

Although there are other international competitions, such as this summer’s World Championships, the lack of the sport in the Olympics makes it less of a presence and maybe create the impression, among girls, there isn’t much of a future in playing the sport.

Watley, who plays professionally in Japan, thinks that’s a shame.

“It’s amazing playing against the best in the world, at the best level of competition,” she said. “Without softball, I wouldn’t be able to travel the world. I have to pinch myself sometimes thinking that I’m playing in Japan.

“I want every girls to experience that. They don’t know the opportunities that are out there.”

Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) made her first appearance in the Red, White and Blue at the top of the fifth needing to keep Venezuelan runs off the board to ensure the run-ahead victory. Starter Osterman finished her four-inning appearance with 11 strikeouts, allowing just one hit. Nelson completed her mission allowing no hits thanks to the help of the defense, with three groundouts. The 7-0 victory gave the 2009 National Team its first win of the year.

With a break game in between, the United States came back to face 2008 Bronze medalists Australia, and would eventually complete their second 7-0 victory in five innings.

“I was really pleased with how we came out on day one especially in the circle. Both Cat (Osterman) and Monica (Abbott) dominated from the first pitch in the first inning so that really set the tone,” said Head Coach Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss.). “Offensively we did really well in both games putting runs up on the board in the first inning. That is one of our goals is to come out early and score in the first inning and we did that today. I was really pleased with the news kids in Alissa (Haber), Ashley (Hansen), Kaitlin (Cochran) and how they played as well as the homeruns of Jenae (Leles) and Vicky Galindo. Obviously we have things to work on but that’s the part of the season we are in. Overall I am very pleased with today.”

After drawing two walks against Venezuela, Haber grabbed a hold of her first hit with a RBI double to left field to score Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) to give the team an early 1-0 lead in the first inning versus Australia.

Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) led off the second inning and took the first pitch of her at bat down the middle and was only there for two pitches as Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) hit a two-run homerun over center field. A sac by Lowe plated Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.) for the 4-0 lead, who walked and then moved to third on two passed balls. The team tacked on one more when Watley scored from third off a throwing error by the left fielder Leah Parry.

“It was a lot of fun to get out there and play with the new girls. I think we had a great start to building a foundation for the rest of the summer,” said Watley. “All through the lineup the team stepped up and made things happen so that is always nice to see. I am looking forward to more games so we can really start to gel as a team.”

In the third inning, Hansen led off with a walk and advanced to second off a sac bunt by Galindo. Rogers laid down a perfect bunt to reach first and took advantage of some Australian hesitation on the play, to move to second and advance Hansen to third. Hansen scored on a passed ball while Watley put up her fourth RBI of the day to score Rogers and give the United States a 7-0 lead in the third.

Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) came in at the top of the fourth but not after Abbott allowed no one to reach base through three innings for the win. Abbott struck out seven of the nine batters faced. Burkhart worked the final two innings of play, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.

Australia held the USA offense at bay through the fourth but the game would be called in the fifth due to the run-ahead rule, giving the U.S. a 7-0 victory.

The USA will face Venezuela tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m./PT. after taking part in the Opening Ceremonies at 4:00 p.m./PT. Be sure to check out http://www.usasoftball.com/ for coverage of the Canada Cup.

http://www.internationalsoftball.com/index.asp

YOKOHAMA, Japan – It was a battle of two of the world’s best softball teams and it was evident as the United States Women’s National team fought through 11 innings to bring home another Japan Cup title with a 3-2 victory over Japan in Yokohama, Japan. Despite two errors and two wild pitches, which resulted in two runs, the team rallied back to defeat Japan 3-2 in the title game of the Japan Cup.

Carlsbad Current-Argus

Around 90 local youth softball players received instruction from a member of the U.S. Olympic Softball Team this weekend as Natasha Watley put on a two-day camp at the Carlsbad Youth Sports Complex Friday and Saturday.
Watley is the shortstop for Team U.S.A. She won a gold medal with the team in 2004. Along with Boston Red Sox scout Gerald Fernandez, Watley spent this weekend helping local youth softball players with instructions on everything from hitting, to fielding different positions in the field.

Watley has been a member of the U. S. Olympic Softball Team since 2001 and said when she is not competing with the team, she is out on the road putting on softball clinics.

“This is my living,” Watley said. “I pretty much go around the country and do these clinics.”

Watley went to college at UCLA and said she attended camps similar to the one she conducted this weekend when she was younger.

“I used to go to the UCLA camp when I was younger,” Watley said. “It was probably why I ended up going to UCLA. I went to lots of camps and got different instructions. It inspired me to continue with softball.”

Watley said she remembered how she felt when she attended camps as a youth. She said she hopes to set an example for the youth who attend her camp.

“Working in these camps means a lot to me because I have been there,” Watley said. “I have been 12 years old wanting to go to college. I have been there before so that is why I take more of a liking in doing these clinics. I hope that I can inspire at least one girl.”

This weekend marked Watley’s first trip to Carlsbad. She said she enjoyed her stay here.

“Carlsbad is cool, it’s nice,” Watley said. “It was really cold last night though.”

Watley said the Olympic team will begin a year long tour in preparation for the next Olympics beginning in January 2008.

She said until then she will continue to enjoy helping kids learn and enjoy playing softball.

“Just spending time with the kids and seeing how passionate they are about the game and how excited they are about learning little things about the game makes me appreciate it a lot more,” Watley said. “I just love giving back and seeing the smiles on kids faces and seeing how excited they are to come to camp.”