Natasha Watley
LINKS:
DONATE TO "THIS IS US": https://www.thisisussoftball.com/donate
Natasha Watley Foundation: https://www.natashawatleyfoundation.org/
Follow Natasha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/natashawatley29
Official Website: https://www.natashawatley.com/
Team USA Profile: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/athletes/Natasha-Watley
Buzzsprout Affiliate Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=766057 tell them I sent you and get a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforethelightspodcast/
BTL OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.beforethelightspod.com/
Natasha’s favorite quotes and who was hardest pitcher to hit off of? She talks about being a coffee fanatic, how to eat a mango and being a purse freak. How she continues to get better over the years.
2x Olympic Medalist (Gold & Silver) / Softball Legend/UCLA HOF
Natasha started playing at age 5 and we hear who introduced her to the game along with how the first time she put the bat on the ball went. She talks about the memories in youth softball and when in high school her recruitment started. Why she choose UCLA and we go thru just a small sample size of her phenomenal career as a Bruin which culminated in winning the College World Series. Natasha explains what the USA Red team was and what it is like playing for our country.
Just how fast was Natasha from home to first? What was it like winning the winning the World Series? What it meant to be named the Nation’s Top Female Athlete as the only second softball recipient beside Lisa Fernandez who is her hero? We discuss the importance of academics and the balance between them and athletics.
The 2004 Olympics selection process, what the first game was like for her and feeling seeing the USA Flag being raised as a gold medalist. What she felt once she was a professional, trying to balance this job and being a volunteer asst coach at UCLA and what prompted her to start the Natasha Watley Foundation.
The podcast wraps up with winning the NPF Championship, playing overseas, her final at bat, retirement, advice to young softball players, and how to connect with Natasha!
