American former softball player Jennie Finch has opened up about her ‘Goals and Dream’ for the sport’s future, as well as elaborating on what she wishes to observe from softball in the next ten years.
Women can actually dream of being a professional softball player: Jennie Finch
In the history of softball, Jennie Finch is contemplated to be the most iconic and influential player, both on an off the field. The 41-year-old has been a massive contributor to the growth of softball in the United States. Aside from leading the national squad to a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a silver four years later in Beijing, in the year 2001, Finch led the University and captained the Univesity of Arizona to the Women’s College World Series championship. In 2005, she became a professional and went on to compete in National Pro Fastpitch for six seasons.
“I hope it continues to flourish. I hope the opportunity continues to grow,” Finch said in a recent exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, “I know my nine-year-old is growing up watching college softball every weekend on TV. And we walked into a stadium full of 12,000 fans in Oklahoma City. And so I really hope that we can bridge that gap from the collegiate level into the pro-level. It’s been kind of a struggle.”
“I was part of the National Pro Fastpitch League. Now we have Athletes Unlimited. We have Women’s Pro Fastpitch, as well. So hopefully we can just find a place professionally for these athletes. So it’s not just 15 that can go on and play USA softball. And it’s not just a summer job, barely getting by, but you know, women can actually dream of being a professional softball player and make a somewhat of a living unlike it is now. That would be the goal and the dream. And that’s the vision that we’re hopefully moving towards,” she added.
