The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net An international softball superstar with Bahamian roots will make her first appearance in the Bahamas, one which Bahamas Softball Federation executives hope can serve as an inspiration to local young players. Hosted by various government and officials in the sport, Natasha Watley is scheduled to visit the Bahamas while conducting a pair of softball clinics in New Providence and Grand Bahama. A two time Olympic medallist as a member of the US National Softball team, the first African-American female to do so, Watley has starred at the shortstop and first base position at every level. She currently plays professionally in Japan for Team Toyota and also competes on the PFX Tour while continuing to play for the US National Team. BSF president Burket Dorsett said the visit by Watley can be used as a motivational tool for many of the younger players in the BSF developmental pipeline. "She was originally scheduled to make an appearance back in 2003 and we could not be more happy now that we are able to make this happen. Her decorated resume speaks for itself. Natasha's knowledge, experience and accolades shows that she is well versed in the game," he said. "Ideally, we want many of the younger players to take this opportunity to learn from her and we hope that her visit would encourage them in their pursuit of softball and see where the game can take you throughout the world. It is a viable sport when looking for a means to higher education and can even lead to a professional career." The BSF has hosted a number of international softball stars from the US over the past few years, including pitching sensation Monica Abbott, Crystl Bustos, Angela Tincher and Taryne Mowatt. Watley is expected to visit Freeport, Grand Bahama, this weekend and is expected to make courtesy calls on softball officials and executives on the island. She is then slated to conduct a one-day clinic on December 17. And on December 19, she is scheduled to make her way to New Providence where she will make a series of courtesy calls on the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, other government officials, and her second one-day clinic. Watley is the daughter of Bahamian Carolyn Watley (nee Swain), a former sprinter at the Eastern Senior School, and Edwin Watley. She competed against the Bahamas at the Pan Am Games in 2003 in Santa Domingo, where she first familiarized herself with the BSF and its programme. Watley is a two-time World Cup Champion (2006 & 2007), two-time Pan American gold medallist (2003 & 2007), two-time World Champion (2002 & 2006), Olympic gold medallist (2004) and Olympic silver medallist (2008). At UCLA, she was a four-time first-team NFCA All American, led UCLA to Women's College World Series title (2003), won the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation's top collegiate female athlete (2003), top three finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year (2002 & 2003), first-team All Pac 10 and All- Pacific Region (2002), and trung together a 32-game hitting streak, the fifth longest run in NCAA history (2001). "We hope this can be the first step in establishing a stronger relationship with Natasha and through her work with the BSF and its programme, she can help to create future homegrown softball stars in the near future," Dorsett said.