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For this July 4th holiday (if you’re in the United Sates), we hope you have a chance to be with those you love and doing the things you enjoy!
Many across the world in the softball community are enjoying softball this week—be it at the European World Softball Championships, the USA Softball International Cup or in Colorado at the Boulder IDT and Sparkler/Fireworks events.
We’re going to enjoy the day with some softball and some fun too… here’s a fun quiz we put together: see how well you know your Team USA trivia!
Scroll down to see the answers…
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1. Which country is the reigning Olympic Gold Medal-winning team (played in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games)?
a. United States
b. Japan
c. Australia
d. Canada
2. Who was the losing pitcher in the championship game in Beijing in 2008?
a. Cat Osterman
b. Yukiko Ueno
c. Danielle Lawrie
d. Lisa Fernandez
3. Which of these cities has NOT hosted Olympic softball?
a. Athens
b. Atlanta
c. Sydney
d. Los Angeles
4. Which “sport” supposedly was one that Paris Olympic Games organizers choose to recommend instead of baseball/softball?
a. billiards
b. lawn darts
c. breakdancing
d. square dancing
5. The first Olympic softball team for the U.S. (2008) had players who went on to become college head college coaches… name as many as you can (one point for each)…
6. What member of that first U.S. team became the first woman to serve as commentator for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game?
7. Of the current USA Women’s National Team (WNT) roster of players, which university has the most alums?
a. Florida
b. UCLA
c. Arizona
d. Oklahoma
e. Washington
f. Florida State
8. What current members of the USA Softball WNT still have college eligibility (hint: they’re both from the same conference)?
9. Looking at the U-19 Team roster, what do Julia Cottrill, Bailey Dowling, Charla Echols, Kelley Lynch and Skylar Wallace all have in common (hint: think club ball)?
10. What do U-19 pitchers Megan Faraimo and Kelley Lynch have in common when it comes to awards?
*** Bonus: What players were on ALL of the USA Gold Medal-winning Olympic teams? Give yourself one point for every one you get correctly!
GRADING SCALE:
10 or greater: Future USA Olympic coach… in 2028 and beyond!
7-9: Expert…. Send us your resume, we need great minds like yours at Extra Inning Softball.
4-6: Diehard Fan… You love the sport and are the reason it continues to grow bigger and bigger.
1-3: Newbie… It’s alright, you love the game; now let’s get you more up on its history.
0: Uhhhh…. Are you sure you like softball? We hear breakdancing is now in the Olympics…
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Answers below!
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Answers:
1 – b. Japan beat the U.S. in the championship game 3-1.
2 – a. Cat Osterman. It was the first time in four Olympic Games the USA didn’t take Gold, taking Silver after losing to Japan (see above).
3 – d. Hopefully, Los Angeles will host Olympic Softball in 2028!
4 – c It hurts to say this: breakdancing.
5 – Laura Berg (Oregon State), Dot Richardson (Liberty) are currently head coaches. Julie Smith was a head coach at LaVerne University up to November, 2018 and Kim Maher was the head coach at Purdue up to 2014.
6 – Michelle Smith in 2012. Were you thinking Jessica Mendoza? Nope, Michelle who has been ESNP’s lead college softball college analyst since 1998.
7 – The Florida Gators. Florida has four (Kirsti Merritt, Michelle Moultrie, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart); UCLA has three (Ally Carda, Rachel Garcia, Delaney Spaulding), Oklahoma has two (Shelby Pendley and Keilani Ricketts), Arizona has one (Dejah Mulipola), Washington has one (Ali Aguilar) and FSU, a year off the Noles’ National Championship, has none.
8 – Two… Rachel Garcia (UCLA) and Dejah Mulipola (Arizona). Both will be seniors in 2020.
9 – All played on Patrick Lewis’s Georgia Impact 18U team last year, the squad that became the first from the South to win the PGF 18U Premier Nationals.
10 – Both were Gatorade National Softball Players of the Year… Megan in 2018 and Kelley in 2019.
Bonus: There are 4: Laura Berg, Lisa Fernandez, Lori Harrigan and Leah-Obrien-Amico each have three Olympic Gold medals won in the 1996 Athens, 2000 Sydney and 2004 Beijing Games
Hope you had fun with this… enjoy your 4th of July and the rest of the summer!