Former softball standouts impacting growth of softball

Softball’s recent growth isn’t stopping anytime soon and part of that is thanks to the ongoing contributions of Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley and Lauren Gipson (Chamberlain).

Finch, a two-time Olympic softball medalist, has been an impactful voice for softball as an ambassador for Major League Baseball for years, as she annually awards four high school softball athletes with the Arm & Hammer Jennie Finch Empowerment Award. Watley, a fellow Olympic teammate and MLB Softball Ambassador, has also been a trailblazer for the sport, helping lead softball clinics, including one on World Softball Day in New York City alongside Gipson.

Gipson has made a name for herself, too -- a previous college home run record holder, the Oklahoma Sooner national champion helped spearhead the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league, spending the first two inaugural seasons as its commissioner.

During All-Star Week, not only did these three reunite to participate in the annual All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, but they had a chance to sit down to speak on the growth of the game they all hold near and dear to their hearts headlining MLB’s DE&I “Unfiltered” panel discussion.

“I think what these two did and their teams to be able to spread the game -- they were on tour stopping in different cities and really sharing the game of softball,” Gipson said of Finch and Watley. “I think what they did was trailblazing. It started with them and now we’ve passed the torch and now the torch is coming to you guys.”

Softball has grown enormously over time. Looking at college softball alone, the 2024 Women’s College World Series Finals between the top two teams in the nation, Texas and Oklahoma, drew two million viewers, the most on record.

“I feel like we are starting to reach new heights, breaking new doors,” Watley said. “If you paid attention to the Women’s College World Series a couple months ago, you can really see the momentum picking up in our sport. I feel like we are on the brink of a thriving pro league.”

While there’s a lot to be proud of, softball is only scratching the surface. Title IX has been a big component of the growth of women’s sports in general, including softball, but disparities are still apparent all across the country, especially at the high school level. The road might be filled with bumps, but advocacy and performance are needed to get softball to that next level.

“You can control what only you can control,” Finch said. “You go ball out -- you go be the best that you can be. You go try to stand up for what’s right, fight for equal opportunity, and all of the things that you feel and want and equal opportunities with the boys and boys programs.

“Keep fighting the fight, because we’ve seen the progress firsthand and I know we’re not there yet, but you guys are on your way and we are working our way toward that.”

The light might shine the brightest on these softball ambassadors during All-Star festivities, but these women aren’t just helping during the All Star break -- they are committed to growing the game year-round, including helping coach at softball’s Elite Development Invitational and Breakthrough Series.

Even though the decision to include or exclude softball from the Olympics every four years is out of these women’s hands, something that isn’t is pushing the game of softball post-college at the professional level to the media more and more.

“I think one of the things that needs to happen is a sustainable pro league,” Watley said. “That is one thing that we are all collectively trying to work together and put something together, but I think that’s what’s missing -- that competition at the highest level.”

While Athletes Unlimited and Women’s Pro Fastpitch have developed and grown in popularity over the course of the last five years, there is still so much more room for growth, and if that can be done, then there is no ceiling for where the 11-inch yellow ball sport can go.