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2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Natasha Watley is joining the USFC coaching staff!

Posted: 02/21/07

US Fastpitch Camps is excited to announce that 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Natasha Watley is joining the USFC coaching staff. She was a guest instructor at our Carlsbad, New Mexico Camp and we hope to have her at many more. Natasha has an amazing resume that includes, along with her 2004 Olympic Gold Medal, a 2003 Pan America Games Championship and a 2002 World Championship and MVP Award. She also had a record breaking collegiate career at UCLA.

During her UCLA career, Watley set numerous school records including hits (395), runs scored (252), at-bats (878), triples (21) and stolen bases (158). Her total for career stolen bases is more than triple that of the second-best total in UCLA history (Olympic Gold Medalist Amanda Freed with 51). She also owns three of the four 100+ hit seasons in UCLA softball history, reaching triple figures in each of her final three seasons as a Bruin.

A four-time first-team NFCA All-American at shortstop during her playing career at UCLA, Watley was named the Honda Award winner for the sport of softball at the conclusion of her senior season in 2003 and went on to become the second softball recipient of the Honda Broderick Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate female athlete. She joins USA Softball teammate and former Bruin Lisa Fernandez as the only softball recipients of the Honda Broderick Cup.

Coach Watley continues to train with the U.S. National Team in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also played professionally last summer for the National Pro Fastpitch league's Philadelphia Force. Watley graduated from UCLA with a sociology degree in 2005.