WEBVTT - New Year, New Leagues: Athletes Unlimited Softball with Cat Osterman 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:02.600 Welcome to good Game with Sarah Spain, where we just 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:05.280 woke up in a cold sweat after dreaming we had 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.600 to try to hit a cat Asterman fastball. It's Wednesday, 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.319 January eighth, and today we continue our New Year, New 0:00:11.400 --> 0:00:14.680 Leagues series of shows, serving up everything you need to 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:17.720 know about the new professional women's leagues, kicking off, tipping off, 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.560 first pitching, and first serving their way into our hearts 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:27.360 in twenty twenty five. Today's League Athletes Unlimited Softball AKAAUSLF. 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:29.560 A new professional women's softball league. 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:31.920 From the folks at Athletes Unlimited, this time playing in 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:35.720 the traditional team softball format. Softball Legend and GM of 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:39.120 the AUSL volts Cat Austerman joins the show to give 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:41.320 us the stakes, stars, stories. 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:43.240 And stats that we need to be ready for first pitch. 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:57.320 It's all coming up right after this, All right sliceys, 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.680 Welcome back to New Year, New Leagues. 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:01.880 Today AUSL. 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:05.760 Joining us to tell us everything we need to know 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:08.920 about AUSL. She's an Olympic gold medalist and two time 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:12.120 Olympic silver medallist, a collegiate, four time All American, and 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.440 four time Big twelve Pitcher of the Year. She ended 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:16.639 her career at the University of Texas with school pitching 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:20.520 records and wins, strikeouts, era, no hitters, perfect games, whip innings, 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:23.760 pitch shutout, strikeout ratio, and opponent's batting average, and still 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:25.840 leads in all those categories. Still leads in most of 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.440 those categories for the Big Twelve as well. The first 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:30.720 overall pick in the National Pro Fast Pitch League, she 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.720 earned four NFP titles, was named Championship MVP three times, 0:01:34.720 --> 0:01:37.080 and was a six time professional All Star. She was 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:40.040 the champion of Athletes Unlimited's inaugural softball season in twenty 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:42.800 twenty and finished her professional career with Athletes Unlimited in 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.280 twenty twenty one before joining the AU Advisory Board in 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.840 twenty twenty three. She's the only person to win USA 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.600 Softball's National Player of the Year honors three times, and 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:53.960 she's an advisor and GM in the new Athletes Unlimited 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:54.760 Softball League. 0:01:54.960 --> 0:01:58.440 It's Kat Austerman. What's up, Cat? 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:00.600 Hey so excited to join you. 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:02.880 I know we've been flirting with each other on social 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:06.360 media for years, never actually meeting in person yet, but 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:08.519 we finally get to actually talk, which is amazing. 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.200 One of these days I'm in Chicago enough. I don't 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:12.359 know how we haven't crossed path. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:13.919 We need to make it happen. 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:16.240 By the way, I reserve the right for any of 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:18.240 that bio to be slightly off based on the fact 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.040 that I could have spent years talking about your accomplishments 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:23.480 and the fact that you still hold all those records 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.160 all these years later. You just never know when someone 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:28.520 pops up and breaks something. But I'm pretty confident about 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:32.639 all of that. And it's just like so impressive reading 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.760 about especially the people who become the names that we 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.240 all know. There's a couple softball players that are just 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.880 the three or four that everybody knows. You have so 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.920 many accomplishments, so many records. When you look back at 0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:45.960 your playing career, is there something that stands out that 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:46.640 you're most proud of? 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:48.800 Well, you know, I think my college career, just because 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:51.200 I went a little bit against the green At the time, 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:54.639 the Pack was the premiere conference. You know, Arizona Ucla 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:57.600 were winning titles going back and forth, and I was 0:02:57.639 --> 0:02:59.919 recruited by both those schools, but I really wanted to 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:03.320 be different and tried to beat the big dogs, and 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.240 so I stayed home at Texas and part of that 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:09.160 was being closer to my family. But I think my 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:12.120 college career really I say all the time, if I 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:14.480 had chosen somewhere else, I don't know if I would 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:20.840 have catapulted successfully as quickly as I did. At Texas. 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:22.520 I got thrown in the fire. There was only one 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:26.280 returning picture. Everywhere else had a couple different returning pictures, 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:28.399 and all Americans at that and you know, who knows. 0:03:28.440 --> 0:03:30.399 If I'd gone there, maybe I still would have been 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.520 a one or two or you never know. But I 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:35.640 just saw a clear path at Texas for a chance 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.280 for me to to take that role and it worked out. 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:43.080 But really proud because I mean it was hard. Obviously, 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.800 you spend four years and put blood, sweat and tears 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.600 into a jersey. But it was really cool the first 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:50.320 time we got to go the World Series, the first 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:52.840 World Series game. But then I think the really fun 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:55.320 part was to see how fans turned out by the 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:58.160 end of my career and just finishing Super Regionals there 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:01.480 and beyond left field there's a street, but they allowed 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:04.640 people to park on the curb, and come postseason we 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:07.640 had people put it parking their boats there, big old 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.880 buses with like you know, built out build outs on top, 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.680 so it was a party out in left field. Occasionally 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:15.880 a fire truck from one of the fire stations nearby 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:18.080 would park out there and all the firemen would sit 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:19.280 up top until they got a. 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:20.280 Call and amazing. 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.160 So it was really cool just to see the evolution. 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:26.040 You know, you changed a program a while ago. 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:27.799 Yeah, yeah, it was really fun. 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:29.239 Yeah, that's really cool. 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.360 You also had some cool pop culture moments at opportunities. 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:34.039 You were the first softball player on the cover of 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:37.479 Sports Illustrated. You appeared in the ESPN Body Issue. Is 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:40.960 there a particular opportunity or cool experience that stands out 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.440 to you from those years when you were kind of everywhere? 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.080 Well, I will tell you the Body Issue. I know 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:49.000 they aired like an overview of the I think ten 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:50.919 years they had done it, and they say that someone 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:54.159 cried on the very first shoot. That was me. I 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:56.080 thought it was the coolest thing until we got ready 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:57.880 to go and then all of a sudden, like I 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.080 just panicked. But it's it was cool to be part 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:03.560 of and be asked to be part of that. But 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:06.279 I really think the twenty fourteen being on the cover 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:10.360 of Sports Illustrated was the coolest experience. One I was young, 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:12.640 but two they told us, you know, we beat out 0:05:12.640 --> 0:05:15.960 Michael Phelps I think for that cover, and for all 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:17.760 of us at that point, it was like that was 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:20.880 the biggest thing. But just to have our team honored 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:22.919 in that way, because you know, you do you you 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:24.400 always wonder, you know, who's going to be on that 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:26.159 cover and who's going to be on the Wheaties box 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:30.680 and all of that, and so that that part pop 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:33.800 culture and I think most of us still have that, 0:05:32.960 --> 0:05:37.200 uh that cover frame somewhere, and it's just it was 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:39.400 one of the best experiences for our team. 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:43.719 That's really cool for those that aren't super familiar with softball. 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:45.839 Can you set the stage for what the post college 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:48.080 softball landscape has kind of looked like for the last 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:48.800 twenty years or so? 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.480 Oh so, it's been really up and down. The NPF 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:56.560 was going for a while. It had been in operation 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:58.960 for I want to say, probably eight or ten years 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.200 before I shouldn't say ten, probably eight before I played there. 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:04.760 There were other entities of it, but every time it 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:08.679 just kind of got rebranded. So I was drafted into 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.160 the NPF straight out of college. I did not play 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:15.320 my first year, but then ended up joining the year 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:18.640 after I graduated. Played ten years there and that continued 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:22.000 on really until about two years ago, and then MPF 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:26.520 folded and now the WPF has taken its place. But 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:29.920 at the same time, right around COVID is when Athletes 0:06:29.960 --> 0:06:34.040 Unlimited kind of jumped in and had this different idea 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.680 for professional sports. And I will admit without COVID, I 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:40.800 probably wouldn't have played it because the first time someone 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:44.120 explains it to you, you're like, oh, what's that. But 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.760 then we all got into that environment and absolutely loved it. 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.080 And so Athletes Unlimited has been going for the last 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.800 five years. And then at the same time there have 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:57.880 been various different other professional opportunities. A couple of teams 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:00.880 on the East Coast have partnered up and they run 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:03.760 a league during the summer. You know, there's a there's 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.599 an independent team out of Oklahoma City that runs. It's 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:11.560 just been very inconsistent, and you know, even when the 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:15.280 WPF or the NPF, excuse me, ran there were teams 0:07:15.280 --> 0:07:18.160 that were treated truly professional, and then there were teams that, 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:20.320 you know, one team's getting wined and dying at a 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:23.160 steakhouse and the others eating McDonald's or ones, you know, 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:25.280 on a great flight and the other is on the 0:07:25.360 --> 0:07:27.240 cheapest flight, which is making them on a red eye, 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:29.800 or they're getting in barely in time to change and 0:07:29.880 --> 0:07:32.000 run to the field. You know, there were just so 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:36.040 many discrepancies of how people were being treated in the 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:40.360 professional environment, and so it kind of it was chaos 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:42.320 for a little while. You know, there were I was 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:44.920 in the NPF where I think at one point we 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:48.080 had eight to six to four to five, like the 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:50.840 teams just and the team I was on ended up 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:56.480 relocating from Rockford to Tennessee, to Florida back to Tennessee 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.520 and then they got renamed, renamed and rebranded and bought 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:02.720 out in it up in Pennsylvania somewhere. So it was just, 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:06.880 you know, we've had people try, and you know, the 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:08.560 NPF was there and a lot of us from the 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:11.720 national team played in it for a good chunk of time, 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.600 but just being able to get it to actually go 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:16.600 has been a challenge. 0:08:16.880 --> 0:08:20.280 I mentioned that you were and still are one of 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.400 the top names in softball major name recognition. How have 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:26.640 you tried to parlay that unique popularity and people knowing 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:28.520 you to help the sport of softball over the years, 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:30.080 and what do you think is the biggest barrier to 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:33.000 the sport being able to at the pro level try 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:35.360 to reach the same support, ratings and attendance of the 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:37.840 massive success of the women's College World Series. 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:41.280 Yeah. Well, you know, I jumped into coaching right out 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:43.640 of college. So I college coached for twelve years and 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:47.720 tried to, you know, wherever I was obviously influenced girls 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:50.360 to have it to think about the opportunity of playing professionally, 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:53.920 and you know, quick full circle story. I actually got 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:55.920 to retire the same year as one of my pitchers 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:58.520 that I coached at Texas State because she played two 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:01.120 years professionally. And when I had scot her and said, hey, 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:03.000 have you ever thought about playing professional? When I thought 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:04.400 she had the tools to do it, she was like, 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:06.920 are you crazy? No, I'm here for four years to 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:11.840 get out. So, you know, uh, it was fun to 0:09:11.880 --> 0:09:13.640 be in that. And then when once I stepped down 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:17.200 from college coaching and I was actually you know, honored 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:20.439 to be part of athletes and womened first year just 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.400 seeing what John and Jonathan do. I when I retired, 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.440 I told him I want to do anything and everything, 0:09:25.640 --> 0:09:28.040 you know, I can to help you guys make this go, 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:31.480 and ended up being on the advisory board and just 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:34.000 trying to keep people knowing what's going on and whether 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:37.200 it's just sharing on social media, doing appearances, going up 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:40.600 there once a season to you know, pre game draft, 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:42.920 pre draft shows, whatever it is, trying to jump in 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.959 and continue to help put the professional, you know, game 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:51.320 in everyone's eyes. And you know, we have to be 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:54.920 able to get brand recognition. And I think honestly, with 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:59.199 Athletes a Limited dropping the AUSL when we are, they 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:02.320 already have the brand recognition from us playing in COVID. 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:05.200 I mean we benefited that literally nothing else was on 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:08.480 during COVID. I mean I laugh. People were like, oh, 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:09.959 you were on the ticker. I was like, that's how 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:12.600 slow sports was. It's on the ticker that I resigned 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:14.280 my job as a college coach, and a couple of 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.440 weeks later, like on the ticker that I signed with 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:18.760 Athletes Unlimited. I'm like, we don't have anything going on, 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:23.080 so I'll take my moment. But you know, it was 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.000 the blessing for us, especially in softball that we got 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:28.839 so many fans during that first season, and so it's 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.520 it's the brand recognition, and I think it's better because 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:33.640 athletes and women that has a following now and now 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:35.800 we can say, hey, we have these teams. Yeah, and 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:38.520 let's push that because that is what it is. It's 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:41.120 it's when you start brand new and people don't know 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:44.040 who you are. That's the hardest part. And I've learned 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:46.040 that now my husband and I opened the business and 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:48.760 it's like, man, you think social media is just going 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:51.520 to like we're blast everything out for you, and it 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:54.600 doesn't happen that way. And so I think having the 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:58.520 brand recognition really actually might help this entity be able 0:10:58.559 --> 0:11:02.079 to connect with those college fans because college softball is huge. 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:05.560 I mean, I still go to games at Texas. I've 0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:08.920 been welcomed up in Norman. As much as that sounds sacrilegious, 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:11.000 I said, I wanted to see the stadium and the 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:13.440 fans were like, come on up, we'd love to have you. 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:17.040 And yeah, you know, they just they they love the 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:19.080 history of it, they love what's coming of it, and 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.920 they we just have to get them to love their 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:25.240 athletes post college as well. And you know that's, like 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:26.960 you said, that's been the trick. But I think the 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:30.520 brand recognition of Athletes Unlimited already established is going to 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:30.880 help that. 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:35.040 Yeah, so you mentioned the previous and still will be running. 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:39.559 AU softball has individual and team points earned per game, 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:42.160 and then in the end, one individual player wins it all. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.800 That was you the inaugural champion of Athletes Unlimited Softball 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.720 back in twenty twenty. What did you take from your 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:51.800 experience that you mentioned made you want to join as 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:54.960 an advisor and also that you brought to your role 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:57.240 once you got there and said, this is what stood 0:11:57.280 --> 0:11:58.880 out to me from playing, this is what was great, 0:11:58.880 --> 0:11:59.840 this is what needs to be worked. 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:03.240 One part of it was John and Jonathan. John Patrick 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.200 co Hof was more of the point person that we 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:08.960 saw a lot in season one, and I remember he 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:10.920 was coming into town and he had just text and 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:12.640 was like, hey, you know, I know you've been in 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:14.280 pro softful for a long time. I love to say 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.760 I'm in chat and he just wanted my perspective on 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.000 where it was. You know, how was season one going, 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.280 what could be better? And obviously during COVID there were 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:24.000 so many restrictions, it was hard to say what was 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:26.000 better because we we had our own we had our 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:30.600 own bubble there too, and so but I just remember 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:32.960 him wanting to have conversation and I was like, Okay, 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:34.960 they're in this for the long haul and they truly 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.920 want the product their athlete to be happy and to 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:43.040 have what they need. And then the people they hire 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:46.040 from content team to you know, are the people who 0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:50.200 are managing our equipment, our draft, you know, everyone that 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.880 helps produce the draft and all of that. It's just 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.680 everyone was really truly invested and it wasn't just a job. 0:12:57.400 --> 0:12:59.000 There were times where I think people wanted to get 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:00.800 into sport and they found a job in the in 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:02.719 pro softball, but it was just a job in the 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:06.280 stepping stone, and they found people who truly were invested 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:10.439 in women's sports, and that was it stood out because 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:12.720 NAM want to be around people that are invested in you, 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:15.160 in what you're doing, and not just there to you know, 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:17.480 check the box of you know, I got this this 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:18.520 and this done today. 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.160 And so AU has always felt to me like they 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:24.199 really listened to a lot of what people say they 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:26.640 want out of professional women's sports and they give it, 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:30.720 whether that's maternal care to athlete opinions and voices being 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:34.160 heard on everything from uniforms to everything else. So it 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.160 feels like they're doing it right, and it's just about 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.560 continuing to get the word out about that. So we 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:41.400 just talked about the previous AU softball format. Twenty twenty 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:44.319 five is going to see a new Athlete's Unlimited Softball league, 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:47.920 more traditional kind, starting as a touring property featuring games 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:49.800 in six to eight different cities, and then becoming a 0:13:49.840 --> 0:13:52.680 city based league beginning in twenty twenty six. We're going 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:54.360 to take a little break here and when we come back, 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:57.040 we're going to get a full AUSL one oh one 0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:57.840 from Cat Asterman. 0:13:57.840 --> 0:13:58.719 It's coming up next to. 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:10.920 We're back talking with Kat Osterman, and I mentioned the 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.720 transition from the old individual league to the new more 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:18.480 traditional league. Why the change, and I think you mentioned 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:20.480 they're both going to exist moving forward. 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:24.240 Yeah, so fans and athletes both were kind of asking 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:28.440 for the traditional league. Originally AU had put AUX, which 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:32.320 was an extra like three week shortened season as a 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:35.280 tune up for the actual championship season, and instead we're 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:38.960 going to implement the traditional season during that time extended 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:41.680 a little bit. But both fans, you know, a lot 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.160 of fans and like, as we said, there's a history 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:47.920 of college softball fans that have watched, those that did 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.240 tune in there, a lot of them didn't like kind 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.000 of I call it the fantasy model. They didn't like 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.440 that points model, and they've been asking for a team model. 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:58.240 And then I think athletes too. Sometimes when you get 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:00.960 in the points model, if you get down towards the bottom, 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:04.720 you're not given opportunities to get yourself out of that spot. 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:07.240 You just end up being you know, the bench person 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:09.080 for a couple of weeks or maybe get one or 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.040 two at bats, and it doesn't really allow you to 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.160 move up. And so now with the traditional model, it 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:16.640 gives athletes a chance to be able to play every 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:20.080 week and work themselves through slumps and things like that. 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.400 But yeah, so they went ahead and listened to two 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:25.960 fans and athletes and we're going to do the six 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:29.160 week traditional model, and we're all really excited about it. 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:33.120 So let's do AUSL one oh one here. Yet, you've 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:35.560 told us how we arrived at this, Let's start with 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.640 what it's going to look like with teams. How many 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:39.240 of them are there and who are they? 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:42.800 Yeah, so we have four teams. I am in charge 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:45.200 of the Volts and my head coach is Kelly Creutchman, 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:49.640 who's also a decorated Olympian and professional. We have the Talents, 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:53.040 whose GM is actually the Goats of All Goats, Lisa Fernandez. 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:56.360 Their head coach is Howard Dobson, who's a longtime college 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:58.920 coach and just recently got out of a college game, 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:03.160 but has also been in the USA Softball Arena as 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:06.400 a coach. We have The Blaze, which is GM'd by 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.280 Danis Sorenson, one of the smartest people in our game. 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.000 She played at Stanford, a little bit older than I am. 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:15.240 And her head coach is Alissa Gohler, who is a 0:16:15.280 --> 0:16:18.760 former professional player as well. And then, last but not least, 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:23.320 the Bandits are recreated and Stacy Nuveman, who was their 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.200 head coach their last few years in the NPF, is 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.480 going to head coach that and her GM is Jenny 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:34.360 Dalton Hill, another big name from actually before even like 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.600 the four team stuff. She played at Arizona. So those 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:40.600 four teams are going to kick off the inaugural year, 0:16:40.680 --> 0:16:42.200 and the hope is that we add two more in 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:42.640 here too. 0:16:43.560 --> 0:16:46.640 There is something for everyone with these names and logos. 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.560 The Blaze is super bright, kind of like nineties pop. 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:52.880 The talents have this incredible crest that looks like a 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:55.680 peregrine falcon sort of formed into a crush shape. 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:56.600 The Bandits. 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:59.360 Of course, I'm a little bit biased being a Chicago 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.400 gallon having on to see the Chicago Bandits on many occasions. 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:05.040 The way they incorporate the colors of the Chicago flag 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:06.320 and the star kind. 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:09.320 Of ties to that. But the Volts have the best colors. 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:11.840 In my opinion, I am really into that sort of 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:13.960 tennis ball green and with the purple. 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:14.880 I think it's going to pop. 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:17.840 So people can find their merch, they can find the team, 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.639 the players, the logos that they're drawn to. You mentioned 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:23.639 the gms and coaches leading the teams. So much experience, 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:27.119 so much history there in softball. What about some of 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:29.040 the players. I know there's still a lot of signings 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:30.720 yet to happen, but who are some of the players 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:32.080 we'll be watching in this new league. 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:36.480 Yeah, anyone you've seen in a US Championship season unless 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:40.080 they retired, are eligible, And a lot of contracts were 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.560 extended to majority of the returning players. Right now, we 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:45.600 have Bubba Nichols, who. 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.880 Greatest name in sports in my opinion, Bubba Nichols. It's 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:49.320 so good. 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:52.399 Yes, she got married and I think she might have 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:55.200 put her married name on her jersey and we were like, dude, 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.399 you have to just stick with bubb the Nichols. Yes, 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:00.240 it is what it is. Carly Hoover, who was an 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:03.679 amazing picture at LSU, is actually coming back Stateside to 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:06.240 play professionally. She's been playing over in Japan where she's 0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:10.040 dominated for a few years. And then we have you know, 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:12.359 not signed yet but have been part of au You know, 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.920 you have amand Lorenz who's the most recent champion, Rachel Garcia, 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.320 all of those that we're trying to we're waiting to 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.560 see when they sign, and we'll hopefully be part of 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:23.679 the first allocation draft. 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:26.439 Do you have any idea if any of the players 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.400 who recently retired might be changing their minds to come 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:31.760 back now that there's this new AUSL to join. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:34.600 I did see Haley mcclinney recently and she was like, 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:38.040 if you can promise me this tier, I might I 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:41.199 might retire for a couple of years. So I do 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.440 know there are some that, like we were all wishing 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.320 for this model to come, and some of them, I 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:48.080 don't know, give them a year, they might unresign. 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:51.160 Yeah, they might catch sight of what's going on over 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:53.360 there and decide they want back in something you did. 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:56.000 Of course, you had a couple retirements and returns. So 0:18:57.000 --> 0:18:59.480 as a GM, when you're looking at these players that 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:01.720 you want to add to this new league, what's your 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:03.560 role in signing them and scouting them? 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:07.679 So I'm gonna work with Kelly obviously on creating a 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.119