Athletes

Currently a member of the Women's Sports Foundation Board of Trustees (elected 2002), Lisa Fernandez is a three-time Olympic gold medalist pitcher for the U.S. women's softball team (2004, 2000, 1996) and regarded by many as the world's best all-around player. Fernandez is currently serving as an assistant coach for UCLA Bruins softball team. Fernandez led the U.S. national team to a 6-0 win over Canada in the gold-medal game of the 2003 U.S. Cup. In 2003, she also took home gold at the Pan American Games. She won the gold medal at the 2002 U.S. Cup and at the 2002 women's softball world championship with the U.S. national team. Fernandez played for the Women's Professional Softball League gold team for the "Tour of Fastpitch Champions" in 2001. In 2000, she was ranked in Sports Illustrated for Women's list of "All-Time Greatest Female Athletes." In 1999, she won gold medals at the Pan American Games, the Canada Cup and the USA Softball women's national team festival, where she led all pitchers with 33 strikeouts in 21 innings. In 1998, Fernandez helped lead the U.S. national team to its fourth consecutive win at the International Softball Federation (ISF) women's world championship. She also led the California Commotion to its third straight victory in the Amateur Softball Association women's major fastpitch national championship. It was in the same year she received the U.S. Olympic Committee's Top 10 Athlete of the Year Award. She won gold medals at the 1994 and 1990 ISF Women's World Championship, as well as at the 1993 Intercontinental Cup and the 1992 Women's World Challenge. At the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), Fernandez was a four-time All-American (1993, 1992, 1991, 1990) and pitched the softball team to two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles (1992, 1990). Fernandez was named the 1994 Sportswoman of the Year (Team) by the Women's Sports Foundation. She was a three-time recipient of the Honda Award for softball (1993, 1992, 1991) and also earned the 1993 Honda-Broderick Cup, presented to the most outstanding collegiate female athlete. Also in 1993, Fernandez was named the NCAA Athlete of the Year. She remains active in softball, motivational skills camps and clinics and has worked with the Cancer Foundation/Bone Marrow Testing Foundation and the Rescue Mission/Salvation Army. She served as a member on the Women's Sports Foundation's Athletes Council of the National Advisory Board (1994 -1999). Fernandez is the former assistant softball coach at UCLA and was featured in the Women's Sports Foundation book "SuperWomen: 100 Women - 100 Sports" and the educational program GoGirlGo! (10/06)