Dot Richardson

This article is about the softball player. For the author, see Dorothy Richardson.
Dot Richardson
Personal information
Born September 22, 1961 (1961-09-22) (age 55)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.

Dorothy "Dot" Richardson (born September 22, 1961 in Orlando, Florida) is an American physician and former international softball player, and the head softball coach of the Liberty University softball team.[1]

Education

Richardson attended Western Illinois University for one year and the University of California Los Angeles for four years.[2] Richardson has a master's degree in exercise physiology and health from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.[3] She attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine and received an M.D. degree in 1993. She then entered her five-year orthopedic residency program at the University of Southern California. She took a one-year leave of absence to participate in the 1996 Olympic Games, where she and her teammates captured the first ever Olympic Gold Medal in the sport of Softball. Between 1999 and 2000, she did a fellowship in sports medicine at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Clinic in Los Angeles.[3]

Softball career

In her early teenage years, Richardson acquired the moniker Dot when her softball coach realized that another team member was already named Dottie. At age 13 in early 1975, as a member of the Orlando Rebels in the ASA (Amateur Softball Association of America), she became the youngest player ever to play in the ASA Women's Major Fast-Pitch National Championships.[3] She used to play on the sidelines at her brothers' baseball games. Starting in 1972 she played for the Union Park Jets of Orlando Florida, the Orlando Rebels, the Raybestos Brakettes of Stratford, Connecticut (1984–1994), and the California Commotion of Woodland Hills, California. She is the head coach at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.[4]

Richardson was a key part of the United States national team that won the gold medal during the sport's Olympic debut in 1996 hitting the home run that won the game. After her win at the Olympics, she continued with her career as an orthopedic surgeon. She is married to Bob Pinto, who is also a softball coach at Liberty.[2] Dot Richardson is currently Executive Director and Medical Director of the National Training Center.[5]

Coaching career

Richardson was named as the head softball coach at Liberty University on July 17, 2013. The Flames posted an 11-46 record in her first season.[6]

Awards

Richardson is the recipient of the 1998 Sports Legends Award, the 1997 Babe Zaharias Award (Female Athlete of the Year), the 1996 Amateur Athletic Foundation Athlete of the Year, inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 1996, Nuprin Comeback of the Year Award in 1990, four-time Sullivan Award nominee and inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame in 1999. Her college honors include NCAA Player of the Decade (1980s), three-time NCAA All-American, two-time AIAW All-American, three-time UCLA MVP and 1983 All University Award at UCLA. She was named MVP in the Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship four times. She is an inductee of the National Softball Hall of Fame.[4]

References

Preceded by
Lisa Leslie
Flo Hyman Memorial Award
2002
Succeeded by
Nawal El Moutawakel
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