Jennie Finch

Jennie and her husband, and their children (http://www.quaintandwhim.com/blog/louisiana-family (Unknown))

Jennie Finch is a softball legend. Jennie was born on September 3, 1980, in La Mirada, California. Her parents' names are Doug and Bev Finch, Jennie is the youngest of their three children. Jennie married her husband, Casey Daigle, in 2005. They have three children, Ace, Diesel, and Paisley. They are 10, 5, and 3 years old. Finch helps to promote the sport of softball by giving girls equal opportunities and sharing her passion to the sport, to give girls more hope.

Finch has been playing softball for most of her whole life. Jennie grew up in a baseball loving household. With her mom being a die hard Dodgers fan and her two older brothers playing, she has been around the sport her whole life. Just after her fifth birthday her parents signed her up for her first t-ball league. She started pitching at the age of eight years old. By 9 she was on a 10-and-under traveling all-star team. At twelve years old she led her 12-and-under team to a American Softball Association national title. At fourteen, Jennie and her team captured the 14-and-under crown. She went to the University of Arizona, where she was the pitcher for the softball team. She then went on to play in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and won a gold medal. Then went again in 2008 to Beijing, and ended with a silver medal. Finch also went on to play National Pro softball, for the Chicago Bandits. Jennie retired from the game of softball in 2010.

Anywhere you go, you can say the name Jennie Finch and people will know the name. People know her name because she has become the new face for American Softball. According to Jessica Mendoza, Finch's teammate, "She set the standard for softball in a new era of being able to be feminine and play this sport." "Not that you have to be feminine to play this sport, but I see hundreds of thousands of little girls now with glitter headbands, hot pink bats, makeup. I'm not saying that every girl has to do that but when I was growing up, it wasn't like that." "She has created a new era of softball player, and it's for those softball players -- those little girls out there -- that want to be cutesy with the bows and the glitter and still be that dirty jock. Covered head to toe in dirt but she's got her hair all perfect with a bow" (Finch set to retire next month at age 29). She has set the standard because she doesn't really care what people think, she does what she wants, like wear a bow to play softball. Finch hopes that eliminating travel and training will give her more time to help spread the sport, through her own camps and possibly with a role in USA Softball or as a coach or team owner.

Finch pitching at the 2008 Olympics (http://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/athletes/Jenni (Unknown))

Jennie Finch hopes to give more girls more chances and opportunities. She was a big supporter behind trying to get softball back in the Olympics. Jennie believes that getting more girls involved would pass on what she likes to call "the special, magical gift of sport" to girls everywhere. She also believes that her dream is also shared by millions of people from all backgrounds and cultures, but it has not yet been fully realized. So she wants everybody to be able to have the chances like she did. She goes on to say, "Adding a sport women enjoy playing, like softball, would further encourage and promote women's participation in sport at all levels and give women more opportunities to be empowered through sport." she thinks this can be corrected if they add softball back to the Olympics.

Jennie Finch had an absolutely amazing softball career, more than anyone could ask for. She hopes to help spread the sport, in her free time now that she is retired. She hopes to spread through camps and more awareness of the sport. She would like to give more girls more chances, like the chances she got. Finch helps to promote the sport of softball, by giving girls equal opportunities, and sharing her passion for the sport, to help others believe in their dreams. Jennie Finch is nothing short of a legend. She is a genuine and kind person, she believes everybody deserves a chances, she never stopped believing in her dreams, and she was nothing short of an absolute amazing softball player.