Dot Richardson facts for kids
 |
|||||||||||||||||
| Current position | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Head Coach | ||||||||||||||||
| Team | Liberty | ||||||||||||||||
| Conference | Conference USA | ||||||||||||||||
| Record | 346–230 (.601) | ||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 22, 1961 Orlando, Florida |
||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | UCLA Adelphi University University of Louisville USC |
||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Western Illinois | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1983 | UCLA | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Shortstop | ||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014–present | Liberty | ||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 346–230 (.601) | ||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||
Dorothy Gay Richardson (born September 22, 1961), known as Dot Richardson, is an American doctor and a famous former softball player. She won two gold medals at the Olympic Games as a shortstop. Today, she is the head coach for the Liberty University softball team.
Dot played college softball at UCLA. She helped her team win the very first NCAA Division I softball tournament in 1982. She is also honored in the USA Softball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dot Richardson started her college journey at Western Illinois University. After one year, she moved to the UCLA. She spent four years there.
She later earned a master's degree in exercise physiology and health. This was from Adelphi University in New York. In 1993, she became a medical doctor. She studied at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
After medical school, she began a five-year program. This program was to become an orthopedic surgeon. She took a break from her studies for one year. This was to play in the 1996 Olympic Games.
Between 1999 and 2000, she specialized in sports medicine. She worked at a clinic in Los Angeles. Dot is also the aunt of a well-known inventor, Lisa Seacat DeLuca.
Amazing Softball Career
Dot Richardson began playing softball in 1972. She played for the Union Park Jets in Orlando. By 1975, at just 13 years old, she joined the Orlando Rebels. She became the youngest player ever in the ASA Women's Major Fast-Pitch National Championships.
After finishing high school at Colonial High School, Dot played for Western Illinois. Then she transferred to UCLA. She played for the UCLA Bruins from 1980 to 1984. During this time, she helped the Bruins win their first NCAA championship in 1982.
After college, Dot played softball professionally. She started with the Florida Rebels in Orlando. In 1984, she joined the Raybestos Brakettes in Connecticut. She played with them until 1994. She finished her professional career with the California Commotion.
Olympic Gold Medalist
Dot was a very important player for the United States national team. She helped them win the gold medal when softball first became an Olympic sport. This happened at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She even hit the home run that won the game!
She was also part of the team that won gold again in 2000. This second win was at the Sydney Olympics. After her Olympic victories, she continued her career as an orthopedic surgeon.
Life After Playing: Doctor and Coach
Dot Richardson was the Executive Director and Medical Director of the National Training Center until 2012. She now serves as a board chair for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Softball Ministry. Her husband, Bob Pinto, is the national director for this group.
On July 17, 2013, Dot became the head softball coach at Liberty University. This university is in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Coaching Success at Liberty
The Liberty Flames softball team has gotten better each year under Dot's coaching. In her first season in 2014, the team had 11 wins. By 2015, they won 29 games.
In 2016, her team had a winning record for the first time. In 2017 and 2018, they won the Big South regular season title twice. They had over 45 wins in both seasons. In 2018, they also won the Big South conference tournament. This earned them a spot in the NCAA Regional tournament.
In 2017, Dot also coached the Flames to win the NISC postseason tournament title. Her teams have continued to be successful, winning conference championships and making it to NCAA Regional tournaments in recent years.
Awards and Honors
Dot Richardson has received many awards for her amazing career:
- 1998 Sports Legends Award
- 1997 Babe Zaharias Award (Female Athlete of the Year)
- 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
- 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
- 1983 All University Award at UCLA
She was also named MVP four times in the Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship. She is a proud member of the National Softball Hall of Fame.
