Lisa Fernandez facts for kids
Fernandez in 2006
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| Born | February 22, 1971 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Education | UCLA ('95) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Lisa Maria Fernandez, born on February 22, 1971, is a famous American former softball player. She is known for being an amazing pitcher and third baseman. Lisa won three gold medals at the Olympics with the U.S. National Softball Team. She also played college softball at UCLA, where she is now an associate head coach. In 2024, she became the general manager for the Talons team in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
Lisa was a star player for the UCLA Bruins from 1990 to 1993. She helped her team win two national championships. She was also named an All-American four times. Lisa still holds UCLA records for her pitching, including many shutouts. She also set an Olympic record with 25 strikeouts in one game. Lisa pitched in three Olympic gold medal games in a row. She helped her team win gold in 1996, 2000, and 2004. Many consider her the #1 Greatest College Softball Player ever. She is also in the USA Softball Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Starting Softball
Lisa Fernandez was born and grew up in Long Beach, California. Her father came from Cuba and played baseball there. Her mother was from Puerto Rico. Lisa's mother played a street game called stickball with her brother. This game is a lot like baseball.
Lisa started playing softball when she was eight years old. At age twelve, she tried out to be a pitcher in a local league. Her coach told her she was too small to be a pitcher. But Lisa did not give up! At St. Joseph High School, she joined the girls' softball team. Her team went on to win the CIF Championship.
College Softball Success
After high school, Lisa went to UCLA. She played softball there and studied psychology. Lisa played for UCLA from 1990 to 1993. She was named the Pac-12 Conference Softball Player of the Year three times. She also won the Honda Sports Award for softball four times.
In 1993, Lisa became the first softball player to win the Honda-Broderick Cup. This award goes to the best female college athlete in all sports. Lisa was a first-team All-American four times. She led UCLA to win two national championships in 1990 and 1992. Her team also finished second in 1991 and 1993.
Olympic Achievements with Team USA
Lisa Fernandez joined the U.S. Women's Olympic Softball Team. She won many gold medals with them.
- In 1990, she won a gold medal at the ISF World Championship.
- She won gold at the Pan American Games in 1991, 1998, and 2003.
- In 1994, she won gold at the ISF World Championships.
- Lisa won three Olympic gold medals:
- 1996 Atlanta Olympics
- 2000 Sydney Olympics (where she set a record with 25 strikeouts)
- 2004 Athens Olympics
Honors and Recognition
On April 24, 2001, the city of Lakewood, California, honored Lisa. They recognized her as one of the best athletes from their city. The city council named the softball field at Mayfair Park after her. She was also named the Lakewood Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Year.
In 2019, Lisa Fernandez was added to the Shrine of the Eternals. This is a special place that honors important people in baseball and softball history.
Life After Playing
Lisa Fernandez married Michael Lujan in 2002. They have two sons, Antonio, born in 2005, and Cruz, born in 2008. Lisa and her family live in Long Beach, California.
Lisa is currently an associate head coach for the women's softball team at UCLA. She was promoted to this role on August 10, 2022. In November 2024, she was hired as the general manager for the Talons team. This team is part of the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
Lisa Fernandez Quotes
- "The team with the best athletes doesn't usually win. It's the team with the athletes who play best together."
- "I make my weaknesses my strengths and my strengths stronger."
- "There is a way to play this game physically, but it's the mental part that's going to separate gold from silver and silver from bronze."
See also
In Spanish: Lisa Fernandez para niños
- List of people of Puerto Rican descent in Sports
- Sports in Puerto Rico
- Lakewood, California
- List of people from Long Beach, California
