Lisa Fernandez facts for kids
Fernandez in 2006
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 22, 1971 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | UCLA ('95) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Lisa Maria Fernandez (born February 22, 1971) is a famous American former softball player. She is now an associate head coach at UCLA. Lisa is also the general manager for the Talons team in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) starting in 2025. She played college softball at UCLA as a pitcher and third baseman. She is a three-time Olympic medalist with Team USA.
Fernandez was amazing at both pitching and hitting for the UCLA Bruins from 1990 to 1993. She helped her team win two national championships. She was also named a first-team All-American four times. She still holds UCLA records for things like shutouts (games where the other team scores no runs). Lisa also set an Olympic record with 25 strikeouts in one game. She pitched in three gold medal games in a row at the Olympics. Many consider her the #1 Greatest College Softball Player ever. She is also in the USA Softball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Softball Beginnings
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 like baseball but uses a broomstick and a rubber ball.
Lisa started playing softball when she was eight years old. At age twelve, she tried out as a pitcher for a local team. Her coach told her she was too small to be a pitcher. But Lisa didn't give up! At St. Joseph High School, she joined the girls' softball team. She and her teammates won the CIF Championship.
College Softball Star
After high school, Lisa went to UCLA. She played softball there and studied psychology. She played for UCLA from 1990 to 1993. Lisa won the Pac-12 Player of the Year award three times. She also won the Honda Sports Award for softball four times.
In 1993, she 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 Champion
In 1990, Lisa Fernandez won a gold medal at the ISF (International Softball Federation) World Championship. This was just the start of her amazing career.
She won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1991. In 1994, she earned more gold medals at the ISF World Championships and the Pan Am Qualifier. Lisa was named Sportswoman of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. She also received the NCAA Top VI Award as one of the top six senior student athletes.
Lisa's Olympic journey is truly special. She won her first Olympic gold medal in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. In 2000, she won another Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Games in Australia. During this Olympics, she set a record with 25 strikeouts in a single game. She continued her success with a gold medal at the 2002 ISF World Championships. In 2003, she won another gold medal at the Pan American Games. Finally, she earned her third Olympic gold medal in 2004 at the Athens Games in Greece.
Awards and Recognition
On April 24, 2001, the city of Lakewood, California, honored Lisa Fernandez. They recognized her as one of the best athletes to come 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 people who have made a big impact on baseball and softball.
Life After Playing
Lisa Fernandez married Michael Lujan in 2002. They have two sons, Antonio (born 2005) and Cruz (born 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. In August 2022, she was promoted to this important coaching role. In November 2024, she was also 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
