LEGENDS WAY BALLFIELDS DEDICATION
July 25, 2008
By FRANK JOLLEY | Sports Editor

CLERMONT -- No one can accuse Dr. Dot Richardson of setting goals that cannot be achieved. Richardson's love of softball eventually drove her to become the youngest player ever to play in the American Softball Association's Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship as a 13-year-old member of the Orlando Rebels.

After graduating from Orlando Colonial High School, she eventually enrolled at the UCLA where she began studying for a career in medicine. She became an orthopaedic surgeon and is now the Director/Medical Director of the National Training Center.

Despite the grind that go along with studying for such technical and mentally-draining profession, Richardson's love for softball never waned. She won two Gold Medals in the sport, as a member of Team USA in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. In the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Richardson hit the game-winning home run in the Gold-Medal Game against China.

She also was inducted into Women's Fast Pitch wing of the ASA Hall of Fame in 1996.

Richardson has also been one of the sport's top ambassadors, constantly looking for ways to promote it and get more and more young players involved. She spearheaded an effort to bring National Junior College Athletic Association softball world series to Clermont in 2003, where it remained until moving to Plant City in 2006.

Despite an already-impressive legacy, Richardson's crowning achievement was unveiled Thursday when the Legends Way Ball Fields were officially dedicated. The four-field complex, located between Lake-Sumter Community College's Clermont campus and NTC, is expected to host travel-ball tournaments, college tournaments and eventually, become the home field for the LSCC program. It also will host the Pro Fastpitch X-treme Tour, which will bring many current Olympic players to the area in November.

"This facility is the result of the combined efforts of the Lake County Tourist Development Council, Lake-Sumter Community College, South Lake Hospital, and area businesses and community leaders," Richardson said. "It is a facility that is as good as any in the country. I believe it will allow us to bring in players and teams, not only from Central Florida, but from around the world.

Richardson said the facility was paid for largely with "bed tax" money from the LCTDC. LSCC, Richardson said, also provided financial assistance as well as the property on which it was built.

"This is a perfect location for a facility like this," Richardson said. "We've got hotels and restaurants in the area and room to grow if we need to. There already are plans in the works to add a fifth field. It was built with the idea that it can help the community by bringing in teams and players' families, who will need places to stay and places to eat.

"Not only will it help young softball players achieve their dreams, but it help to bring money into local businesses. This is a win-win situation for everyone."

Richardson said the facility hosted its first events in March with a tournament in March and will host nearly 60 college teams escape the winter chill to begin their seasons in Central Florida. Fifty-eight teams took part in this year's schedule. In addition, Richardson said there will be travel-ball competitions and showcases and an attempt will be made to reacquire the NJCAA softball finals. She said a bid also will be made for the NCAA Division III championships and an American Softball Association national qualifier in 2009.

"We have so many things planned," Richardson said. "The showcases will provide young players an opportunity to earn college scholarships. In addition, a big highlight planned for 2010 is a three-day tournament that will feature some of the top college teams in the country. UCLA, Michigan, Tennessee, Oklahoma, UCF and Florida Atlantic already have agreed to play in that tournament."

LSCC President Dr. Charles Mojock along with South Lake Hospital Chief Operating Officer John Moore and Clermont city commissioners Jack Hogan and Ray Goodgame were among the area leaders on hand for Thursday's unveiling.

"Working with the county and NTC has been a great experience for LSCC," Mojock said. "So many people worked together to create a facility we can be proud of. It's a dream come true and shows what can happen when partners come together for a common goal."

LSCC Athletic Director Mike Matulia considers the facility to be the "future of the school's softball program. He said the Lakers will continue to play at the school's Leesburg campus for next season, but expects the team to eventually move to the Legends Way complex.

Matulia said there is no timeline for moving the softball program, because of logistical issues involving student housing and classes. The school, Matulia said, does consider the facility to be a resource that can be used to advance the program. Kelly Golden, who is beginning her second season as Lakers coach, also believes the facility will be a recruiting tool that could make her program more attractive for potential recruits.

"I hope it becomes a big selling point for our program," Golden said. "The showcase games will give us a chance to recruit. We're going to play our fall season down here and hopefully we can begin playing here on fulltime basis soon. It's a quality facility with lights that can allow more fans to come to our games.

"I see this as something can only help our program continue to grow and get stronger," Dianne Davidson, a former LSCC coach, said the complex will give young softball players a chance to achieve their goals. Davidson, who was a teammate of Richardson's with the Rebels, said Richardson has worked tirelessly to promote the sport and inspire young players. The Legends Way Ball Fields may be a highlight of Richardson's work, but Davidson doesn't believe her former teammate will take a great deal of time to look back and admire her accomplishment.

"Dot has done so much for women's softball and means so much to the sport," Davidson said. "She conducts fantasy camps for young players and loves to talk with young people about pursuing their dreams and goals. This beautiful facility is another one of her dreams that has come true because she cares about young players and wants to give something back to her community and her sport. "She's not done, though. When Dot puts her mind to something, she doesn't stop until she achieves her goal."

Lake-Sumter signs recruit for left side of the infield

Joe Williams | Sentinel Staff Writer
January 22, 2008

When Caitlin Bloom came to a tryout for the Lake-Sumter Community College's softball team, she did the things that quickly caught Coach Kelly Golden's attention.

Her fundamentals were sound, both at the plate and in the field.

So last week, when the signing period began for community-college baseball and softball teams, Golden headed to Orange Park's Fleming Island High on Friday and made Bloom the first player she signed for the 2008-09 season.
"Caitlin came to an open tryout that we had," Golden said. "She is very outgoing, which I like a lot. She also has really good fundamentals. She jumped out with her fielding ability and the great hands that she has."

Bloom is projected to play on the left side of the infield and is the first link in what will be a major rebuilding project for the Lakers following this season. LSCC will lose nine sophomores to graduation, and only five freshmen are expected to return.

"There were a few other schools, some community colleges and a couple of four-year schools that showed interest and offered, but when I went down there and got to meet the coaches and the players, it was real friendly and nice," Bloom said.

Bloom won her team's gold glove award last year and hit .409 with 22 RBIs.

Golden is hoping to sign another travel-team teammate of Bloom's later this week, Cortney Ross from Live Oak.

LSCC names Golden coach

The Daily Commercial
Adam Minichino
Sports Editor

Kelly Golden has had softball success at the youth, high school and college levels.

She learned from one of the sport's all-time greats how to be fundamentally sound and how to play with pride for the team she represented.

Now Golden wants to use her experiences to help the Lake-Sumter Community College softball program continue its rebuilding process.

Golden, 23, accepted LSCC Athletic Director Mike Matulia's offer Tuesday to become the school's new full-time head coach. The Orlando Edgewater High, Lake City C.C. and Lee University product starts her new job Aug. 1.

"I have been through the junior college experience and I really liked it," Golden said. "I think it is a great idea to bring in kids and make them stronger to see them succeed at a four-year university."

Golden graduated from Orlando Edgewater High in 2002. She was a volleyball, soccer and softball standout, who received the Outstanding Female Student Athlete Award for the senior class.

She went on to play two years at Lake City C.C., where she was named to the all-freshman squad in 2003 and was a second team all-conference selection in 2004.

At Lee University in Cumberland, Tenn., Golden was first-team All-Southern States Athletic Conference and All-Region in 2005 and '06. She also was SSAC Player of the Year, second-team NAIA All-American and first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American in '05.

Golden served as an assistant coach at Lee University from 2006-07. This past season, she was responsible for a number of jobs, including hitting, conditioning and recruiting.

This will be Golden's first job as a head coach. She also will be LSCC's sports information coordinator.

Golden also is currently working with former United States softball Olympian Dr. Dot Richardson with the

ProFastpitch X-Treme Softball Tour. She said she anticipates trying to continue to work for the tour as its activities coordinator.

Matulia said Golden is an ideal fit to take over the softball program.

"It helped her having some junior college experience," Matulia said. "She played against the competition (LSCC will face), so she knows the teams. She has been in the state and she has some contacts with the coaches, and she has the experience in recruiting and the on-field stuff that you need. Her background working with Dot Richardson gives her the experience working the office end of it."

Golden replaces Ken Matulia, who served as interim head coach this past season. Ken Matulia guided the Lakers to a 15-43 (4-20 Suncoast Conference) finish, but wasn't able to take over the program full time due to state nepotism rules.

Mike Matulia said his father wouldn't return to the softball program as an assistant coach. He said former LSCC player Ashley Baney, who coached with Ken Matulia this past season, will remain on staff as an assistant coach.

Golden complimented Ken Matulia for making several good changes in the program. Matulia signed nine players for the 2007-08 season, including former South Lake High, South Sumter Leesburg High standouts Kristin Gaul, Jennifer Wise and Stephanie Guy. Golden wants to continue Matulia's work and to teach her players the same things Richardson helped teach her.

"I think a big part of softball is fundamentals," said Golden, who played with Dot's Diamonds, Richardson's travel softball team for a number of years and coached with the team in 2003. "I believe in being fundamentally sound, and a lot of players don't have that or aren't taught that. If players are excellent in their fundamentals, they will succeed."

Golden also hopes to build stability at LSCC. She said her family lives in Orlando, so she wants to stay in Central Florida. As coach, she hopes to show her players she believes in them and she wants to build a successful program.

"I love working with college athletes," Golden said. "I want to get good athletes who care about the program and who want to succeed."

Richardson said she thought of Golden when she learned the LSCC softball job was open. She said Golden's experience at the junior college level will help her assist her players when they make the step to four-year schools.

"Kelly is a leader," Richardson said. "She did a phenomenal job when I appointed her to coach the 18-and-under Diamonds squad. That showed her maturity."

Richardson said Golden had "amazing" skills as a player and could play every position except pitcher. She said that versatility will help Golden develop a coaching style that probably will be different than hers.

"I would say she will have a more calm, quiet type of coaching, and that she will have a presence in her demeanor," Richardson said. "She is not like me. I am very vocal. She is very much in control and she studies the game. Her presence will be one of quiet leadership. I think the girls will be inspired by her leadership."