For many people, sports are simply hobbies. For others sports can be something that defines a family tradition. Junior catcher for the UW-River Falls softball team, Patty Olson, has grown up with fast pitch softball being a dominant sport in her family’s tradition.

Olson says, “It’s a big sport in my family, I have a lot of little cousins that play. All my aunts have played. I had two aunts that played at Eau Claire, my older cousin played there too, and my sister actually plays with me here.”

For Olson having her sister, Emily Olson, on the UW-River Falls softball team is something she enjoys.

“I like having her here, being my sister, she’s able to criticize me and I don’t take it offensively. She’s not scared to say something, where other people would be hesitant.”

After facing a recent ankle injury, Olson is back on track with this season. Falcon Head Coach Jody Gabriel says the injury will not pose as a large problem for Olson.  

“Patty will recover from her injury just fine. We allowed a fair amount of time for her to heal and she is working her way back into the game without any problems.  Her ankle will not affect her level of play,” said Gabriel.

Olson, a Roseville, Minn., native, is a valuable asset to the UWRF softball team because of her true passion for the sport.

Gabriel says, “Patty is a true competitor. She likes to win and plays hard all of the time.  As a catcher, the true competitor mindset is a huge advantage for us. She is always analyzing the situation and helps steer the defense to make the correct play.”

Last year Olson was named to the All-WIAC team and earned NFCA All-Great Lakes Region second team recognition. She was named the team’s Best Offensive Player after hitting .427 with 11 doubles and 21 RBI. Her defensive play is also outstanding. Last year she made just three errors in 270 chances. Olson hopes to have a repeat of last season by earning the same marks by working hard and staying focused.

As for team goals, it comes down to beating three WIAC teams. “It’d be awesome to beat Eau Claire and Whitewater because they’re such tough teams,” Olson said. The Falcons split with another top WIAC team, UW-La Crosse last weekend, winning 7-0 and losing 4-0.

“The team needs to focus on stepping up our game one notch. We have had some great offense at times, we have made some excellent defensive plays, we have had amazing pitching at times, but we need to do all of these things in every game in order to achieve our goal of winning the WIAC,” Gabriel said.

Olson is currently a biology major but is in the process of switching to human health and performance.


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