Softball Olympian returns to IU

Signs of the 2000 Games still linger around Olympic softball player Michelle Venturella almost a week after the Sydney Games.\nAs she watched an IU softball exhibition game against Indiana State Saturday, she wore a navy jacket with an embroidered American flag and the word "SOFTBALL" across the chest. On the softball diamond, junior Brooke Monroe wore a patriotic catcher's helmet that Venturella passed on to her.\nEven before Saturday, Venturella wasn't too far from Bloomington. She stayed in contact with IU softball coach Diane Stephenson, who coached Venturella when she played for the Hoosiers in 1992-95. Venturella had batting practice with Stephenson before she left for the Olympics.\nAnd when Venturella returned to the United States, she showed off a gold medal that she said belongs to others, such as Stephenson, as much as herself.\n"When you win the gold medal in the Olympics for your sport, and you're able to share it with the people who never had the chance," Venturella said, "that's probably one of the best memories I'll ever have."\nFor five years, Venturella wouldn't give up trying to make an Olympic team. At IU, she set 10 offensive records, was voted an All-American and led the Hoosiers to the Big Ten championship title in 1994. After she graduated from IU, Venturella took a full-time job in 1996 at Northern Illinois University, which she later quit to devote more time to training. She moved from the Chicago area to Indianapolis to train harder.\n"Michelle gave up four years of her life for training and getting ready," Stephenson said. "She really stuck to it and made that commitment so that if it did happen, it happened and if it didn't, she knew she had given everything she possibly could."\nLiving in Indianapolis allowed Venturella to coach the IU players and take batting practice with Stephenson. Venturella especially helped Monroe, from timing how fast the catcher put on her shin guards to how she called pitches.\n"She helped me a lot my freshman year, especially with catching drills," Monroe said. "She wasn't able to help us a lot last year obviously because of the Olympics, but it was so neat having her here cheering is on when she lived in Indy. It's great having her support us, knowing that maybe someday we can be Olympians."\nVenturella credited Stephenson for helping her qualify for the Olympics. Stephenson's choice to make Venturella a catcher in college gave her versatility that landed her on the U.S. team.\n"We've been through ups and downs in our seasons here at Indiana, and she just knows what makes me tick," Venturella said. "When I'm here, I feel like I'm being coached again. She likes to try to strike me out sometimes too."\nVenturella got back to the United States Sept. 30 and still has to finish unpacking. She gave a U.S. catcher's mask to Stephenson, who gave it to Monroe. The mask flips off easily, provides better vision and allows the catcher to not wear a baseball cap underneath.\nIt is good enough for an Olympian, and an honor for an IU athlete.