Amanda Freed

Amanda Freed
Personal information
Full name Amanda Louise Freed
Born December 26, 1979 (1979-12-26) (age 36)
Fountain Valley, California
Education UCLA ('02)
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Medal record
Women's softball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Athens 2004 Team competition

Amanda Louise Freed (born December 26, 1979) is an American softball player.

Freed was born in Fountain Valley, California. She went to George S. Patton Elementary, Bell Intermediate, and Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California. Freed later attended UCLA where she played softball.

The UCLA Bruins have one of the best softball traditions in the nation, having won 10 of 24 championships. Freed led the Bruins back in 2000 while striking out 13 (second best record for a championship; Bruins alum Debbie Doom notched 15 to win the 1984 title) only to lose to first-time winner Oklahoma.

Freed was also part of the 2004 gold medal winning United States softball team.

High School

1998 Gatorade Circle of Champions National Softball Player of the Year. …named First-Team All-American her junior & senior seasons…..Two-Time California State Player of the Year, CIF Southern Section Player of the Year and Orange County Player of the Year.

A 64-5 overall high school pitching record, including a perfect 20-0 slate her junior year with a .362 Batting average… . Led Pacifica to a NO. 1 National Ranking and a Prep Softball National Championship her junior season. Posted a 17-2 record her senior season, helping her team to a Division III championship and a No. 8 National Ranking. Graduated with a 4.1 overall GPA. 1998 named Orange County and California Athlete of the Year. Awards, in addition to above mentioned also included All-Southern Section in Soccer and Garden Grove League MVP honors in three sports – league MVP in Volleyball, league MVP in Soccer & league MVP in Softball.

UCLA Bruins 1998-2002

UCLA Coach Sue Enquist-“Amanda has left her name in softball as one of the greatest change-up pitchers to ever be in the circle” When not in the circle, Amanda started for four years in center field hitting over .300 each season. Pitched a no-hitter in her first collegiate game.

Some career highlights While at UCLA include: Freed was a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2002) and led UCLA to the NCAA WCWS in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and a title in 1999 with a same year batting average of .357. Freed was a NFCA first-team All-American (2002, 1999) and four-time first team All-Pac 10 (2002, 2001, 2000, 1999). First Team All-Pacific Region awards, 3 Times College World Series and NCAA Regionals All-Tournament Team. same year batting .357. 2001 Amanda Freed was the NCAA Division I NCAA Division I National Softball ERA Champion with a 0.46 ERA.

UCLA-on the mound a career 97 wins-20 losses, 1.21 ERA. 763 innings pitched, 760 strikeouts. (In 2002, her 97 career wins was #1 in Bruin history) UCLA at the plate a career .321 batting average, 262 hits, scoring 182 runs, 98 RBI’s and 42 stolen bases. (In 2002, her career 262 hits was second best in Bruin history) Named to the PAC-12 All-Century Team.

Team USA She is a two-time World Cup Champion, Pan American Gold medalist (2003), two-time World Champion (2002, 2006), alternate on the 2000 Olympic team and an Olympic Gold medalist (2004).

2005 International Sports Invitational Champions

2004 Gold Metalist at Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Youtube highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPRbimRzZkQ

2003 Gold Metalist at Pan Am Games

2002 Gold Metalist at ISF World Championships

2001 Gold Metalist at U.S. Cup. Led team in hitting .444.

2000 USA Olympic Team Alternate. Sydney, Australia.

1999 Gold Metalist at U.S. Cup

Club Teams, Pro Teams

Freed helped her Club teams win National Fast-Pitch Championships in each of the following age groups. 12 & under, 14 & under, 16 & under, and 18 & under age groups. Played 3 years for Coach Larry Mays & the “Gordon’s Panthers” Club Team. The late great Ernie Parker was her pitching coach.

Pro Teams

2005-07 National Pro FastpitchTexas/Rockford Thunder

2008 NPF Champion Chicago Bandits

2008 Denso of the Japanese Professional Softball League

Personal

Hometown—Resides in Huntington Beach, California with Husband Joe Katchka. They have 2 children Addison and Jack. Employment: Amanda Freed is a softball analyst for Pac-12 Networks, Internet TV Championship Club Softball Broadcasting. Assists Tony Rico at Firecrackers–Rico Training Facility headquartered in Huntington Beach, California with Firecracker TV, Podcasts, Seminars, Workshops, Training Videos, Nationwide Pitching and Training Clinics. The Rico-Firecrackers Club Softball Organization fields & represents over 180 Firecracker Teams with over 2000 players.

Reese Witherspoon Movie. This was a special highlight. Amanda served as a role model for the Oscar winning Hollywood star in the romantic comedy movie “How do you Know?” Witherspoon plays a 31 year old U.S. Olympic softball player who gets cut from her team. "I had seen her movies but never imagined her as a softball player, especially when I first saw her in person. She was really sweet and small. Really small. Like fit-in-your-glove small. Even her glove was tiny," Freed said. "But she doesn't throw like a girl."Freed showed Witherspoon how to field grounders at second base, catch flies, slide home and do all the mannerisms — "like the way you hold your glove up to get ready, the way you stand, the things you wouldn't think about when you're on the field ever day" — that would make her pass as an Olympic softball player. Freed also opened her mouth — "Yes, I got a speaking part — nothing dramatic and not that it will make the movie or anything," she said — while playing one of Reese's teammates. She was on camera and said a few lines from the script of critically acclaimed writer, director and co-producer James L. Brooks ("Terms of Endearment" and "As Good As It Gets.")

Special Olympics. “I had always loved the Special Olympics. When I was done playing softball in 2008, I worked a few jobs there and participated in various activities. Now, I’ve been doing it for 8 years. I can’t get enough.” She has become an ambassador and spokesperson for Special Olympics.

“Being around the athletes makes me smile. It reminds me how much I loved playing. I think what they do at Special Olympics is great and authentic, everything sports should be.”

Awards and honors

References

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