USA Softball Centerfielder Laura Berg

Provided by Active Team Sports
For Active.com

Laura Berg is a three-time Olympian and USA Softball mainstay since 1996. We sat down with her to get her thoughts on what its like to be an Olympian and the U.S. National Teams expectations for the World Cup of Softball II this week in Oklahoma City.

Let's start with the tough question first. Where do you keep your three Olympic gold medals?

In a safety deposit box. (Laughs)

Can you tell us a little bit about the Olympic experience?

It's kind of hard to put into words. It's so exciting and an honor to represent the U.S and it's just something I consider myself lucky to be a part of. When you walk out on the field and see the crowd cheering for you it's really something else.

What's one thing about the Olympic experience that would surprise most people?

The great McDonald's diet we eat in the village.

You've been called the best centerfielder in the game. Is there anybody you modeled your game on when you were coming up the national ranks?

Well I don't know if you can say that anymore. There are some really great young centerfielders like Caitlin Lowe and others who've come up recently. I'd have to say players like Jim Edmonds and Willie Mays were players I tried to model my game after.

Has your work as an assistant coach for the Fresno State Bulldogs helped improve you as a player?

Definitely. It's tough to sit and watch. A lot of times I'll see a play and put myself in that situation and see what I can do differently. You can learn a lot in this game just by watching.

How did you first get involved in softball?

When I was a kid my parents signed me and my twin sister Randi up for Little League. I was the quiet twin and pretty much copied what my sister did. That led to Little Miss and Bobby Sox and finally to the U.S. National Team.

Turning to the World Cup, the team lost last year in the finals to Japan. Is there some added incentive coming into this year's contest?

Absolutely. Whether we lost last year there was going to be incentive going in. We set expectations at gold and anything less is a disappointment. We definitely want to improve on what we did last year.