30 years in the softball booth: Celebrating Michele Smith
Smith Reflects on Her Career and the Growth of the Game
In 1995, we hired softball analyst Michele Smith, and now, 30 years later, she is calling games on the biggest stage. Ahead of the WCWS Championship Series in Oklahoma City, Michele reminisced on her career thus far.
You’ve been with ESPN since 1995 – 30 years. What have you learned about yourself as a broadcaster during that time?
I’ve learned that being an elite broadcaster is just like training to be an elite softball pitcher and hitter… you have to spend your time understanding your craft, preparing for your games and building a good team around yourself. When I first started broadcasting, I tried to educate my broadcast teammates about the game of softball, the similarities to baseball and the differences as well, because there wasn’t a lot of softball on air back in the mid 1990’s.
“I love the camaraderie of our ESPN team in the truck or control rooms. I also love educating the audience and sharing my passion for the sport. Women’s sports have come so far and I feel honored to be able to help inspire the next generation of female athletes. Mostly, I love understanding game moments as both an athlete and coach and then succinctly explaining those thought processes to the viewers.” – On her favorite part about being in the booth.
You’ve been in the booth with Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza and Holly Rowe for more than a decade, what do you credit that long-standing chemistry to?
Our Teamwork. Our love for the sport, dedication and desire to tell stories and entertain our audience. We share ideas, stories and our expertise in given areas and build off those opportunities to inform the viewers. We share moments of humor and elevate the drama to create memorable moments. Together we take pride in our craft and the games we document together. We’re a pretty fun crew!
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Women’s College World Series?
I’m so excited about this year’s WCWS as always, but especially because we have some amazing players and stories. The parity this year has shown out. The offenses have been explosive, but the pitchers are showing they have game and are capable of making game changing pitches in clutch situations. I believe momentum and the ability to execute under pressure will determine the winner more than ever.
The WCWS Championship Final begins Wednesday and is a best of three series through June 6.
