Aleshia Ocasio On Athletes Unlimited Softball: 'I Feel An Obligation To Play & Use My Voice To Fight Social Injustice'
(CBS Local Sports)-- Aleshia Ocasio is one of the best softball players in the world and she's had the opportunity to show the country how great she is in the new professional softball league called Athletes Unlimited Softball. The final two games of the inaugural season are on CBS Sports Network on Monday and Ocasio currently sits in 11th place with 1496 points.
The league changed the game of softball by creating an alternate fantasy-style points system where athletes pick up points for leading at the end of each inning, individual stats and wins. Athletes Unlimited Softball features many big names like U.S. Olympian Cat Osterman, former Oklahoma State star Samantha Show and 2018 NCAA champion Jessie Warren. Ocasio was one of the captains for the last weekend of games and she is incredibly grateful for the opportunity on a personal and professional level.
ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 29: Jessica Warren #30 and Aleshia Ocasio #8 of Team Warren bump elbows after scoring in the fifth inning against Team Fagan at Parkway Bank Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Rosemont, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
"Getting to know these athletes that I've played against and played with has been an incredible experience," said Ocasio, in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "To get to know these people outside of the field and to be able to connect with them. We're in a shield and we have no choice but to get to know each other. It's been amazing and the competitiveness on the field has been second to none. It's been a great experience overall."
The former University of Florida star is one of the few players in the league that has pitched and hit for her teams. While Ocasio has excelled on the field, she's also used this opportunity to speak out on matters of racial and social injustice. In fact, she got some love on Twitter recently from NBA superstar LeBron James for her work with his More Than A Vote initiative.
"Amidst all this craziness with COVID and racial injustice, I feel obligated to play and to use my voice. This is so much greater than our sport. I feel an obligation to play, be seen, be visible and to use my voice to fight social injustice and to be visible to younger generations of girls who look like me. I told the larger group the other day that we are individuals, but we are a unit at the same time. Although we can't reach the whole entire world, we can change the world around us. To have the greatest athlete in the world tweet back at me is amazing. I'm partnered with his coalition More Than A Vote. He stands with us and he is doing his part to create these initiatives."
Watch Athletes Unlimited Softball on Monday at 4 p.m. EST & 8 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network.
