Olympian, Jessup softball coach Aguilar discusses Tokyo experience

Local talent Ali Aguilar had dreams of Olympic glory from a young age. Her sport was pulled from the Olympics in 2008 due to the lack of global outreach but was back in the 2020 Tokyo Games due to its popularity in Japan. For players like Aguilar, this provided a chance to fulfil her childhood dream of representing her country on the sport's biggest stage. "I remember the day before our first game, like I was just like, I can't believe this is actually happening. Once we step on the field tomorrow, I'm an Olympian, like, that's so crazy to think about," Aguilar said about her thoughts as she prepared for the Tokyo Games. She was already familiar with Japan, having played two years professionally there. Nonetheless, the experience was surreal for Aguilar, a second baseman who even got to meet some childhood heroes in the process. "Natasha Watley was someone that I really looked up to, and I actually got the opportunity to play for her because I played overseas in Japan. … It was just crazy. And Monica Abbott was my teammate. So I was like, 'I literally watched you guys in 2008 like in the Olympics and now one's my coach and one's my teammate.' … That was probably the craziest moment," Aguilar said. Aguilar had little time to rest upon her return from Tokyo, where the U.S. earned the silver medal. She threw out first pitches at Sacramento River Cats and Lincoln Potters games before she hit the road to begin the next chapter in her professional career. "I'm going to play in Athletes Unlimited," Aguilar said. "It's just six weeks in Chicago. … It's a different style. You're on a different team every week, and they just have 60 players playing together. So I'll be playing until the end of September." She plans to resume coaching and training when she returns from Athletes Unlimited in October. When she isn't representing the U.S. in the Olympics, Aguilar is an assistant softball coach at William Jessup University in Rocklin. The 2021 season was Aguilar's first with the Warriors. "I want to do camps and give back and do lessons or whatever I can for the younger girls around my area because I feel like they gave a lot of support while I was at the Olympics," Aguilar said. She plans to return to coaching with Jessup but will take on a smaller role to focus on her training and coaching elsewhere. Athletes Unlimited begins Aug. 28 and can be seen on CBS Sports Network or Fox Sports (FS1 or FS2) throughout their season.