When LA28, the organization overseeing the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, announced plans on June 21 for softball competitions to be held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, the reaction from athletes was lukewarm.
Critics of the decision pointed out the fact that softball athletes competing won’t receive the traditional Olympic experience of staying in Olympic village with the other competitors. Formerly known as USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, Devon Park has hosted the Women’s College World Series since 1990 and holds 13,000 fans.
Jocelyn Alo, one of the sport’s most well-known and successful stars, just finished competing at Athletes Unlimited’s AUX event in Wichita, Kansas, and will surely be a prime candidate to represent the U.S. in 2028. Having not competed in the games before, Alo said she doesn’t have as much knowledge as former Olympians would on the subject but she has some concerns.
“It’s definitely different,” Alo told The Oklahoman. “I just feel like those athletes, whoever gets selected, are going to miss out on the whole Olympic experience. Obviously, we still get to say that we’re Olympians, but yeah, I just feel like we’re going to miss out on a lot.”
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In a press release, LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman said LA28 will work to “deliver an unparalleled experience for athletes and fans in 2028.”
Former OU star Nicole Mendes, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for Team Mexico, took to X to voice her concerns after the announcement.
“Part of being an Olympian and the experience is being able to be around other olympians [sic],” Mendes wrote. “The fact that LA is pushing the softball olympics [sic] halfway across the country is ridiculous. Also softball fans have been saying for years that softball is growing.
“Well when there’s only one women’s stadium able to hold enough athletes in the country, wouldn’t you think the olympics [sic] would be a perfect opportunity to make one?”
Alo has spent her summer competing with AU, the Savannah Bananas and will play with the U.S. Elite Team in OKC this weekend. She will eventually join the OKC Spark. But she is disappointed softball isn’t in the 2024 Paris games.
“It is disappointing that it’s not in 2024,” Alo said. “But you know what, I’m just grateful that it’s in 2028. Hopefully they start to take more notice of how many fans softball can pull and stop looking at us as an exhibition sport but an every year sport. Softball fans are everywhere. They just need to appreciate this game a little bit more.”
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When Olympic softball arrives in Oklahoma City in 2028, gold medals will still be awarded.
But for some, the decision to move softball out of Los Angeles where the majority of events will be held is a reminder of how far softball still has to go.
“It’s good that it’s at Devon Park where the World Series is, but I also think that the Olympics is a bigger event than the World Series, too,” Alo said. “I’m definitely just indifferent about it. But again, grateful that it’s even going to be a competing sport.
“So all you’ve got to do is bring the gold medal home.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jocelyn Alo says 2028 softball Olympians will ‘miss out’ in OKC
