Dot Richardson

Dorothy ("Dot") Richardson (born September 22, 1961 in Orlando, Florida) is an American physician and former international softball player.

Education
Richardson attended Western Illinois University for one year and the University of California Los Angeles for four years. Richardson has Master’s degree from Adelphi University as a graduate assistant for softball   She attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine and received an M.D. degree in 1993. She then entered her five year orthopedic residency program at the University of Southern California. She took a one year leave of absence to participate in the 1996 Olympic Games, where she and her teammates captured the first ever Olympic Gold Medal in the sport of Softball. Later she did a fellowship at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Clinic in Los Angeles.

Softball career
Richardson played in first ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship. At age 13, she was the youngest player to ever play in a Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship. She used to play on the sidelines at her brothers' baseball games. Starting in 1972 she played for the Union Park Jets of Orlando Florida, the Orlando Rebels, the Raybestos Brakettes of Stratford, Connecticut (1984-1994), and the California Commotion of Woodland Hills, California.

She was a key part of the United States national team that won the gold medal during the sport's Olympic debut in 1996 hitting the home run that won the game. After her win at the Olympics, she continued with her career as an orthopedic surgeon. She is married to Bob Pinto. Dot Richardson is currently Executive Director and Medical Director of the National Training Center.

Awards
Richardson is the recipient of the 1998 Sports Legends Award, the 1997 Babe Zaharias Award (Female Athlete of the Year), the 1996 Amateur Athletic Foundation Athete of the Year, inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 1996, Nuprin Comeback of the Year Award in 1990, four-time Sullivan Award nominee and inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame in 1999. Her college honors include NCAA Player of the Decade (1980s), three-time NCAA All-American, two-time AIAW All-American, three-time ULCA MVP and 1983 All University Award at UCLA. She was named MVP in the Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship four times. She is an inductee of the National Softball Hall of Fame.