Athletes Unlimited Softball returns to Rosemont, redefines pro sports
ROSEMONT, Ill. (CBS) – While Major League Baseball players begin their All-Star break this week, they aren't the only pros you can find on the diamond these days.
Athletes Unlimited Softball is back in Rosemont this month for its fourth "championship season." The professional league has been setting new standards in women's sports, with its athletes as decision-makers and majority stakeholders.
CBS 2's Jori Parys caught up with some of the impressive players who are taking versatility to the next level.
"Every game is an all-star game, and I think that's what's so fun about it," said infielder Andrea Filler.
Athletes Unlimited has been redefining women's professional softball since 2020.
"Based on our performance personally and as a team, we earn points, which then we get placed on a leaderboard based on points that we accrue during the week," Filler said. "Each week, the top four finishers become new captains, and then new captains draft a new team, and we start all over again."
Catcher Dejah Mulipola added, "You actually physically see it on our jumbotron, so as athletes and as fans in stands, you can see who is in what position and how many points you need to get to the next position."
But could that mess with the players' psyche?
"I tend to not look at scoreboard because it does get a little mental sometimes," Mulipola said.
The league just finished its second AUX season, a two-week expanded schedule, where athletes continued doing much more than play the sport.
"I think I was up until almost 4 in the morning because my brain kept going on who I was picking," said pitcher Rachel Garcia. "You have to come up with your own practices, lineup, making changes during games. It's a process, but I feel like it's helped me grow, grow as an individual."
And it's the individuals who are spearheading a growing league.
"The player executive committee is a group of players that work with the executives of our company, of our organization and speak on behalf of players and what we want to see our league in the future," said Filler. "We're such a young company that the sky is the limit right now."
Infielder Abby Ramirez added, "Our first season was in COVID, so we weren't allowed to have fans, but our games were streamed, and since then, we're now on ESPN every single game."
The format of the league is not only a unique experience for the players, but its fans who can see some of the best players in the country in Rosemont.
"I take a lot of pride in being from Chicago, and for us to be able to host it here," Ramirez said. "My family comes to every game and it just means a lot to me. It's very special to me. It's like a full circle moment."
Ramirez is an assistant at DePaul University, and said the experience of being a professional athlete is valuable in coaching. She is one of several players with full-time jobs in their offseason.
"Maybe getting to space one day in the future where softball is viable option as a professional. It is now, but [we want to continue] to grow in that realm," Filler said.
In the AUX season, 42 players competed for more than $300,000. The championship season in late July is 60 players competing for a share of more than $1 million.
Players are compensated by base pay and get bonuses on performance. They can also win a leaderboard bonus at the end of the season.
The championship softball season runs from July 28 to Aug. 27.
