Merced residents ready to cheer on local softball star competing in Tokyo Olympics
Ted and Natalie Nickles were all set to travel to Tokyo last summer for the Olympics to watch their daughter Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles play for the USA Softball team.
Ted and Natalie rarely ever miss a game, however, they won’t be able to make the trip to Japan this summer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no fans allowed at any of the 2021 Summer Olympics.
“It’s disappointing,” Ted said. “In 2020 we had our plane tickets bought and our hotel room booked. Then the pandemic hit.”
Instead the Nickles will host a watch party for family and friends Tuesday night when USA Softball opens the Olympics with a game against Italy at 8 p.m.
The excitement level continues to rise as the Merced community gets ready to cheer on one of their own in the Olympics.
Nickles, 23, is the first Olympian from Merced County since former Merced High star Margie Dingeldein won a bronze medal in water polo and former Atwater High standout Jamill Kelly won a silver medal in wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Softball returns to the Olympics this year for the first time since 2008. Softball will not be part of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“We’re excited,” Ted said. “It’s a once in a lifetime type of thing, especially in her situation with softball not being in the next Olympics.”
Ted says it will be hard not being there in person to watch her play, but they were trained a little bit this past spring when fans weren’t allowed at UCLA softball games in the first half of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ted and Natalie will watch the first two games at home. Then, NBC is flying two guests of each of the athletes to Florida to watch the rest of the Olympic games together.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “My main concern is doing everything and staying safe. I read an article that if one person comes down with COVID they can cancel the whole team. They’re walking a fine tightrope. They’re doing everything right. They are quarantining the team. The challenge is when all the other athletes arrive. I don’t want it to get canceled.
Olympic Journey
Nickles is one of the most decorated athletes to ever come out of Merced County. She’s listed as a utility player on the roster with the ability to play infield or outfield.
She was selected as the Gatorade National Player of the Year after her senior year at Merced High in 2016. She was named an All-American in 2019 when she helped lead UCLA to the National Championship at the College World Series.
“She was the Gatorade National Player of the Year, she’s won a College World Series championship at UCLA and now she has a chance to win a gold medal in the Olympics,” said Bart McAfee, who coached her all four years at Merced High. “You can’t do much more in this sport than that.”
Her father says making the Olympic team was never really a goal.
She tried out for the Junior National Team when she was a junior at Merced High and was selected for the team. She’s been involved with Team USA ever since she was selected for the Olympic team in 2019.
“When softball was added to the Olympics back in 2016, she thought she was too young,” Ted said. “Things just started to fall into place. She’s been grinding and the next thing you know she’s playing for the Olympic team.”
Cheering from Merced
Nickles will have many people cheering her on from her hometown of Merced.
“It’s really exciting for her, said Merced High football coach Rob Scheidt, whose daughter Georgia is close friend with Madilyn. “After she was born, the first time I held her was at a young age. At that time you never think someone would be where she is now. She’s represented herself well in every phase of her life.”
Many of Ted’s colleagues at Merced High have known Madilyn since she was a baby and later watched her play during her four years at Merced.
“Ted and I have worked together for 23 years so I’ve known her a long time,” McAfee said. “We knew she was a good athlete. When she chose softball as her No. 1 thing to do that changed everything. She just kept getting better and better.”
Scheidt remembers what it was like to watch Dingeldein participate in the Olympics and says the Merced family can’t wait to watch Nickles.
“It’s not the first time,” Scheidt said. “We got to watch Margie Dingeldein in water polo before. Everyone knows all the notoriety Maddy has received throughout the years. She was the National Player of the Year in high school. She’s one of the best players ever to play at UCLA. We’ve all followed her and we take a lot of pride having a great athlete like her go through our system.”
How to Watch
USA Softball Olympic Schedule with TV Network
Pacific Standard Time
Tuesday, July 20 vs Italy, 8 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Wednesday, July 21 vs Canada, 5 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Friday, July 23 vs Mexico, 10:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Saturday, July 24 vs Australia, 6 p.m. (CNBC)
Sunday, July 25 vs Japan, 6 p.m. (USA)
Monday, July 26 Bronze Medal Game, 9 p.m. (CNBC)
Tuesday, July 27 Gold Medal Game, 4 a.m. (NBC Sports Network)
All games will be streamed online at NBCOlympics.com
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
