Los Angeles native and Columbia University outfielder Olivia Madkins made history last year as the first Black softball player in the school’s history. The achievement has served as a roadmap for Columbia’s Black players who have come after her.
Madkins, who attended Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California, and was there with famous alumni basketball players Bronny James and Juju Watkins, was raised in a sports-loving family. Her father, Gerald Madkins, was a standout UCLA hooper who played professionally in the 1990s for nearly a full decade and is a former assistant general manager for the New York Knicks. He encouraged Olivia to partake in multiple sports. It was softball that she fell in love with, becoming a diehard fan of the UCLA Bruins and looking up to players such as standout outfielder B.B. Bates and pitcher Aleah Macon.
Very early on, Olivia came face-to-face with the reality that although her play on the field spoke for itself, the color of her skin subjected her to prejudice and comments aimed at diminishing her confidence.
“The first time I experienced an overtly racist comment from a teammate, I was 14, living on the East Coast, and playing for a competitive softball organization,” she recalled. “I was the only Black girl on this particular team, and I felt singled out when a racially charged comment was made. At that moment, I felt angry, sad that I did not have support from the coaching staff. If I had the chance, I would grab my younger self’s hand and tell her that she is more than the people around her. Columbia has been a transformative experience for me in this way, as I feel like I can share the full breadth of my experiences as a Black woman with my teammates, and be heard and supported.”
After graduating from Sierra Canyon, Madkins wanted a rigorous academic environment that would challenge her while still allowing her to excel as an athlete. She committed to Columbia University, joining the women’s softball team under coach Jennifer Teague, a veteran in the sport with more than 25 years of coaching experience, including 11 at Columbia.
“When I came on my official visit to Columbia, Coach Teague told me that I would be the first Black woman to play on Columbia’s softball team if I were to accept my offer. This moment was one that I think I will look back on as the most significant in my life. I told Coach Teague that it was a non-negotiable for me to ensure that I was not the only one for long, and that there be a commitment to diversifying our program. In my time here, I have had the opportunity to be joined by three other Black women, and it is incredible to know that we have been able to trailblaze with one another.”
As her time on the team has grown, Madkins has improved consistently. This past season, she started in 36 games, hit 17 home runs, and drove in 18 runs. At one point, she led the team in stolen bases with nine and was named Ivy League Player of the Week after hitting .700 and leading the Lions to a defeat over Dartmouth.
Now a junior, one of Madkins’s most memorable moments came this past May during a road victory against Harvard University, when she hit her first career home run to give Columbia a 3–2 lead, which they held. That game marked the first time the seniors had ever beaten Harvard, and celebrating around the pitcher’s mound was something Madkins said she will never forget.