Softball On SI

Kim Ng’s Historic Role in AUSL Continues to Shatter Glass Ceilings

Maren Angus-Coombs|
Kim Ng is leading the AUSL into a new era for women's professional softball.
Kim Ng is leading the AUSL into a new era for women's professional softball. | Athletes Unlimited

Dan Evans remembers the moment Kim Ng walked into his office to interview for an internship at the Chicago White Sox. She was fresh out of school, eager to learn and made a lasting impression.

That interview will always be a special memory for Evans, not just because it was the day he met Ng but it was how she handled herself when a curveball was thrown her way.

"My oldest daughter was under my care, in my office when I first met her," Evans told Softball On Si in a phone interview. "I didn't have a sitter that day, so I brought her to work. She was in a Graco Pack N Play, and Kim came in, and it was about as unique a meeting as you could ever have. She handled it so well because obviously, she was not expecting that."

Ng sat down with her yellow notepad and began taking notes, asking questions and Evans knew immediately that she was the right person for the job.

In the years following that interview, Ng has climbed the ladder. She worked in the American League office, and in the front office of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Miami Marlins.

However, it was her time as the senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball, where she reintroduced to first love: softball.

Ng played collegiately at the University of Chicago and worked closely with MLB's team helping with you baseball and softball initiatives.

After three years with the Marlins, Ng joined Athletes Unlimited Softball Leauge as an advisor and in April, she was named the league's first commissioner.

With Ng at the forefront, AUSL and MLB announced a partnership on Thursday that has been a long time coming.

"I love this sport," Ng previously told Jeff Passan of ESPN. "I grew up playing softball. From middle school on, I played softball, played in college and have, at some points in my career, worked to try and help strengthen the game. Have always kept my eye on it from afar, as I was in baseball, pursuing other things. But it's been a big part of my life. I have four sisters. Three of us played in college, so it's been a big part of our lives.

"When you talk about this, I think it's part of a movement. I think we're in the middle of this transcendence of women's professional sports, now a part of the mainstream conversation. And that's exciting to me."

If it wasn't for Ng's connection to the two leagues, this deal might not have happened but for the woman who has consistently shattered glass ceilings, it's a no-brainer.

"I think it' really wonderful," Evans added about Ng's endeavor. "I'm just thrilled for her. I think, she's already a glass ceiling-breaker and she has been multiple times.

"The people who are going to be around her and the young women who will be playing in that league will benefit from not only her expertise but her love of the game and her love of people. It's just going to be a real positive experience for everyone involved."

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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