Under Armour And Cat Osterman Visit Lovelace Stadium

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Under Armour And Cat Osterman Visit Lovelace Stadium

DENTON (3/28/07) - Lovelace Stadium has only been open a couple months, but it is already receiving national exposure. On Wednesday, three-time national player of the year Cat Osterman was at the North Texas softball stadium shooting a commercial for Under Armour.

Rip Lambert and his company, Producers Video Corporation, selected the University of North Texas and Lovelace Stadium for the site of a new Under Armour commercial featuring a top female athlete.

“We looked at a lot of softball fields in the Dallas area for this commercial,” said Lambert, who directed the production. “This field stood out for me and our marketing people. It’s a top-notch facility. The field is pristine and had a real Texas feeling to it. The place is suited for the spot we are doing.”

The North Texas softball complex was transformed for the day into a television shoot filled with trucks and camera equipment. Under Armour signs were placed on the field fence and across the scoreboard. A banner proclaiming Under Armour’s slogan, “Protect This House,” was stretched across the bottom of the scoreboard.

Under Armour is the originator of performance apparel, gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. Osterman, the former University of Texas standout softball pitcher and Olympic gold medalist, is one of UA’s featured athletes.

UA has been involved with team sports and is now focusing on top female athletes, said Lambert. “Cat portrays the UA female athlete model. She is a real competitor.”

Decked out in complete Under Armour attire starting with the sunglasses and down to the softball cleats, Osterman was filmed doing what she has done best on the softball field: pitching. While a camera crew rolled around the pitching circle, the 6-3 former Longhorn threw across to an empty batter’s box. And repeated the action many times.

“It’s exciting,” said Osterman about the shoot. “This is my first commercial. It’s great that Under Armour is helping put softball on the map.”

Osterman was making her first appearance at Lovelace Stadium. She recalled that the North Texas softball team always came to Austin to face the Longhorns.

“It’s a nice field,” said Osterman about Lovelace Stadium. “It gives a nice professional touch to what we are doing.”

Osterman has received almost all the awards a student-athlete can receive in college. In 2006, she completed her senior season at the University of Texas leading the Longhorns to the NCAA World Series for the second consecutive year. She was also named to All-Women's College World Series team and was the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, becoming the only three-time winner.

Right now, she is training with the national team, preparing for the start of the professional softball league and getting ready to graduate from Texas in May.

In the commercial, Osterman is all by herself pitching. The premise is that she is working out on her own after practice, after everyone else has gone home.

Lambert and his crew will use the entire day on Wednesday to film the 30-second commercial. There will also be a 15-second spot and a web version. The commerical will air during the softball College World Series.

The director intended to shoot a lot of different angles over the course of the day. They will shoot high-speed in order to slow down the action.

“Our goal is to make a mini-movie with this rather then a commercial,” said Lambert. “Every nuance will be made to engage the viewer.”