Pitcher Cat Osterman was part of the gold-medal winning U.S. softball team at the 2004 Athens Games. Now entering her second Olympics, the Texas ace talks about sight-seeing in Beijing, moving to Chicago and dabbling in the martial arts.

Entering your second Olympics, what did you learn from the 2004 Athens Games that you can take into Beijing?
I was the youngest in '04. You kind of find your role and your place on the team. …This time there aren't as many butterflies, but it's still exciting.

Have you ever been to Beijing before?
Yes, the [2006] world championships were there. …We went to the Great Wall, and some of the team went to the Forbidden City, but I didn't go because I pitched the next day so I wanted to make sure I was rested. … We also went to the Silk Market to go shopping. We went there a couple of times (laughs).

With the possibility of this being softball's last Olympic appearance, does that put a cloud over the Beijing competition?
It's sad because I think our team is still competitive and can still play. … But [the Beijing Games are] also an opportunity for us to showcase our sport and show people that it's a fun and exciting game to watch.

You've recently taken a coaching position at DePaul. What made you, a Texan, decide to move to Chicago?
I wanted a change of pace. My mom is from Chicago so I do have some family there. ... I contacted DePaul and asked about being a volunteer coach because I knew I had commitments with the Bound 4 Beijing tour and the U.S. team. But then the pitching coach got another job and they offered me the pitching position. … I think coaching is actually helping me grow as a player.

How do you like living in the Midwest?
I'm experiencing my first winter and I've seen my first snowfall, which was pretty … at first (laughs).

What is the biggest difference for you between living in Texas and living in Chicago?
The weather is nicer in Texas, and I think the people are nicer, too. It's not that the people in Chicago aren't nice, but if I'm walking down the street in Texas, people will look at you and say hello. In Chicago, people look at their feet when they walk and they don't look up. … This is also the first time I've lived in the city, which is fun. I'm getting used to using public transportation for the first time.

What do you like to do away from softball?
I started taking taekwondo. My uncle owns a school in Chicago so took lessons there on Monday and Saturday. But I had to stop because we started the Bound 4 Beijing tour.

What belt did you get up to?
I never really got a belt, so I guess I'm still a white belt. But I want to spend more time doing it after the Olympics. It was hard, though. I thought being an athlete that it would be easy to take up a new sport, but it takes a different set of skills.