Soft side of Bustos gives kids chance of living their dreams
Soft side of Bustos gives kids chance of living their dreams

By Blake Jackson

Published: March 25, 2008

Crystl Bustos' first home run was still climbing when it struck the inside of the left field foul pole.

Had the inanimate outfielder not intervened, the second-inning blast could've traveled 280 feet — or more. The crowd rose and the players froze, to watch Team USA's biggest bomber round the bases.

"She plays this game hard,” said coach Mike Candrea, after his team routed Oklahoma State 7-0 Monday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. "She's so competitive. She's going to leave a legacy on the field.”

For her part, Bustos is more concerned about the legacy she leaves off it.

Turns out this pitcher's nightmare — this ball-killer, this monster — has a softer side.

"A lot of kids aren't playing sports because they can't afford it in this economy,” said Bustos, who cracked another homer, 270 feet, in the third inning. "I want to get a hold of whoever I can to help out.”

Last November, Bustos and her father, George, inaugurated Bustos Elite, a non-profit organization based in Valencia, Calif., focused on bringing professional sports training to inner-city youth.

So far, the organization's main focus is softball — several members of Team USA have volunteered to assist at the camp — but Bustos hopes to add soccer and baseball in the near future.

"Because of (Team USA's) position, there are a lot of options for us,” she said. "I've talked to a few U.S. women's soccer players. I also know a lot of Major League baseball players that want to help out with that part.”

Bustos was moved to create the organization while reminiscing about her late uncle, Jesse Rios.

When Bustos was young, her parents couldn't afford the steep entry fees for training camps, so Rios would drive an hour from his home in Culver City to Valencia to impress upon his niece the techniques that have made her one of the most prolific sluggers in softball history.

"Of all the kids in the family, I was the one he picked,” Bustos said. "He never wanted anything but to see me succeed.”

Her uncle's commitment to her still informs Bustos, as she irons out the financial logistics of her organization.

"There's no one really going out and grabbing these kids like that,” she said. "No one's telling them, ‘You can play. You don't have to have money, you can play.' We've lost a lot of kids with skill because their parents can't pay for it.

"I don't want these kids to get lost.”

Right now, Bustos Elite operates out of Line Drive, an indoor training camp in Valencia. There are 11 indoor cages, five instructional cages and dozens of major and minor league players to give instruction.

Still, the demand from the inner city is beginning to outweigh the supply.

"We've got kids from all parts of L.A. who want to get into it,” Bustos said. "We've got kids from San Diego that want to be a part of it. We're trying not to turn anyone away, but it's a challenge.”

If there's anything Bustos knows how to handle, it's a challenge.

She's done it time and time again on softball's biggest stage. Against countless adversaries — throwing heat, change-ups and curves. She did it twice against OSU on Monday night.

That's what pitchers' nightmares do.

"She gives back as much or more than anyone I've ever seen,” Candrea said. "She's constantly giving back. It doesn't surprise me that she'd like to do even more.

"She definitely has a soft side.”

It just doesn't meet the ball very often.

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