Barring a political miracle, Angela Tincher's dream of playing softball in the Olympics is dead. But is a 10-year-old with the same dream doomed to the same fate? Tincher believes not.

The former Virginia Tech All-American, the 2008 national college player of the year, visited Richmond this week to help instruct young pitchers at Kerri Cobb's All-American Fastpitch softball camp. Tincher yesterday shared her thoughts -- and the youngsters' -- on the International Olympic Committee's decision to jettison softball at the conclusion of the upcoming Summer Games in Beijing. Most believe the sport will not be reinstated until 2016, at the earliest.

By then, Tincher, arguably the most dynamic young pitcher in the game, will be past her prime.

"It was disappointing, definitely -- but after a while you have to accept it and come to terms with it," she said. "There'll be other avenues. There'll be other opportunities" to play with the U.S. National Team on the world stage. "Maybe [those opportunities] won't match up to the Olympics, but they'll be special nonetheless. The international aspect always is."

Tincher said the girls with whom she worked at Cobb's camp seemed happily unaware of the Olympic issue.

"They didn't bring it up. I'm not sure a lot of them are aware of it," she said. "It's basically something for adults and older players to talk about." Young girls, she said, tend to focus on the present. Thus, their commitment to and enthusiasm for the sports has been largely unaffected by the IOC's decision. "And hopefully, by 2016, when most of them are old enough to play [world-class softball], it won't be an issue anymore."

The Hokies star was passed over by USA Softball when the 2008 U.S. Olympic team was selected in September. She repaid that affront by tossing a no-hitter against the U.S. team in Tech's 1-0 exhibition victory March 26.

Tincher moved faster this week than a runner attempting to advance from first to third on a single to right field. She spent Monday and Tuesday at the Dumbarton Softball Complex, then returned to her summer job as a pitcher with the Akron (Ohio) Racers of the six-team National Pro Fastpitch league. She allowed one run in five innings in Wednesday night's 6-4 victory over the Dutch Olympic team. Her previous start was even more impressive: a no-hitter against reigning NPF champion Washington.

"It's good competition -- no, actually it's very good competition," Tincher said. "Just about every starter on every team was the best player on her college team."

Tincher will return to Virginia Tech in the fall to begin work on her master's degree in business administration. She will rejoin the Hokies softball program for the 2009 season as a graduate assistant coach.