The University of Oklahoma (OU) women’s softball team has made history by becoming the second team to ever win three national titles in a row, but their comments about finding their joy in Jesus Christ are what’s going viral on the internet.
The OU women’s softball team defeated Florida State 3-1 in the Women’s College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City on June 8.
(1) @OU_Softball becomes the first team in over three decades to win three consecutive National Championships by defeating (3) Florida State, 3-1.#WCWS pic.twitter.com/mFkmXXlb92
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 9, 2023
The Oklahoma Sooners ended the season on a 53-game winning streak–an NCAA record.
“I’m just proud of how we’ve stuck together through pressure, adversity, and just have ultimately been one strong, cohesive unit that has — at the end of the day — taken that pressure and given the glory to the Lord and been able to still play free and play together and find joy in things outside of the playing field,” pitcher Jordy Bahl said after the big win.
Two days before the women’s softball team won the national championship, several of the players told journalists at a press conference that their joy comes from only one source – Jesus Christ.
Wow. ESPN wasn’t ready for this answer from the Oklahoma softball team. Definitely from @jaydac00 @alyss_33 @grace_lyons5 #Christ pic.twitter.com/ooHEVvch54
— Florida Grand (@florida_grand) June 8, 2023
“You talk about keeping the joy of the game, but I’m curious, it is such a long season…how do you keep the joy for so long,” an ESPN reporter asked.
“The only way that you can have a joy that doesn’t fade away is from the Lord. Any other type of joy is actually happiness that comes from circumstances and outcomes,” team captain Grace Lyons responded.
Lyons is not only a leader on the field but she has helped baptize several of her teammates.
“As I leave college softball, I pray that others could know how loved they are by the creator of the world and that Jesus can use you in mighty ways. You just need to be willing and obedient,” she said in a recent video.
“The Lord has given me a platform to shine a light that the world tries to dim.”@ou_softball @grace_lyons5 shares how she has found her identity not in softball, but in Jesus!
video from: @NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/cb1EBNfc10
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) June 12, 2023
She added during the press conference, “Joy from the Lord is really the only thing that can keep you motivated — just in a good mindset no matter the outcomes.”
Leadoff hitter and star center fielder Jayda Coleman said she “1,000 percent” agreed with her teammate. She expressed that when she won the national championship title during her freshman year it didn’t mean much. As Coleman explains without a relationship with Christ she didn’t feel fulfilled.
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“I didn’t know what to do the next day. I didn’t know what to do that following week. I didn’t feel fulfilled and I had to find Christ,” Coleman said.
She continued, “I think that is what makes our team so strong is that we’re not afraid to lose because it’s not the end of the world if we do lose — obviously we’ve worked our butts off to be here and we want to win — but it’s not the end of the world because our life is in Christ and that’s all that matters.”
For the Sooners’ softball team, this culture of faith starts at the top.
Head Coach Patty Gasso says winning is not a top priority, but the Lord is.
“The Lord kind of woke me up and was like, ‘You’re doing this wrong’,” she told Sports Spectrum. “You’re not here to win games. You’re here to open the door — here to win souls. You open the door and let them in. I’ll take over from there.’ And then everything changed.”
Third baseman Alyssa Brito says the team keeps themselves encouraged, motivated, and focused on the Lord by shouting “eyes up.”
“I think a huge thing that we have latched on to is ‘eyes up’,” she explained. “We are really fixing our eyes on Christ and that is something where…like they were saying…you can’t find fulfillment in an outcome whether it’s good or bad. And I think that’s why we’re so steady in what we do, and our love for each other, and our love for the game,” she said.
Brito was baptized last year by two of her teammates and she says she is now living to “exemplify the Kingdom,” the Catholic News Agency reports.
“This game is giving us the opportunity to glorify God,” Brito said during the press conference. “We have an eternity of joy with our Father…and my sisters in Christ will be there with me in the end when we are with our King.”
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