I’ve only recently gotten into watching college softball since my nieces began playing softball a few years ago. Naturally, I love to watch my Georgia Bulldogs, but this year’s Women’s College World Series was impressive as well. On Thursday, the University of Oklahoma softball team captured their third NCAA championship in a row.
Do it again and again and 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/A5UavIhDbp
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 9, 2023
It’s an impressive feat for a team to three-peat as champions in any sport, so the excitement surrounding the Sooners softball team is understandable. But ESPN may have gotten more than it bargained for in a press conference featuring three of the team’s athletes who boldly shared their faith in Jesus before winning that third championship.
@joesooner
ESPN’s Alex Scarborough asked the trio a question to which most athletes would give a boilerplate, motivational-speech answer: “I know you talked about keeping the joy of the game, but I’m curious. It’s a long season, right, and you guys have had the target on your back the entire time. The winning streak, being number one, how do you handle the unique pressure that comes with that? How do you keep the joy for so long when anxiety seems like a thing that could very easily set in?”
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Senior infielder Grace Lyons was the first to answer, and she didn’t hesitate to go deep on the nature of joy versus happiness as well as the true Source of joy.
“Well, the only way that you can have a joy that doesn’t fade away is from the Lord, and any other type of joy is actually happiness that comes from circumstances and outcomes,” Lyons began. “I think Coach [Patty Gasso] has said this before, but joy from the Lord is really the only thing that can keep you motivated, just in a good mindset, no matter the outcomes.”
“Thankfully, we’ve had a lot of success this year, but if it was the other way around, joy from the Lord is the only thing that can keep you embracing those memories, moments, friendships, and all that,” she continued. “So that’s really the only answer to that because there’s no other way that softball can bring you that because of how much failure comes in it and just how much of a roller coaster the game can be.”
Junior outfielder Jayda Coleman echoed her teammate’s words. “1000% agree with Grace Lyons,” she began before expounding on what her faith has meant to her.
“I went through that my freshman year,” Coleman continued. “I was so happy to win the call. I’ve talked about this before, but I was just so happy that we won the College World Series, but I didn’t feel joy. I didn’t have — I didn’t know what to do the next day. I didn’t know what to do for that following week. I didn’t feel filled, and I had to find Christ in that.”
Coleman went on to explain that the whole team understands that there’s more to life than softball.
“And I think that is what makes our team so strong, that we’re not afraid to lose because it’s not the end of the world if we do lose,” she said. “Yes, obviously we 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.”
Junior utility player Alyssa Brito concluded the answer to the question by talking about how the team as a whole embraces their faith in Jesus.
“I think a huge thing that we’ve really just latched on to is ‘eyes up’ and you guys see us doing this and pointing out but we’re really like fixing our eyes on Christ,” Brito began as she mimicked the motion that the players do of pointing upward. She continued by echoing her teammates’ declarations of faith.
“And that’s something where, like they were saying, you can’t find the fulfillment and 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 because we know this game is giving us the opportunity to glorify God,” she continued. “And I just think once we figured that out and that was our purpose, and everyone was all in with that, it’s really changed so much for us. And I mean, I know myself, I’ve seen so much growth in myself once I turned to Jesus and I realized how He had changed my outlook on life, not just softball, but understanding how much I have to live for, and that’s living to exemplify the Kingdom. And I think that brings so much freedom.”
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Brito continued by looking at the bigger picture of eternity and how she will share it with her teammates who are believers.
“And I’m sure everyone’s story is similar, but we all have those great testimonies that have really, like, shown how awesome it is to play for something bigger,” she said. “And I think that’s just what gives me so much joy, and no matter the outcome, whether we get a trophy in the end or not, this isn’t our home. And I think that’s what’s amazing about it is we have so much more. We have an eternity of joy with our Father, and I’m so excited about that. And yes, I live in the moment but I know this isn’t my home, and no matter what my sisters in Christ will be there with me in the end when we’re with our King.”
These incredibly talented young women truly embody the ideal that Jesus set for us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). They also demonstrate the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
I pray that my nieces will look up to these three women as valuable examples of faith on and off the softball diamond, and I pray that we can all take inspiration from their bold witness.
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