patty gasso
Sports Spectrum/YouTube

Head coach Patty Gasso recently led the Oklahoma softball team to their fourth consecutive NCAA title but says her mission is more significant than just scoring another win. Per Christhlete, Gasso said, “The Lord woke me up and said, ‘You’re doing this wrong. You’re not here to win games. You’re here to open the door, here to win souls.’” She told ESPN of how she leads the team, “We’re not afraid to lose games. We like to go in and just give it all we have, and if it’s not good enough, we know what we need to do better.”

The Sooners know that God wants to use their platform for more than just softball. Gasso told Sports Spectrum in an interview before the 2023 season, “They understand that this is more than a game. And that’s why they play it so freely. That’s how I feel. This team, a couple of them made this comment that just stuck with me. And they share with each other like, ‘The end is already written.’ The end has already been written, so what are we afraid of? Why should we play scared?

She added, “We already know that the result and the ending — the Lord already knows. It’s already planned. So just use our gifts, and let’s go. Let’s go. Don’t be afraid of the outcome. And it is so freeing when you watch them play. They’re afraid of nothing. They’re certainly not afraid to lose, and that’s the beauty of this group.” Gasso’s goal for her program? Fulfillment. “Happiness is result-oriented,” she told Sports Spectrum. “…This is more a program of fulfillment. And that is, who are we becoming? The direction that we’re going. How do we grow as women? How do we grow in our faith, and how do we find that path that we’re supposed to take?”

More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad