Jayda Coleman: Oklahoma Needed Patty Gasso's 'Blue Collar Moment' to Grow as a Team
When Patty Gasso hit the pause button last season, many observers of the Oklahoma softball team wondered what the Hall of Fame coach was playing at.
The Sooners were undefeated, defending national champs, ranked No. 1 and mostly dominating their opponents. But Gasso said repeatedly her team was playing at about a 6 out of 10.
Some players had started forgetting their equipment or maybe weren’t as attentive in meetings or just had become distracted with things outside of softball.
So Gasso decided the team would give up part of its practice time to pick up trash around Marita Hynes Field, tend to the grass, clean up the locker room, tidy things up — “get their house in order” was the phrase she used.
The result produced another national championship, yes, but it produced something more.
“We really needed it,” said All-American outfielder Jayda Coleman. “Because sometimes you get ahead of yourself and you want it so bad, that you’re not even being truly who you are. I think it was kind of like a blue collar moment. Like, you’re still at the University of Oklahoma. You don’t deserve everything. You’re gonna be hard workers and you’re gonna deserve what you (get).”
For Gasso, it was another teaching moment in a career filled with them.
“Coach Gasso, she’s just one of the best coaches,” Coleman told AllSooners. “Sometimes you don’t even understand why she’s doing something, until three months later and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the lesson that we were learning.’ ”
Coleman has partnered with Degree Deodorant’s “Breaking Limits” campaign, to help inspire young athletes like she was inspired. Degree is taking NIL beyond the usual structure of football and men's basketball (66 percent of all NIL revenue goes to athletes from those sports, according to Opendorse) by empowering athletes from other sports with "equitable payments in aggregate to women’s and men’s athletes."
Now in its second year, Degree's "Breaking Limits" roster consists of athletes "from a range of sports, geographies, abilities, and backgrounds, who have all persevered to break through their own limits, and inspired their peers and the next generation of athletes and non-athletes to do the same."
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“I just love that they’re getting female athletes,” Coleman said. “As a female, we do see male football players getting these expensive cars and getting so much. … As a female athlete especially, like in softball, we see how the pro sport is growing — but we’ll never get paid like how the NFL football players are getting paid — at least maybe not in my lifetime.
“Breaking Limits really represents me because that’s all I want to do. I want to break all the records. I want to go four (national championships) in a row like no one has. I want to see all these other females making money as if they deserve it.”
“Breaking Limits” also enables college athletes to tell their own story about obstacles they’ve overcome.
“You see these athletes giving their own personal stories of them breaking through their limits and these barriers that are put in front of us because of society,” Coleman said. “That’s what makes them so special, is they’re making it personal. It’s not just about the money.
“What I really love about Degree Deodorant hey have a charity that I will be able to put money towards. I don’t know if everyone knows this, but my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and I have an organization called “Look Good, Feel Better,” that’s something that’s very dear to my heart. … Giving back to the community is very important. I just think social media is a great way to have these little girls look at this stuff.”
Coleman continues to inspire young athletes on the field with her stellar play, such as when she delivers timely hits or reaches over the fence to rob a home run.
Coleman said she’s literally living her dream playing softball at OU.
“It’s been a dream come true,” she said. “I mean, since I was six years old, I’ve dreamed of winning a national championship. … I’ve lived out everything that I hoped for, and hopefully continue to do.”
Repeating as national champs in 2022 — improving from 56-4 to 59-3 — was hard. But somehow, the Sooners actually got better. The team loses key personnel in 2023, including home run queen Jocelyn Alo and three-time captain Lynnsie Elam, but Gasso’s offseason work in the transfer portal gives next year’s squad a chance to be even better.
“It’s just staying grounded,” Coleman said. “… I got two more years. If we can just get this one and then get another one, it’ll be great.
“All we need is a softball field and each other, and we can do what we need to do.”