Oklahoma's Softball 'Bosslady' Recalls Her Biggest Inspiration

One team is all that stands between Oklahoma Sooners softball and another Women's College World Series. OU's first game against the University of Central Florida happens at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Wrapping up News 9's Oklahoma's Own Originals series, 'Chasing A Championship, head coach Patty Gasso opens up to Robin Marsh about the woman who taught her to love the game.

The love for the game is birthed here for many children along city ballparks. Big ambitions from so many young athletes with their little eyes locked in on hope and ambition and aspiration with names like Jordy (Bahl) and Jocy (Jocelyn Alo). Sooner elite remember not so long ago what it was like to be young with a dream.

Nowadays, they embrace the titles of 'superstars' and 'role models.'

"It's awesome," Jordy Bahl said. "I think I never get tired of signing autographs for the little girls like when I would go to games with my dad and mom. I looked up to them so much, so I just want to be the best role model that I can for them and show them that what they put into it they can get out of it."

"It's a big purpose," she said.

Alo said she just hopes that children understand that anything is possible.

"Take advantage of every opportunity you can to get better whether that is hitting by yourself, learning from someone else, watching the game as much as you can -- and rememver to have fun," Alo said.

The Sooners are in the midst of their quest for back-to-back national championships. They earned a record-breaking number of wins this year, and it emanates from hard work, discipline and the woman leading the way, Coach Patty Gasso.

"One word or sentence to describe Coach Gasso? Bosslady," said team captain Lynnsie Elam.

"The sweetest bosslady you will ever meet," Alo said.

"She's an absolute bosslady and we all have respect for her," Bahl added.

"Like she is the bosslady, and we are going on a business trip to take this win," said Jayda Coleman.

Gasso said her mission is to help prepare her players for life.

"I try and get the right players in this program because this program is not for everyone, and those who are in it, I just try to teach them (blue collar) hard work. But really, I'm trying to equip them for their future and what life is going to bring them," Gasso said.

Little did a young Patty realize how the park would have so much influence on her life.

"The park was our baby sitter," Gasso said. "We would go there every day and play."

Gasso's mother was a single mom doing the best she could to put three children through Catholic school.

"We didn't have a lot of money. We didn't have a lot of things," she said.

Patty learned about working hard from watching her mom, who worked several jobs to put food on the table. While her mother didn't see many of her ball games, sports was a big deal to both of them.

"What she gave me was a love of sport," Gasso said. "We would listen on the radio to the Dodgers, to the Lakers and to the Rams."

As Patty got older, her mom was able to become her coach and to teach her the game of softball.

"She was a really good coach, and I knew when I was young that I wanted -- if women could coach in high school and coach in college -- that I would love to do that," Gasso said. "I'm doing this for her because I knew she would have been great at it."

"But the opportunity was not there for her," she said.

Softball continues to be a family affair for the Gassos. Patty's son, JT, is by her side as a coach for the team. He other son, DJ, is a softball coach for Utah. She has two grandchildren and two more on the way.

But Coach Gasso says she owes so much to the man she married 35 years ago, Jim Gasso.

"Jim Gasso is a coach of many things and very, very passionate and very good at it," she said of her husband. "He's been allowing me to live my dream, and for that I owe him the world."

When asked if she has any plans soon to retire, Patty told Robin "not anytime soon." She wants to be on the field for the first pitch in the Sooners' new Love's Softball Stadium in 2024.