Cold Open And Welcome

SPEAKER_03 0:00

And this Sunday we were playing University of Louisiana, and um we lost. Yeah. So win streak, everyone was looking at it. Man, win streak is over.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

You are listening to the Costco Podcast with your host, Dan Dromarski.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Welcome to Costco Sports Podcast. I'm your host, Dan Dromarski, and today you're listening to an episode with Kirsten Deal. Kirsten Deal is a standard athlete playing for the University of Oklahoma Sooner softball team. And he's been in some pretty big moments in her life so far. Not only she uh crucial presence in her pitching rotation, but stepping up to some pretty important moments, including the Women's College World Series. You're gonna enjoy this conversation with Kirsten. She loves including her faith in the sport that she plays. And the sport that she plays ties in with her faith. Uh very vocal, wonderful young lady. I hope you enjoy this podcast with Kirsten.

Sweet Tea And Chick-fil-A Traditions

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Okay, Kirsten, you're going to Chick-fil-A. You've just finished uh workout. Are you having sweet tea or unsweet tea?

SPEAKER_03 1:28

Sweet tea, of course.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

It's like without a doubt.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Without a doubt. Being from North Carolina, sweet tea is like the common answer. You'll never hear anyone say unsweet. So when I my funny story, I first went out to California and like went over there. I didn't realize I was like, oh yeah, can I have tea, please? And I just thought automatically it was sweet tea. Like I never knew about anything. I get it, I drink it. I'm like, what is this? Like, this is not good. Like at all, this is not good. And my mom tells me, she's like, here sin, I guess you didn't know this, but here they don't have sweet tea. Like, unsweet is the typical drink if they asked for tea. And I was like, Well, this makes no sense. They're missing out on everything. But um, yeah, so I always say sweet tea.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Okay, it makes no sense, but it makes perfect sense because it really they call it iced tea. So it's hot tea that's now cold.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

That is true. Yeah, that is true.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Yeah, first world problems, right?

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Yes, but that is funny. That is my if I'm going to Chick-fil-A, that is my drink of choice. That or the blue powderade that they have there.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Well, what?

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Blue Peraid?

SPEAKER_03 2:44

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Oh man, this is gonna be bad. I I just recently discovered the peach lemonade like milkshake thing.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

Oh, yes. Yeah, it's new. I yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

It's wild. My sister told me about it. She lives in Alaska, and out of all the things of an Alaskan to tell you about is something cold.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

That is funny. No, I um we as our team at OEA, we were regulars at this Chick-fil-A. It was Chick-fil-A on 12th Street, which is right down the street from our uh our campus at Oklahoma. And so we got to know the operators and all of the workers. And by that next week, they knew our orders to a tea, they knew our exact drinks, they knew if we wanted a milkshake after practice that day. Like they knew it all. So us and Chick-fil-A in Oklahoma, we were close. We were tight.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I'm tight, tight, tight with Oklahoma. That's fantastic. Well, welcome to the Gospel in the Game podcast.

Softball Basics For New Fans

SPEAKER_01 3:41

I'm your host, Dan Dramarski, and with me today is Kirsten Deal. You play softball. Not everyone knows and understands the sport of softball, do they? No, no, do they mistake it for like baseball?

SPEAKER_02 4:00

Um they're kind of the same game. But they are very simple.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

They are very similar. Tell me the difference. Like, if I'm just brand new to the whole thing with softball, the ball's not soft.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

No, not at all. So um a regular softball is 12 inches around, so it's a little bit bigger than a baseball. And then the biggest difference is the size of the field. So with softball, um, home plate to first base is 60 feet, so it's 60 feet all the way around. Um, and then from home plate to the mound is 43 feet. Um, when you're growing up, you start closer, so it goes 35, 40, 43 feet. Um, and the ball is also smaller. So when you're growing up, you start with an 11-inch ball and then you move up to a 12-inch ball as you get older.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Okay, now I would say compare the pitching distances for me. Major league is how far?

SPEAKER_03 4:52

I think it's around 60 feet.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Okay, so it's about two-thirds, two-thirds. Okay, interesting. Yeah, so it's a compressed baseball field.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

Yes, sir. Yeah. But I would

Why Softball Demands Perfection

SPEAKER_03 5:06

say it's I would say this is where I'm gonna, you know, touch on the little baseball people, but I personally think the softball is way harder than baseball because the um timing of error and the amount of perfection that you have to have with softball is a lot um more like complex than I would say with baseball, because the um baseball field from home to first base is 90 feet. So, say you get a ground ball at third base and you bobble it with baseball, you're you could probably still throw the runner out at first. Well, with softball, the amount of speed and just the fast pacedness of the game, the the person on first base is probably gonna be safe every time. So I would say that's a big difference.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Interesting. So you're really trying to get that thing out of the park if you're up to bat. Well, uh normal normal baseball, you're trying to do that too, but it's a lot further. But at the same, you're right. Uh you know what? I didn't even think about that. That actually makes it harder to have um fielding, must be much more difficult.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

Yes, sir. Yeah. And even with pitching, so everyone always says, oh, softball's not as hard as baseball, or they don't throw it as hard. Well, technically, because we're so much closer distance, so since we're so I'm a pitcher, so I'm pitching the ball at 43 feet, but then by the time I let go of it and release it after I like stride out, it's around like 38 feet at that point. And so they say the batter has um only around like eight seconds to decide whether they're gonna hit the ball or not. So even just the amount of just hand-eye coordination and just the amount of skill that it takes to have to hit a softball, that's why um with baseball, so like 60 miles an hour in softball is equivalent to 90 miles an hour. Whoa. So some girls, yeah. So some girls these days are going around 70, which is almost equivalent, like which is equivalent to 100 in a baseball field.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

And you know what? It's really deceiving. Okay, softball with a windmill pitch is extremely deceiving to read the release. Unbelievable. Overhand, you can kind of you can read it a little bit how the guy's arm velocity is coming at you, but that windmill is deceiving.

SPEAKER_03 7:10

Yes, sir. Yeah, and um, the cool thing about so baseball, everything is coming from overhead. So most of the time, you're always gonna get like a top spin on the ball. Um, some baseball players they could have like a little bit of a natural like rise run, but with softball, the coolest thing is you can do all of the different types of things. So it again it makes it even harder for the hitter. But we have rise balls, drop balls, curves, change ups, and now a lot of people like I personally throw an off speed, which is in between. So now a lot of people are going from 65 miles an hour to 45 mile an hour, and then have a pitch in the middle that's around 53, 52 that kind of creates some different types of deception. So the game is growing, and there's all different things that you never thought you'd have to think of, and now they're relevant.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

So I I usually co-host this program with a gentleman, Dave Dawson. He does not like baseball at all, period. And he all every time I I have a running thing that I have with him. Every once in a while, I'll put a plug in for baseball or I'll send something. And he's like, Why are you sending me this garbage? Like the worst sport ever. And I gotta find a way to get him into love. I think it's I think baseball, softball, I think the format, the design of the game is wonderful. Um, there is a there is an element of extreme difficulty to playing the game. Not just and it's not just always about watching it for entertainment purposes. That ball coming at you, it hurts.

SPEAKER_03 8:41

Yes, it does. Yeah. There have been some times, even as a pitcher, like a hitter has to ball back at me, and it's left some bruises. Like it has it has done some damage. There's been times now too where um it's really nice though, now they have evo shields, so like an arm guard for your elbow, then they have leg guards now. So if you hit a foul ball into your leg, like it doesn't hurt as bad. And now they've even started making um like a hand one so that when you're like holding the bat, because a lot of girls now the the pitchers throw so hard that when it hits their hands, it breaks their hands. Like I know some friends that have broken their hands from like pitchers throwing the ball um and hitting them in the hand.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

So wow, that is absolutely wild down. North

Growing The Game In North Carolina

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Carolina, you're from North Carolina. Is softball is it easily found kids grow up in North Carolina playing softball?

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Um, I would say typically not. Um, it is growing. I feel like the sport of softball is growing. I would say it's more of um a West Coast thing. A lot of players like in California and um Arizona, those types of places, they play year-round there, which as in North Carolina, you can't really do that because we do still get the snow and still uh get the winter and all those things. Whereas in California they can play year-round and just be able to grow their skills a little bit faster. So I would say typically here in North Carolina softball isn't that known. Um, I feel like it's becoming way more popular, just the sport in general, as you see with like AUSO, which is one of the new pro leagues, they've had it on ESPN and they just got a partnership with MLB. So that's becoming a little bit bigger of a thing, which has been really cool. Um, but yeah, I would say mostly it's more popular in the Georgia, South Carolina area. Um, so growing up, I was kind of always in that area. I played for a team that was out of um South Carolina-ish. So just trav having to travel to Charlotte, having to travel to South Carolina to do those things. Um, that was kind of what it was like growing up.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Wow. It it seems like I always love hearing about the origins of people's and getting introduced to sports. Are you the only pro member of your family that got into softball? I believe your parents are athletes.

SPEAKER_03 10:53

Yes, yes, sir. Yeah. So my mom actually played um softball and basketball at a two-year college, and then my dad grew up playing baseball, um, football, basketball, all the things. So I have pretty athletic parents. Um, but the funny story always is, is my mom continued to play slow pitch after, so my dad was always with her, and then they found out they were having me, and my dad was like, Oh, she'll never be on the softball field, like she won't play softball, like she'll play something else. And look what happened, as you can see. Um guess we decided to play softball. But my parents were really supportive in all different types of sports growing up. I played almost everything. The only thing I didn't play when I was a kid was soccer, but then in eighth grade. Once I found out you could be a little physical in soccer, I was like, all right, sign me up. Like I'll just run and kick the ball and just be able to run around and pass it to my teammates. But overall, I fell in love with softball. Um, but growing up, I still played, I played volleyball and basketball all throughout high school. Um, so I got to continue to play multiple sports and then just softball was my baby though.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

So okay,

Strategy Slap Hitting And Speed

SPEAKER_01 11:56

now is there's a format, is it's a full nine innings, uh similar scorecard to a baseball. Tell me a little bit about some of the some of the I guess you'd say outside of the size of the field and everything else and the game structure of softball. What could I look forward to in a softball game? What would I typically see as a moment of like, whoa, I didn't I didn't know that before?

SPEAKER_03 12:22

Yeah. So the only difference is though it's uh softball's only seven innings. Oh less time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Okay, so the the field is compressed, the game itself is compressed, there's less time. Oh, so there's a lot of is uh is there a big strategy in the game uh with the compressed brand?

SPEAKER_03 12:41

So the really cool thing is in um softball, I always said I loved softball as a sport because you can have all different types of just players and specifically like body types, height, weights, like all these different types of things. Um, because there's so much strategy to anything. So um in softball, you can have the fast people, you can have the power hitters, um, you can have people at the bottom of the lineup that are just contact hitters that know how to get on base. You can have the people that are able to produce walks, which produce extra runs and extra base hits and all those different types of things. But I would say the biggest difference for sure is the strategy. Um, a thing in softball that you'll see is typically a lot of right-handed throwers that are fast uh that throw right-handed, they actually hit left-handed. Oh, and majority, yeah. And a lot of them um they call them triple threats. So a lot of them, like one of my best friends from um college, her name is Riley Boone. She's an outfielder. Um, she's a true lefty, but she is a triple threat. So she can hit left-handed, she can bunt um in any position from the left side, and then she can slap also. So slapping is where I don't know if you've heard of that or not, but it's where the left-handed hitter is actually taking steps as they're in the box. So usually they're running and they take a cross step over while still staying in the box. And so they're continuing to actually like run at the hitter, and then they just either like dink it or they try to hit a little chop, so they try to hit it hard on the ground because then if they can bounce it as high as they need to, that their speed is so fast to where they're safe every time.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Uh, you know what? I've seen that, and it's like in major league baseball, you think of it as a as a bunt, but I think it I I I saw it and I was like, that's harder than a bunt. That's not just placing it left right field position, but you're actually trying to get not only an increase or decrease in velocity, but you're trying to almost like punch it over the the pitcher.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

Yeah, no, yeah. It's it's actually when you've seen someone that do it really well, it's actually amazing to watch because no matter where the pitcher is throwing it, whether it's super high, they can get over top of it and still hit it on the ground, whether it's super low, they can just dink it over and be safe, and their speed takes care of it. So then usually it causes more of chaos with the infield because then you have to build super quick throw. And so then it ends up easily causing an overthrow or someone missed the ball and then they just keep running around and then they end up scoring.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

So oh, fantastic, fantastic.

No-Hitter Story And Big 12 Honours

SPEAKER_01 15:10

I'm gonna give you a date. I'd like you to tell me and walk me through the emotions of this date. April 16, 2024. A game against Tulsa, left-handed pitcher, KD pitches, uh I think that's when I threw another hitter, right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, to walk me through the emotions of that one.

SPEAKER_03 15:39

Yeah, so um that was my sophomore year. I actually got baptized a month before that, which was really cool. So at this point, I was just super free and just being able to continue to just strive with the Lord and kind of just go for a lot of my outings then. Um, I was still fairly young in my career, so it was like, oh, I'm just going out here. Who knows what's gonna happen, but we're just gonna do it to our best of our abilities and just um go out there and throw. And I just remember um Tulsa, obviously, it's our in-stage, not arrival, but I mean, they always give us a good game, and it's always super fun to play. And I think it was at the Hall of Fame Stadium, which is where they play those Call Duel series. Um, it's in the city, so it's not our home field, but we get to play there um quite a bit during the season. And so we were there, and there's been a couple times in my career where I've almost thrown one, and then of course the last inning, something random will happen, or I'll end up like giving up a little DK or something like that. And so everyone was like, Don't say anything, don't say anything. And it was one of those games where um we hadn't, I think we ended up run rolling in five innings, but we hadn't gotten there yet. So we I finished scoring the fifth inning, and I was like, okay, I could see something happening really good if we score maybe I think it was like one or two more runs. And I think the coolest thing was I wasn't really thinking about the door hitter, I was thinking about how like our teammate blocked it off so that we could like be done with the game, and then people were like, Oh my goodness, guess what? Like, and I was like, Oh wait, no way, and um, yeah, so it was just a really cool moment. And then um I got to hug my coaches after that, and they were just saying how proud of me they were. Um, but it was yeah, it was honestly super cool. Didn't really hit me until a little bit later in the season and stuff because it was um kind of in the middle of the season, so I was like, okay, we still have quite a bit left to go. But it was definitely really cool to uh be able to do that and just be surrounded by my teammates and my coaches that were so supportive.

SPEAKER_01 17:42

So you know, uh the one of the my favorite things about interviewing Christian athletes is the humility. After after pitching a no-hitter, you have you are become a two-time Big 12 pitcher of the week. So the following week, your pitcher of the week, the week after your pitcher of the week. That's a solid three weeks of uh a ball. Like like absolutely fantastic. Um that's pro an athlete to an athlete that's gotta be a a pretty exciting moment. Like I I bet you that was like your mom didn't stop smiling for that that three week period.

SPEAKER_03 18:26

Yeah, she was pretty excited.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Now, when when you play ball, there's something called the Big Ten Alternament Team. What is the Big Ten Big 12 alternative team? Big 12.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

So that is basically within your conference tournament. It's um basically just some of the standout players or just performances that happen, whether it's like a hitter that goes through before in one of the games or just has a really great time throughout your tournament, or like a pitcher that has some pretty good performances or just pitched pretty well during that time, then you can be able to make it. So it's kind of like not like an all-star team of that, but it's just like after the tournament is over. It's like some people that were like standouts of that tournament.

SPEAKER_01 19:11

So and 2024 was a big year for you. Uh I've done my homework, I've done my homework. I'm I do I do my best to do my homework. Two-time national champion in 2023. You're national champion, you have an excellent spring, and then you become a national champion again in 2024. Like back to back, back to back. Um, when when you're young playing, is this the kind of stuff you dream of?

SPEAKER_03 19:41

Yeah, I mean, it was it was very surreal. I remember, so I don't know if you know the history of like Oklahoma, but at this time when I was coming in as a freshman, they had already won two national championships in a row. So there was a lot of pressure kind of coming up on these seniors that are like finishing their seasons or just these juniors, and then I'm just a freshman over here, like, oh my goodness, like I just get to be surrounded. Soaking it up, soaking it up. Yeah, I'm like, they've already won all these. Like, who knows? I mean, I hope I get to win one, but I'm just here along for the ride, and then I'm just like here and get to know them and do all those things. And um, to look now back at just seeing all the things that I was able to just experience throughout my college career, I could never be so grateful and just so blessed to be able to just be a part of them. Um, it was just you never look at it, I guess, when you're in it, because you're like, oh, it just keeps continuing. Like you're saying, like it was like national championship. And then I was like, all right, this fall we're getting ready again, and then the spring we're playing, we're playing, the free weeks happen, and then bam, we win another one, and you're like, oh my goodness, and then you're like, let's do it again, you know. So you just keep thinking that every year. But now, as my career has come, my college career has come to an end, it's been really cool to just look back and see at all the just amazing blessings that have happened and things that have continued to happen.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

So Okay, you're young, you've you've accomplished all these wonderful things in college. This is the Gospel in the Game sports podcast. We like to talk about sports, but we also talk about the gospel. Tell

From Championships To Faith Foundations

SPEAKER_01 21:16

me a little bit about your life of faith.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Yes. So, um, a little about a little bit about me. I grew up in a Christian household, um, grew up going to church. I actually used to sing at my grandma's church. My grandparents, they live in Burlington. So um, I was never the shy grandchild. I am his only child, but I have three cousins that are um close in age. But I was never the shy one and my grandma like grew up singing, and I would always just sing a little tune with her and stuff. So she was like, Oh man, like we should put her on stage. And I was like, All right, like I will, like, okay. So um grew up having the little tracks and just the microphone in my hand, um, singing with my grandma at church, and um continued to sing like. As I was growing up and things and just continue to go to church and stuff. And as when you're young, you have that kind of childlike faith, like all those different things. You you're doing the things, we don't know kind of just the intent and the purpose behind them, you know. Um, and so then fast forward to high school, I um I would say I was not falling out of faith, but I think it was just a little bit of like my priorities, just being, oh, like softball, like I want to get recruited, I want to go to college, I want to do these things, like sports, sports, sports, all these things. Um, and I ended up meeting one of my really good friends in high school. Um, and her dad was a pastor. And so she was like, Katie, like, why don't you come to church with me on these Wednesdays? Like, we're having like a revival week. Um, I think it'll be really good. Um, you can just come back with me and just hang out, and then we can like go get dinner. I was like, okay, sure. Sounds good. Um, and so it was never that I was I was never, I guess, pushing, trying to push away the Lord, I would say, but I think there was not as much intent given that should have been there, you know, just being able to pour back into him and just lean on him at any time. And um, yeah, so then I continued to go there and just have encounters with the Holy Spirit and just encounters with God and just feel his presence continuously through there. And um, so high school was really good for me to kind of just like start back like being on fire for Christ and being on fire for the Lord. And then I think the biggest blessing obviously was going to OU, where um we do prioritize our faith, and like that is one of our biggest things that we talk about there, and just having Christ like teammates and just um leadership that is not afraid to just proclaim the gospel and just talk about God in any conversation. Um, and so then having some really great mentors like Royce Lines, she was a fifth-year senior when I was a freshman, and um, she was really involved um just with local churches and just ministry, FCA. Um, we have a college ministry called Crossover at Oklahoma as well, and that's with a lot of regular students, but it's the same night as FCA, so all of the athletes would go to FCA first, and then we'd all go to Crossover after. Um, and just all of the local ministries that are clubs at Oklahoma, it's really cool because I didn't know what the Bible belt was until I went there, and I was like, oh, this is a part of the Bible Belt, which is really cool. Um, yeah, and so then continue to just get poured into throughout my college career and throughout my freshman year. And one of my teammates was like, uh, KD, uh, would you want to get rebaptized? And I was like, oh my goodness, like, yes. Like just to be able to say, like, I wanted to publicly redeclare my faith to the Lord and just understand then, like, I think I was baptized in like Christmas when I was a kid, you know, but I would rather just go ahead and redo it right now and just be able to just publicly proclaim my faith again, um, which is really cool. And so we had it all set up, which is this is a big part of my testimony. I guess I'm kind of just running through my story right now.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

No, this is this is great, uh Katie, because this is the story. God, God's given you an opportunity to share what he's done. This is I I I have this running thing this season, and then I'm gonna let you continue. We say like so often throughout season three. I've said we need eternity because it's gonna take that long to tell about all the awesome things that Christ has done. And this right here is just a little bit of a snippet. It's a preview that everyone gets to have here on earth in order to have great expectations of the greater story because there are so many things happening in the background that no one hears about. So, yes, when you redecate rededicate your life to Christ, what if I acronym? What do I do have to interject with those my a good listener said to me? So many people use acronyms. It's a big thing. FDA Fellowship of Christian athletes.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

And and so I'm gonna help the listeners out with that one. Tell me a little bit about rededicating your life to Christ and the purpose behind it.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Yeah. So for me, it was just um a big oath and just a an like an outspoken boldness that I wanted to just be able to create. I think with me on the field, I'm very bold with it, just whether it's strikeout, competitiveness, all of those things. And so it's if I can boast about all those things, like why can I not boast about the Lord and just be a great example of what that looks like? Um, and the Lord is so funny, and I love this is my favorite part about my testimony and just the baptism and everything.

Baptism Obedience After The Streak Ends

SPEAKER_03 26:50

And this is why I tell people like you can never say God doesn't have a touch of humor because um we actually so after we went our this is 2024, yeah, March, we had our winning streak going on, and this was a super big thing in NCAA at this point because we had held the record for the longest win streak. It was around like 73 games, 74 games, I'm not sure. Um, this Sunday, and we already had a plan for me to get uh for me to be baptized. And this Sunday we're playing University of Louisiana, and um we lost. Yeah. So win streak, everyone was looking at it. Man, win streak is over, they're not gonna win, like all these things are gonna like lose more games, like oh, but win streak, all these things, all these things. And um, I always just talk about obedience when it comes to just my walk in those types of things, and just having fellow Christian women beside me and just strong believers and followers of Christ, and just being able to be bold about their faith. They walked into that interview and just walked in obedience and said, you know, we may have lost today, but there is a bigger win in heaven today because Kirsten Deal is getting baptized, you know, like and that was like one of the most amazing experiences, and just God is just I always tell people that I'm like, you can't tell me God's not real because that is hilarious. Like he said, All right, you guys, we're not gonna worry about anything else today, but we're just gonna fix our eyes on him, and just to have people around me and just amazing fellowship and just faith like women to be able to just act in obedience with that and just be so bold. I was like, man, why can I not start doing that? You know? And so that was one of the coolest things and just a testament to just people's faithfulness, like to just continue to bring me in in God's character, um, just to continue to pour his heart out to me during that time. And then for me to just be an example of that to others, you know. So I always love to share that story because you never know what God can do in moments like those.

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Yeah, it's so isn't that so true? Because we often think of the wins, and we can go, you can go to the stats, and you've had a very successful uh college career, as you mentioned, college career, um, in in softball. And we can look at the successes, and often we measure people by their successes, don't we? And it's often though that we learn so much and we grow through failure. And I want to bring up another moment. Academics,

Worship On The Field

SPEAKER_01 29:28

honor roll. Okay, uh not only are you a strong athlete, but a smart athlete, but but you but you mentioned a greater purpose. And so people are easy to put you up on a pedestal, but there's a greater story to tell, isn't there? No, 100%. How how through softball has the Lord allowed you to tell others about him outside of your baptism?

SPEAKER_03 30:09

Yeah. Um, so uh really great chaplain. Um, our team chaplain was Sarah Roberts um at the University of Oklahoma, and it was really cool because I was also part of the Fellowship of Christian Athens Lead team. So um our football team chaplain was also the head person of FCA, which is Christian Athens. Um, and we were, I was just able to just sit in and listen, and he would bring a lot of different speakers in. And we had um someone come in one time and he was speaking. Um, I remained that day, and he was like, How do you use your sport as a way of worship to the Lord? Not like what are the specific things you do, but how do you specifically worship the Lord through your sport? Um, and so I was thinking about that. I was like, man, like I know like we pray before the games and like we do all of those types of things, but how can I for sure be bold in just what I'm doing? Like, and how can I start out the game, start out just my mindset, different things of fixing my eyes on the Lord and knowing that anything I think that I'm doing here is gonna be worship to him and not worship for myself, whether that's like, oh, I'm bitching really bad, I just gave up a home run. Like, how can I worship the Lord through that? Like I'm able to still be truthful and just be honest with him and just feel his presence while I'm throwing to be able to have that freedom and have that confidence in going into those things. Um, but one of the coolest things was my junior year, I decided to make my walkout song praise by Elevation Worship. But at the beginning, it's super cool because it kind of starts out with like everyone clapping. And um Coach Gasco was really big on okay, we need to get songs that maybe get the crowd going, things like that. And she heard that I was doing that song, and she was like, Oh my goodness, like you have to keep it, you have to do it. And there, I have a video uh from that year of me doing it, or it actually was like on social media, and someone posted it, and you can see all the crowd, like when I came in, and everyone is like clapping their hands. And I think that was one of the coolest things, and me and my coach were able to have like a conversation about that. She was like, Kirsten, no matter what, they might not know what they're clapping for, but they're clapping for the Lord, like this is praise to him. And because you're able to just use one little walkout song for this, like that that goes like so far because I mean we have around 4,500 fans at our game every single time, you know. Wow, and so no matter, yeah, it it's it's insane. Um, and so she was like, No matter like who's in this, they could be clapping and they have no idea why, but we know why they're clapping, you know, or just seeing some of my teammates that hadn't given their life to Christ or just trying to pull them in, and the people that we've been praying for and things like that, just to see them raise their hands was amazing for not only me, but just like our staff and just people around us. So that was a really cool thing.

SPEAKER_01 32:59

I'm gonna go a little bit back in time, just something that you touched on a little bit. High school is a difficult time, um, not just for athletes, but for people in general. I think it's I

Pressure Perfection And Recruiting On Zoom

SPEAKER_01 33:11

always tell people I had we have something so our junior high here in Canada is 7, 8, 9, and then 10, 11, 12 is high school. In the US, it's 9, 10, 11, 12. Um it's a big four-year. There's a big difference between someone who's first going into high school and someone graduating age-wise, maturity-wise, so much. It's a difficult period of time. And everything you've discovered, so many things of that that was great, and you have to be tough. What are some of the mental hurdles that someone who's progressing into college and developing as an athlete and as a person, what are some hurdles that they have to overcome in high school? Um, outside of maybe confidence and some of the ones that are like just evident right off the bat. What are some of the things that maybe you you discovered about yourself that you had to push through in order to propel yourself into college?

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Yeah, I would say the biggest thing um a lot of people don't realize is like the amount of sacrifices that you have to make. Um, a lot of times, like the Friday night football games, like I was either missing them because I had to travel to go play in these tournaments, or I I remember homecoming, I begged my mom for me to be able to like walk in it. And so I got to, but literally right after it was done, we had to leave, you know. Like it was just those types of sacrifices um that were obviously kind of hard because during that time is when you're trying to be social and create friends and just do all those things. And I think I had to put in check really fast of what my priorities were at the time, um, because I knew that it would help me succeed later on, um, is a big thing. But I always say when you surround yourself with like-minded people, a lot of times you'll never feel like you're having to sacrifice anything because you're doing what you love with the people that you love that are allowing you to just be able to, I mean, set your dreams the highest and just try to achieve those things. So, and then another one, the biggest one that I personally struggle with was perfection. So I originally was committed to the University of South Carolina, um, which is close to home, obviously. I got recruited during COVID. So um, in softball, September 1st of your junior year is the first time that college coaches can talk to you about recruiting and going to college. Um, well, that year was 2020 for me, so it was COVID. Um, and so I got recruited off of Zoom. So sitting at a meeting just like this with coaches and just having tours of schools, it was it was crazy. You never believe the time that we were in. It was, it was wild. Um, and so that looked really different. So then I just decided to go ahead and commit to South Carolina because it was really close to home, and um, I knew my family could drive down there easily and stuff. And so then when everything reopened, um, I ended up having a really great summer, and I was like, man, I just want to reopen it just to see and have a real, like true experience, you know? And um never in a million years that I felt like my number one team in the country would call me or all these schools would be able to do this. I mean, it was just an amazing blessing from the Lord, honestly. Um, and so got to do that, and so I ended up committing, and I don't know why, but I just struggled with the amount of like it was like they put two big like building blocks just like right on me, and my shoulders were down of just the amount of pressure that I was putting on myself because I was like, man, now that I'm like going to OU, like they're national champions, like I have to pitch perfect all the time, I have to do this perfect, I have to like just eat right all the time, do this all the time, like make sure I'm working out, like all these things, pitching, like I can't give up any hits or any home runs, or I have to have this and my strikeouts. I really struggle with that, and it actually took a toll me for sure my senior season in travel ball. And I just remember having conversations of like like why, like, why did I get picked to do this? Like, I don't think I'm good enough. All those kind of doubtful perfection questions that I think a lot of high schoolers struggle with because that's the time when you want to be your best, but you have to learn how to just like softball is a game of failure for sure. As I was saying, how fast it is and all these things, like it's crazy to think those types of sports, you can hit the ball three out of ten times, and that's considered really good. Like that's value 300, like three out of ten hits, which is crazy. Yeah. So just having to think about how much failure there already is in the game. Um, pressure was a really big thing for me, and just I remember having so many conversations, and that's honestly too what I I really loved about my faith and like my walk as well, is because that was the time that I continued to start going to church. And I think I always talked about when I was in the presence of the Lord, like I was free. Like that's the only way I could describe a lot of my really good outings was like I was just free, like I was just throwing ball. I didn't care where it went, what was going on, I was laughing, I was having fun, like you could see the joy like radiating off of me and the freedom to just be able to just go out there. And I think that's a big thing that sometimes high schoolers struggle with, just because you want to be good, like you want to be the best of the best all the time. And you know, life is not like that, you know. And I think that's the coolest thing about just like faith and just learning about God and religion and just Christianity and self-like you never know what the Lord can bring to you and just the freedom you can have. And truly that's the only reason how I am able to just continue to just persevere and just be like courageous and bold in all of those things is truly from Him. And I just think that's one thing that I always always try to start with, with explorers and young kids that I'm able to just work with with pitching or anything, just talking about the joyness and the freedom that you can have just from the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 39:03

So we started this season three with a lot of interviews with people who were supports, part of support systems,

Church Support Quiet Time And Listening

SPEAKER_01 39:11

uh chaplains, coaches, people that uh were put in the framework, and lots of them were professional athletes previously, and now they provided support for people that are in your position, college athletes or turning into pro athletes now going from high school to college. Um, you obviously missed the odds on day of church. How was your church family able to support you and encourage you being an athlete that can't make it every Sunday?

SPEAKER_03 39:46

Yeah, I think it was just making sure that the heart posture was right. I think that's one of the biggest things that we continue to talk about. Um, and just being supportive, whether that was trying to rewatch what happened on Sunday, that's the really cool thing I think that I love about churches now, is a lot of things are recorded. Obviously, going in person is the best, but being able to have those recordings after and just sitting down as a family and just looking over them, being able to have small Bible studies, little devotionals, um, just having worship music on continuously, I think all those are little things. Um, and I feel like as long as you're coming to the Lord and just church members, anyone with an open and honest heart of just where your heart is at, I think the Lord always welcomes us with honesty and just love and truth. And so being able to come with him, come to him with that as well. I think that's a the biggest thing. And then just having supportive people around you and just um our leadership, they can have those honest and truthful conversations of maybe we need to to reanalyze this, you know, maybe we need to do a little bit more here, a little bit less here. Um, but I think just when the heart posture is right, that's where it kind of starts, and just prayer. I think that's the biggest thing as well. I think when you're able to actually not necessarily continue to pray, pray, like pray to the Lord, but also sit in that quiet time and like listen. I think that that's the biggest thing now.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

Okay. Yeah. Okay, you know what you opened up a can of worms here. Uh I'll tell you why. Uh James explains that we need to be quick to listen, slow to speak. And I think so often when you're reading through Psalms and you come across this word stala. Stala means to pause and reflect upon what you've just learned. As an athlete, the majority of athletes get it. You need to have preparation, and part of that is just focused, mental focus, uh, as the as useful quality states call. Dialing in. It's the phrase that they like to use. Um, what does that mean to you to dial in as a Christian athlete? Because some people will listen to self-help, some people will just listen to nothing. How does the Lord direct your steps in preparation as an athlete?

SPEAKER_03 42:30

Yeah, I would say for me, it's just I think having a time of worship. And then for me, I like to sit in stillness, whether that was like a drive, whether that was like just in my room. I have like a little chair, and then I have like a courtboard that just has like some of my favorite Bible verses and just readings that I've done recently. Um, just sitting there and just opening the word and just prayer honestly. Like I think just like my quiet time, and I was able to prioritize that in regards to just all of the other things. I learned also my senior year of college that for me to personally be at my best, I had to also prioritize community and fellowship with my sport as well. So, like, even if I was tired, like after practice, like I knew I wanted to go to FCA and I knew I wanted to go to Crossover, like those were two non-negotiables because I knew during that time, like I was surrounded in fellowship with like-minded Christian athletes that were either they were going to help me, but also hold me accountable as well. And I think that's a big thing, especially when you're a little bit younger in high school, and just those things, because having faith without accountability as a younger adult is hard, I think.

SPEAKER_01 43:55

Yeah, good point.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

I think I think that is very challenging. Not saying it can't be done, but I do think it's very challenging because you're also still newer to your faith. And so being able to walk alongside people, but also have your own walk with the Lord, I think that is the coolest thing because then you can have those amazing, like equipful yost conversations with people around you and just be able to share the gospel, like what you're saying. I mean, if we're sitting at a coffee shop just talking about what the Lord's done in our life that day, and then someone just listening. I mean, being able to have those accountability times where you can just sit and just talk to someone about, hey, I'm really going through this right now. And they can be like, you know what? Like, let me pray for you right now. You know, like those types of things. I think those are such big things that, you know, you don't really realize when you're younger, but now me looking back to be able to have those types of people throughout my walk, freshman year and sophomore year in college, like I am so grateful for those people as well.

SPEAKER_01 44:56

I love two things that you mentioned. A lot of a lot more than two things, but two things I'm gonna point out. Um, one is having someone that will pray for you in the moment. Because years ago, I decided that if I was gonna say to someone, you know what, I'll pray for you. I'm praying right there, right now. Right now, right in this moment, not just tomorrow morning. I'll do that then too, but right now, let's go talk to God. The greatest source of power in the whole wide world is right there in front of us. Tap into it, talk to the Lord. The second thing is, and this is something that we've been going over a lot this season, is the need for a mentor. Someone who is old enough to relate at the same time, someone that is purposely put in your life, no matter what their age is and experience, that you can talk to and just even battle something, bounce something off of that will push you back to the Lord. I think that that's the greatest thing about a Christian mentor is they don't pull you to themselves, they push you back to the Lord. And growing up, did you have people like that through high school, through university, younger age, that would push you back to the Lord?

SPEAKER_03 46:13

Yeah, I definitely think, especially coming to college, that was one of the biggest things,

Mentors Identity And Real Community

SPEAKER_03 46:18

and I'm very grateful for it because college can be scary at times, especially like for me, Oklahoma. I was 16 hours away from my home. Like for my parents to come see me, it's a plane ride or it's a two-day drive trip, you know. Like they weren't just there to be like, all right, I need to go get dinner with them. Like I'm feeling this type of way, you know. Um, and so I think mentor mentorship was such a big thing. I think for me it kind of was in from different people, which I really loved, just being able to surround myself by just I had obviously some that were like knew about softball. I had people that had no idea about softball, which was really cool because then I truly learned what Kristen was outside of my store. I think the biggest thing too is a lot of kids struggle with identity these days because of the perfection aspect and just because of all those things. I think your idols and identities can become wrapped up into a store and just a dream specifically, and you don't really realize who Kristen is as a person or just who I am outside of the store, you know. And so I think those are big things. So I loved being able to talk to people that had no idea about like what I did on the field. Like they could care less about that. Like they did not care at all, and then also having people that were there though that understood what it was like. I think that's a really hard thing as well. Um, sometimes with being a collegiate athlete, a lot of people don't kind of understand all of the mental tolls and just all of the outside factors, whether it's just just the culture of just where you are, different things like that. I mean, there's so many different things that you just would never think about. Um, and so being able to have someone that's kind of in it with you is really nice as well. Um, but I know people like some of my teammates, they preferred to talk to mentors that had no idea about anything, so that they could like just say it how they wanted to say it. And then some people are like, no, I I could see you're kind of upset today, or I could see these types of things, like how are you doing, what's going on. Um, but no, I mentors, it's it's still so important. I want to try to lean in more into that as I'm getting into my master's degree with our local church in Norman, um, and just get plugged in there with small groups and stuff like that. Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

And I I think one of the things that's really important, not only with mentors, and you it you talked about relatability and people that can relate with you and come alongside you and support you. And in our season one of our podcast, we went over so many subjects that I think mentors go over with athletes and chaplains and FCA or athletes in action or different things people are a part of. And subject matter is important because uh if someone can relate with you on that level, or maybe, like you said, someone's just a listening ear that won't see you as an athlete, but sees you as a person first, because that's what you were before you ever were an athlete. You're a person. And then when you're done being an athlete, guess what? You're a person. And so and during the whole process, you're still a person. And so I think it's uh so often it's great to have people come alongside us and don't just push the athlete first. Because I think if the person breaks down, the athlete's gonna break down.

SPEAKER_03 49:42

100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Now, a lot of the stresses you talked about, about being in college and relatability. If you could go back in time, travel back in time, talk to the younger version of yourself. Maybe there's a young athlete that's listening in right now because they they they caught a glance at oh, a softball player, or oh, they knew about or they had heard about you. Um, and therefore they're listening and they're younger. Uh give them a piece of advice. What would you tell them?

SPEAKER_03 50:12

Yeah, I mean, oh that's a great question, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

It's not it's not as tough of a question as sweet tea or no sweet tea, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:22

Um honestly, I would just say that personally, I I knew sometimes that I was kind of like on my own path when it comes to just like sports and just social life and things like that. And I think just to like I would remind myself as a kid to just continue to do that because you never know what your dreams and just your worth I think can lead to, and like the people that it can lead you to. Um, and I think that just like it's an oath to just like your parents and just having support system around you. I think never take for granted the people that are supporting you and just around you because you never know um what that can lead to, just with family or just leading them to Christ. Like I think that's one of the coolest things, like being able to be an example of my family of what it looks like to boast about the Lord and do those types of things and just be reminded of what joy looks like and all those things. I think younger me would just say, continue to just love the game and just love people. I think right now in our world and society, like there's a lot of distractions and just a lot of worldliness that continues to happen. And if you can be that one person that just shows that joy from the Lord or just that kindness and that just faithfulness of what that looks like, that you never know. Someone could just see that and be like, Oh, why is she always so happy, or why is she always just laughing, or those things, and just sparks of those conversations. So I would say just continue to be joyful and just continue to just live life for the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 51:48

Yeah, and the distractions of the world is a big thing, isn't it? And uh we live in a we live in an a day and age where boy, even 10 years ago, could you see this kind of thing coming, everything being thrown at you? It uh life just seemed simple 10 years ago, let alone 20 years ago.

SPEAKER_03 52:07

For sure. No, yeah. I mean, back then I just had to make sure I was in the car, ready to go, and then I could just go wherever and I'm having to make sure I'm dressed at this time, my alarm set, all the things, like all the stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:19

Well, this is exciting. We're you our our goal is to interview many uh Christian amateur athletes, college athletes, university athletes, um, tell their story, tell where the Lord is at. Outside of softball, do you have any passion? Wait, wait, hold on a second. You talked about singing. I heard that you pull off an incredible national anthem.

Singing Fast Questions And Closing Prayer

SPEAKER_03 52:42

I may or may not do that sometimes. I would say that was the coolest thing too. My senior year, I got to sing the national anthem for our um women's gymnastics team. And a lot of the fans that are fans of women's gymnastics are also fans of software. And I didn't tell anyone I was doing it. So I showed up, and then a lot of people in the crowd, there I could hear them. They're like, is that Kirsten? Like, is that Kirsten deal? Like, just play software, which is hilarious. Um, and so then I got to do it. And then the next week we had, I think we had a game, and so everyone there was like, I didn't know you could sing, like we heard you sing, and it was so good. So, yeah, that was cool. Um, and then I actually got to sing worship at our my coach's church this past fall, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_01 53:24

Very so that was yeah, very special, very special. Okay, we have we have a portion of our show that we're gonna go into now. We give you five fast questions. You have to be on your toes, think fast, fast responses. Um, are you ready?

SPEAKER_03 53:44

I'm ready.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

Okay, all right. Here's all the hype. Okay, Chick-fil-A's closed. No sweet tea for you today. What's your go to drink, hot or cold, if you're a fan of softball?

SPEAKER_03 54:06

Oh, fan of softball. I would say a lot of people don't go home and drink Dr. Pepper. That's like really popular.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

Dr. Pepper. I was down, I was down in Texas years ago, and someone was like, You have to have a dirty Dr. Pepper. I'm dirty Dr. Pepper. That what is like you're trying to like half Diet Coke, half Dr. Pepper?

SPEAKER_03 54:26

Oh, I've never heard of that one. A lot of people put like uh sweeteners in their drinks here. Like, have you heard of Swig? It's like a soda shop.

SPEAKER_01 54:35

No, oh no, it's always okay. Soda shops are becoming a big thing. Uh there's uh a podcast called Ghost Runners Podcast in the States, and they had the suggestion of opening a restaurant or a store called Just Drinks, where only you have so only you serve soda or pop or whatever you want to call it. And the amount of these places that are open up these days that all they have is like combinations of like pop and mixes and drinks. Is that what you're talking about?

SPEAKER_03 55:06

Yeah, yeah, there's a lot here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:09

Okay, so tell me tell me what the dirty Dr. Pepper is then.

SPEAKER_03 55:13

Yeah, it's called I think the Texas tab. It's at Swig, but I've never had it. But my friends, they love Dr. Pepper, so they always drink it. But I think it's Dr. Pepper coconut cream and then like vanilla cream inside of it. So it's called like a dirty one because they put different sweeteners and different additives or different stuff in it. Um, yeah, and so they have that, which they really like. It I've never had it, but they taste good.

SPEAKER_01 55:37

We can talk about it. That's like right now. I'm uh I'm on month like seven of no pop, and I'm a huge Dr. Fan Pepper fan. So right now I'm just gonna take a drink from my water bottle. Okay, and enjoy and enjoy that, and we'll just run with that one right now.

SPEAKER_02 55:53

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 55:54

Okay, very very good. Okay, we'll get off that sub subject. Yeah, you gotta go to the future now, okay? Talk to the future self. If you are going 20 years in the future and you want to remind KD about something about the Lord, what what are you reminding yourself of?

SPEAKER_03 56:13

I feel like I wouldn't want to remind myself like never take advantage or just like never get still of like the gifts and talents and like moments and memories that he's given me. I think singing is a big one, especially because like when I was younger, I was just I was like, Oh yeah, I'll just get on stage. Like it had I had no fear or anything, and then kind of just do it a lot, and then now I've like been able to do it again, and everyone's like, You have a voice, like being able to use that for the Lord is like like one of the things you can always do or just say and just I think continue to never underestimate the gifts and just the things that you have received and how blessed you truly are. Like no matter what it looks like when you're older. I think those are big things. Or just like how far you've come and like where the Lord has brought you. I think that's a big thing. Because I don't know exactly what the future holds. Obviously, I know with the Lord with me, like we'll see what happens. But and obviously it's his plan for sure. But I think just reminding myself of just how good he's been in my life already, I think will always set me up for gratitude and just gratefulness of him throughout my whole entire life.

SPEAKER_01 57:21

So that reminds me of a good line. Billy Graham once said, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. Gotta love that one. Gotta love that one. Okay, we're if you were to play another sport, what would you play professionally?

SPEAKER_03 57:40

Professionally. I'm gonna say volleyball. Oh, okay. I think the yeah, I would say volleyball. I really liked basketball too, but I just think I'm only around like 5'8-ish on a good day, 5'7 without shoes on, 5'8 with shoes on.

SPEAKER_01 57:55

So I would say on a good day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:58

The WNBA, I just wouldn't be able to do it. But I think with volleyball, I uh was a Diaz Libera, so I was already in the back row, so I like just ding the balls and stuff, and you there's no high requirement for that one. So I feel like I would be fine.

SPEAKER_01 58:10

Okay, good. Um not not everyone picks ice hockey, so you might as well grab volleyball. It's true. Uh, that's so good. Do you have a favorite verse? A favorite Bible verse that to encourage you.

SPEAKER_03 58:24

Yeah, um uh my favorite Bible verse I would right now, at least. Well, it's continued to be my favorite Bible verse through uh my whole career. But it was 2 Corinthians 12, 9, and I got it on my glove, and it's when Paul is kind of playing to the Lord like three times, like, why why have you forsaken me? Like, why are you doing these things? And then he just says, uh my strength is all you all you need for my power works best in weakness. And then it says, No, so now I can boast about the Lord because of what Christ has done in my life. So I think that's one of the biggest ones because I think no matter how many times like you're you're thinking of like your weaknesses and your worries, like the Lord will use those for his strengths and for his glory every single time. So it was a great reminder, especially when I was pitching. If I was pitching bad, I just look at my glove and I was like, all right, his power worked best in my weakness.

SPEAKER_01 59:15

And it's and it's so great that his power works, his power works in your weakness. Oh, what a rich verse that one is. So good, so good.

SPEAKER_03 59:24

Yeah, and then it's like, so now I can boast about the Lord. I'm like, you're right, you know, now I can just say it.

SPEAKER_01 59:29

Like, yeah, boom, attention, back to God. Weird how that happens.

SPEAKER_03 59:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 59:34

Oh, so so good, so good. Well, we're gonna love to have you on again. I have one last question for you. Okay, who's your greatest fan?

SPEAKER_03 59:43

My greatest fan. Yeah, my mom, for sure. For sure, which I love her for it. Um, yeah, I would say my mom. My this past season or my senior season, she drove to almost every tournament and every game that we played, whether or if it was in California, she flew, but she didn't miss, I don't think, any series this year for my senior year.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:08

So wow, super fan, super fan. Well, let's pray. We'll we'll say thanks for moms at the same time. Okay. Okay. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for KD and the time that you've been able to give to us uh together today. And Lord, we thank you for the wonderfulness that you have instowed in her life. And Lord, you've given her success in softball, and she knows you, and that is even a greater success. And Lord, we

Final Blessing And Listener Feedback

SPEAKER_01 1:00:33

just pray that she would continue to give you glory, honor, and praise in all that she does. And thank you for moms that support us and love us, no matter how successful we are or aren't. You've blessed us with moms. We thank you most of all for our Savior. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:53

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