On NGWSD, Former College Softball Stars Thank Women Coaches

By Kayla Lombardo
on February 5, 2020

For Wednesday's National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Softball America asked three former college softball stars—Washington's Danielle Lawrie-Locke, Oklahoma's Lauren Chamberlain and LSU's A.J. Andrews—to tell us about the women coaches who helped shape their lives both on and off the field.

Here's what they had to say.

Danielle Lawrie-Locke on Washington's Heather Tarr

"I’m forever grateful to Coach Tarr for giving me the opportunity to play at and represent one of the best universities on Earth. The love and respect that I have for H.T. is out of this world. She brought a small-town Canadian girl into her program, and taught me the tricks of the trade. She loved me from the get-go, respected me, held me to a higher standard and always made me feel like I could conquer absolutely anything. I hope one day my kids get the opportunity to play for someone like H.T. Someone that believes in you so deeply, that you will always go all out for her, even to this day. I'm so very thankful for the player-coach relationship we had, but most importantly, our friendship to this day."

Danielle Lawrie-Locke (Photo by J.P. Wilson/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Lauren Chamberlain on Oklahoma's Patty Gasso

"Coach Gasso was and still is an incredible force in my life. She changed the way I felt about myself, and helped me establish my standard. She displayed greatness on the daily, and equipped me to find my own. At times she knew me better than I knew myself, and her attention to the small details in my life helped her coach me at a level that made a lasting impact and really shifted my life."

Lauren Chamberlain (Photo by Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

A.J. Andrews on LSU's Beth Torina

"Coach Torina always challenged me to be the best. She challenged me to never settle for good enough and challenged me to discover and uncover my best self on and off the field. I have always been someone who has strived to be better, but Coach Torina challenged and made me believe I could be the best. I'm forever grateful for her and how she saw my potential and never stopped challenging me until I stepped into my greatness."