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This One's for You

Name: This One's for You
Uploaded: 2016-08-25T20:04:08Z
Description: Write your story here. (Optional)

Oklahoma soccer is always playing for something bigger than itself.

By Oklahoma Athletics

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Small paper hearts with names written on them, folded and placed inside socks serve as a constant reminder for each Sooner soccer player while she is on the field, representative of whom or what she is playing for each match.

In each of head coach Matt Potter’s five seasons in Norman, part of the program’s fabric and philosophy has been the focus of playing for others, and a couple of seasons ago, the small heart cutouts were added.

“Part of our philosophy is to give back and to play for something bigger than ourselves,” Potter explains. “In doing so we recognize the importance of representing something far bigger and important than ourselves. One aspect is for the players to prepare for each game using their gamed focus. Within that preparation is the opportunity to dedicate their performance (by taking the heart-whether good or bad) to someone or something near and dear to their heart. In doing so they have the heart in needed moments so they never feel alone.”

The 2016 intro video features a series of photos, submitted by the student-athletes as representation of whom or what they are playing for this season. Many of the Sooners play for multiple people or purposes, including senior midfielder Shiloh Price, who selected a blank tile for OU women’s soccer as her picture for the intro video, and junior defender Madeline Brem.

“I play for this so I can represent my team and university at the highest standards and achieve our goals. I also play to make history with my team and this program,” Price says. “I write on my heart each game, BS for Becky Saliba, who was a cancer fighter and unfortunately lost the battle two years ago. I also put fam because they have always been my biggest supporters and encouragers. Then last but the greatest of all I put Him and He is Jesus who I glorify for giving me this opportunity and for allowing me to be strong in my weakest times!”

“My picture is of the team because ultimately that who I play for and who I think of going into every game, every tackle…that I want to do my best for them,” Brem shares. “Every game we each get a heart and write someone or something that we play for to carry with us on the field in our socks. This year my hearts will say Big 12 because that has been a collective team goal since I have been here as well as one of the goals we set for our team this season. We know if we win the Big 12 Tournament then that means we make the NCAA Tournament and so on. I want nothing more than for our team to do this, as well as for letting the senior class end their college careers on top!”