Jasmine Williams balances softball stardom and being a mom

Right away, on our Zoom call, I get an idea of what it’s like to be Jasmine Williams.

What it’s like to balance being a married 22-year-old college student, a Division I softball player and, her favorite job, a mom.

I can see 2-year-old Baby Zee squirming in the left corner of the screen and, almost immediately, Williams’ motherly, eyes-behind-her-head awareness — likely something that also helps her on the softball field –recognizes that her kid needs her.

She quickly grabs him and sits him in her lap for the rest of the interview. Not missing a beat.

“Say hi, Baby Zee,” she says.

Even though it was the chaotic Covid year of 2020 and Jas Williams was just 20 years old, she was ready to have a child. She’d always been ready.

“When I found out, it was mixed emotions,” Williams said. “Like, ‘Oh gosh, what’s gonna happen now?’ And then, it was also like, ‘This is kinda exciting.’ My mom was young, it’s not like I didn’t know how to deal with kids.”

The Mission Viejo, Calif., native had helped take care of her youngest brother — who was born when she was 16. She loved kids. She was good with kids. And, although she says she had to deal with some unfair hate online for being pregnant at a young age, she had tremendous support from the University of Oregon — her school and team at the time.

“So I called my coach when I was about five or six weeks pregnant to tell her what was going on,” Williams remembered. “When I called her, she was so supportive. She was like, ‘You’re gonna be the best mom, this is what you’ve always wanted. Being a mom is the greatest thing in the whole world and we’d love to have you back next year.'”

Her husband Zee also was, and always has been, right by her side.

“My husband is my biggest supporter,” Williams said. “If I didn’t have him with me, I wouldn’t be able to play. My life would be so different. Having someone to lean on and someone who genuinely cares about you and wants you to live out your dreams and the stuff you want to do is so important.”

Before becoming pregnant, Williams had always been a star on the softball field.

She was Oregon’s top recruit coming out of high school. The shortstop was First Team All-Pac-12, a Pac-12 All-Freshman and a Pac-12 All-Defensive winner in 2019. She led the team in doubles, extra-base hits and slugging percentage. She continued her clutch hitting as a sophomore and really shined on the defensive end — making just two errors in 52 chances. She was a walk-off hero for the U-19 USA Olympic team.

After learning she was expecting, Williams sat out her junior season, missing about a year and a half of play. Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi continued to keep her involved — including her in team meeting sessions over Zoom and checking in with her on a weekly basis. Still, it was hard for the softball-playing lifer to not be out with her teammates.

“Your life kind of turns upside down,” Williams said. “I’m living one lifestyle and now I’m at home watching all my friends on TV.”

But eventually, after nearly two seasons, she made it back. That first game on Feb. 22, 2022, felt pretty surreal.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” she said. “It made me happy knowing that my son was in the stands and I got to keep playing and be around all of my friends doing what I love. My husband and him got to watch me.”

She had five RBIs in her first post-baby appearance and started in 32 of the Ducks’ 40 games in 2022. And now, whenever she hits home runs — they become something more than just the typical balls that fly over the fence. They’re #MomBombs.

“Mom bombs are awesome,” Williams said, laughing. “It’s cool, rounding the bases, and I can look up and see [Baby Zee]. I feel like it’s a whole different meaning because moms are so strong. They’re way better than regular home runs.”

Williams transferred to UCF for this season and is having another superb year for the 37-19 Knights, hitting .304 with five homers and 26 RBIs. She has one more year of eligibility in 2024 and will spend it at Central Florida.

And if you thought being a Division I athlete, student and mom was a lot to balance, Williams is also a bona fide social media star. She started filming TikTok dances early in 2019 with former Oregon teammate and current pro softball player Haley Cruse Mitchell (wife of Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell). Many of the videos have gone extremely viral, and Williams has kept up engaging with her loyal following — whether it’s posting photos of Baby Zee or just promoting women’s softball.

“People really bought into [the dancing videos],” Williams said. “I feel like it’s brought a lot of exposure to the sport. I feel like everyone’s doing dances now on Tik-Tok and doing their own stuff. I think it really made an impact in our sport and showed that softball is fun and to not take it too seriously. You should enjoy the time with your teammates.”

As for Mother’s Day Weekend, Williams will, of course, be spending it on the softball diamond. UCF is playing in the AAC tournament. They’re on an 11-game winning streak and have won 18 of 19 — including a first-round win over Memphis on Thursday. Jas was a big part of the victory, hitting a huge, go-ahead #MomBomb in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“You can do it,” Williams said, speaking to all the young or older moms out there balancing life and playing sports. “Nothing is impossible. If you really love the sport and love what you do, there’s no reason why people can’t keep playing. Yeah, we’re the ones that have the babies, but guys do it all the time. They have kids. Even in high school or college — nobody looks at them differently. Why is it not the same for us? People look at us so differently once we become moms. I’m the same person, I just have a little mini-me now.”