Veteran USA softball pitcher fought through tears after gold medal loss to deliver an inspiring message to young fans

• Team USA lost to Japan in the gold medal game in softball on Tuesday morning.
• Cat Osterman fought through tears during her post-game interview to deliver an inspiring message.
• Osterman said before the year that she planned to retire after the Olympics.

Team USA lost to Japan early Tuesday morning in the gold medal softball game at the Summer Olympics.

Despite a few late threats from the Americans, the host nation held on to a 2-0 lead thanks to a stunning defensive play and took home the gold.

On the field after the loss, veteran pitcher Cat Osterman was overcome by the emotion of the moment but gathered herself to deliver an inspiring message.

"The biggest thing is, you're not going to win every game," Osterman said when asked what she'd like the young fans watching at home to take away from her career. "You're not going to win every pitch. You're not going to win every at-bat. You have to figure out how you're going to bounce back from it or how you're just going to move forward with it.

"Tell the little girls to keep dreaming the dream."

-On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 27, 2021

Osterman, 38, said before the season that this would be her last Olympics with Team USA. She had a storied career for her country, winning Olympic gold in 2004 and a silver in 2008, and was a three-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year at the University of Texas.

Osterman isn't entirely done playing softball yet. While her Team USA career is over, Osterman plans to compete with Athletes Unlimited later in the year.

Even though she couldn't take home gold in her final Olympic outing, Osterman still has plenty to be proud of in her historic Olympic career.