Olivia and Paula Dumm use their shared love of faith and softball to strengthen their bond
WILLIAMSPORT — Sports teams always like to describe themselves as being a "family" and as welcoming as that environment can be, it is hard to beat the feeling of receiving that love from one's blood relatives. In the case of Westfall junior, Olivia Dumm has gotten the best of both worlds.
In addition to being a part of the close-knit Lady Mustangs' squad, she also has the support of her immediate family who is there to cheer her on at every game, led by their matriarch, Paula Dumm.
Viewed as Westfall's "team mom,"Paula helps to organize team meals, keeps track of statistics and game information, and is a vital source for players who come to her for something as small as a bobby pin or when they need to vent about things going on in their lives
She was also an accomplished athlete in her own right during her time as a Lady Mustang. She played volleyball, basketball, and of course, softball where she played outfield for four years.
Her athletic prowess is what Olivia said inspired her to start playing sports in the first place.
"Growing up, I played all three sports because my mom did and I wanted to be just like her,” Olivia Dumm said. “I eventually just stuck with softball because it was more of my thing. My mom was a great softball player who played all four years in the outfield. I just wanted to continue her tradition.”
After earning first-team All-SVC honors as a sophomore and primed for even more recognition for her performance during her junior season, it looks as though she is carving out a legacy of her own.
Still, even if she were not, Olivia said that she still can hear her family providing their undying support.
“Softball is a very mental sport,” Dumm said. “You can get in your head a lot. But when you come into the dugout and your friends are there to support you it feels good. I can always hear my mom when I am on the field telling me the batter coming up, where she hit it the last time or telling me to breathe whenever I throw a couple of balls. It just means everything to have the support that I do.”
Even in the moments when she cannot hear her mother, their connection can be felt through spiritual means.
During every game, the Dumms each keep a cross on their person as a way to continue to feel connected to one another.
“We are very spiritual people,” Paula Dumm said. “So, sometimes it will be a cross from her great-grandma, which was passed down to her last year. We also have a prayer group at school and our librarian gave me a whole bunch of crosses. So, we have started to just keep the same one in our back pocket.”
With the family's dedication to softball consuming much of their time, it has allowed Olivia and Paula to forge a bond with one another that not many mother-daughter duos get to experience.
While things may look different as Olivia's high school experience draws to its end, Paula said that she has no doubts that her daughter is in good hands.
“I know that I only have another year with her before she is off to college or whatever great adventure that she is going to be on,” Paula Dumm said. “I have seen her strength and how she carries herself in life, in faith, and on the field, and I am excited for her because I know that she is going to live a great life. So, it brings me inner peace, I can’t wait to see what she is able to accomplish. I wish I had her strength and confidence when I was her age.”
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: The Dumms use their faith and love of softball to grow closer
