Get to know Sequoyah softball player Olivia Power
CANTON, Ga. — Olivia Power, Class of 2025, is a sophomore at Sequoyah High School and a member of the Varsity softball team coached by Lisa Chapman where she plays 3rd and 1st base. She also plays with a travel team through Georgia Thunderbolts Fastpitch Softball coached by Howie McCormack and assistant coach Sean Yanes. Her goal is to continue playing softball at the college level.
Olivia began playing at the age of five through Twin Creeks on a coach-pitch team. She continued playing at the recreation level for many years and then began with All Stars before moving on to travel ball with Georgia Prime and then Georgia Thunderbolts. She also danced for eleven years before having to choose to focus on softball. As part of her training, she attends weekly hitting lessons with Ryan Carver, owner of Prime Athletic Center in Canton.
Olivia sees her biggest challenge as the mental side of the game, learning to let go of mistakes like a strikeout or a missed catch and move on. She overcomes mistakes by understanding that sports push you to become better by failing and choosing to “flush it” to let it go. Being part of a team has taught her about being there for someone else. She has noticed that when one teammate struggles to move past an error then it spreads quickly, resulting in lower energy for the whole team.
Olivia loves softball because it allows her to do something that she enjoys every day while building friendships with teammates and simultaneously learning life lessons. Before any game, Olivia makes sure that she is well hydrated and has a good night’s sleep. Her pre-game ritual includes doing hair, applying glitter and eyeblack with her teammates.
Coach McCormack always tells them that “work works,” meaning that the more work that they put in then the better their game will become and more opportunities that will present themselves. In her recruiting profile, Coach McCormack says about Olivia, “Pure Joy! As a coach we always use lingo ‘buy-in,’ ‘effort,’ and being a ‘great teammate.’ Olivia aka ‘OP’ exudes every phrase in every facet as a player for our Georgia ThunderBolts 07-McCormack squad. A silent leader that uses her skill to lead while bringing that infectious smile to accompany that unbelievable raw power every time she steps on the field.”
The best advice that Olivia has been given is to stay true to yourself. When she is not playing softball, Olivia enjoys baking and cooking, crafts, playing with her dog and spending time with friends.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
