By Ken Hansard
Olivia Parra, a senior outfielder for the Derby Panthers, was recognized by the league’s coaches last season for her contributions and was awarded First-Team All-AVCTL (Division I) as a Designated Player. An untimely injury prevented Parra from playing with the Panthers at state as a junior. Now, as a senior, she simply wants to get back the state tourney and perform on that stage, “I’m excited about every game, but I’m especially looking forward to state softball at WSU, and God willing, no injuries.”
Olivia is no stranger to overcoming challenges, a fact that should bode well for her team this spring. After starting her competitive career in gymnastics, Parra is a latecomer to softball – which is something she has turned into a positive, “Having started softball later than everybody else, I have worked every opportunity I can to catch up. I would say that it has paid off. I fell in love with softball. This sport is about mistakes and how you bounce back from them.”
As a senior, Parra wants to use her experience and her love of the game to leave behind a legacy and help pass on the Panther culture to her younger teammates, “I’m looking forward to playing and building a strong atmosphere with my team. I want to win a lot and have fun with the other girls. I want to show out this season by making the most of every opportunity that comes our way.”
Parra has earmarked a couple areas where she can help bolster the Panthers’ chances this season. First, she worked hard in the offseason to improve her game, both physically and mentally, “I specifically worked on consistency. When I’m in the batting cage, it’s not about hitting home runs; it’s about barreling up the ball time and time again. It’s about being able to make a correction when things are not feeling right to get back into that consistent state and let muscle memory do its job while remaining composed and confident in my ability.”
Parra also wants to be someone the team can rely on every day as a leader, “I see my role as an offensive leader. My role on this team is to advance and score runners. My goal is to show up and be composed in pressure situations and produce for my team to my fullest potential. I aim to truly lead my team as a teammate and as a hitter.”
After graduation, Olivia currently plans to attend Dodge City Community College to play softball and complete her associate’s degree. She would eventually like to play at a university and study aviation.
