Julia Dumais (Softball, Princeton University) grew up in Buffalo. HelloNation asks student athletes one question about the place that raised them and records the answer on camera. This is Julia Dumais’s, in full.
The question
Tell us about a teacher or mentor from high school who challenged you the most or inspired you in a way that still shapes who you are today. Who are they, and what lesson from them do you carry into your life now?
The answer, as recorded
Transcript. What follows is a transcript of the video above, in Julia Dumais’s own words. It has not been rewritten, and no part of it was drafted for them.
Hi, my name is Julia Dumais and I play softball at Princeton University. And the mentor who has had the biggest impact on my life is my travel softball coach, Craig Leoni. He coached me from the time I was 12 years old until I graduated high school. And even today, I still consider him the best coach I've ever had. What made Craig different wasn't just how much he knew about softball. It was the way he cared about each and every one of his players. You know, in a sport that can be so focused on winning, rankings, and stats, Craig never lost sight of what mattered most. He reminded us to keep the game simple, trust ourselves, be great teammates, and most importantly, have fun. And one moment that has always stuck with me happened the summer after my sophomore year at Princeton. I had caught every single game that season, so I hadn't played the infield since freshman year when I was playing third base. You know, my college coach, she reached out to me and she told me she wanted me to move to shortstop for my junior season. Honestly, I was a little bit nervous, but I was all for it because, you know, I'm just trying to help my team. And I remember telling Craig about this scenario and what my coach wanted me to do. And it was during, you know, our first game, first tournament of the summer. And he looked at me and said, Julia, remember what I always say, you're an athlete. You know, and I know you can be all Ivy at any position you're at. You know what, we're going to put you at shortstop, you know, for the rest of the summer, starting today. And I was, you know, a bit surprised and a little nervous to just jump right into it. But, you know, that's just Craig, you know, it wasn't a long speech or some elaborate practice plan. He simply believed in me before I fully believed in myself. So from that moment on, he made sure I played shortstop all summer long so I'd be ready for when I went back to school. And that's just how he was. He was always thinking about what would help his players succeed, even if it meant sacrificing what was easiest for the team in the moment. And when I got back to Princeton, I was ready. I started shortstop, eventually became an all Ivy League player there for two years in a row. And throughout my career, I started at three different positions and earned all Ivy League honors at each of them. Third base, catching, shortstop. And I truly believe that confidence and versatility started with Craig. He taught me not to define myself by one position, but by my willingness to do whatever my team needed. And that was the biggest lesson Craig taught me, is that the best coaches don't just make you better player. They make you believe you're capable of more than you ever imagined. And that confidence has stayed with me throughout my whole entire career. And it's still something I carry with me long after I'm done playing softball, you know, just in everyday life. And I'm so thankful for Craig and all the stuff that he has inspired me in.
Recorded by HelloNation as part of its athlete voices program and published by Hello Newswire, HelloNation’s good news newswire. The words are the speaker’s own.
Reported by Hello Newswire.