同城快约

While Olivia helped bring glory to God in Costa Rica, her time there also brought about growth in her own life, as she came to Christ while living there.

鈥淚 was about 14 years old at church camp,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 think that was also a humbling experience for me. People expect as a missionary kid, you鈥檙e supposed to have it all together, but I found the Lord when I was on the mission field with my parents. My whole story is root颅ed in Costa Rica.鈥�

And that story also includes her basketball career. Though she took to the mission work quickly, her dominance on the court took slightly longer to develop. In fact, it was in Costa Rica that Olivia began playing basketball competitively, though it was something she鈥檇 grown up around; her father had coached for many years at the high school level in Florida, and also coached the national teams in Costa Rica upon the family鈥檚 arrival.

鈥淥livia really didn鈥檛 play much basketball in her elementary years,鈥� her father, Eric, said. 鈥淲hen she got here, that鈥檚 when she really started. She鈥檇 always been athletic and fast, I knew she was going to be ok. But she didn鈥檛 have the fire really, until maybe 15 or 16."

Standing at around 5鈥�10鈥�, Olivia started seeing some success and began considering playing in college.

However, that success did not come quickly, even with her height.

With her personality, her dad said she didn鈥檛 want to 鈥渞ock the boat鈥� and wanted to ease her way into it. For the first six months, she took maybe one shot a game. By the time she got comfortable with the U15 team she was on, they wanted her to play First Division, the highest level in Costa Rica, and she had to grow in her confidence once again. On her team as a 15-year-old, the roster included women in their 20s and 30s, and the level of play was much more aggressive than in the states. But the talent level was much lower.

鈥淚t taught me to get up and play. I couldn鈥檛 be scared, because they weren鈥檛 going to hold back,鈥� she said.

When she moved back to the states as a junior in high school, Olivia was used to the rougher play in Costa Rica and averaged about four fouls a game.

鈥淚 had to learn to hold back and stay a little more composed,鈥� she said.

That aggressive play, however, has helped Olivia at 同城快约, as she has established herself as a player who will do whatever it takes to retain possession, get a rebound, or create a turnover.

She came back to the U.S. for her final two years of high school, living with her aunt and uncle, with the goal of being recruited to play at the college level. She found her perfect fit in 同城快约, a school that did not even have her on its radar until she reached out to the coaching staff.

鈥淚 really just wanted to go to a school with a Christian atmosphere and wanted to go to something small as well,鈥� Olivia said of her decision to play at 同城快约. 鈥淚鈥檇 never been to Texas until I came on my visit here in Novem颅ber of my senior year, but the moment I stepped on campus, I was like, 鈥楾his feels like home.鈥欌��

Coming into this season, something the Lord placed on her heart was to, 鈥淕o in there and have fun, be a pos颅itive influence, and a positive light,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel the Lord has put me here to be that positive influence on the team and cultivate relationships.鈥�

While it has been four years since she last lived in Costa Rica, the im颅pact of the seven years she spent in the country is everlasting. And she is reminded of that every time the words, 鈥淥livia Champion from San Jose, Costa Rica鈥� blare throughout the arena as starting lineups are announced.

鈥淧eople ask me, why do you list Costa Rica as your hometown?鈥� Olivia said. 鈥淗onestly, that is where I became Olivia Champion.鈥�