An athlete’s number isn’t just a way to organize their stats; it’s often a reflection of who they are.

This is the case for CMU Women’s Soccer player Sarah Dunn.

Dunn has a deeper familial connection to the number that she wears, which is the same number that she’s worn for the majority of her collegiate athletic career.
     “Before I started playing at CMU, I never had a set number that was my favorite. I was number 20 throughout club soccer, because that was my mom’s old basketball number,” Dunn said.

Dunn explained that once she got to CMU, there were limited choices for the jersey numbers, since the freshmen got last dibs on them.

She ended up taking the number 29, but it still didn’t represent her in the way that she had hoped it would.

Things changed once her sophomore year rolled around, allowing her to change her number to something that she felt suited her better.

The number 19 holds significance to Dunn and her family through her father, Albert Dunn.

Albert played soccer for the Beech High School Buccaneers, in Hendersonville, TN. In 1985, Albert and a group of his peers created one of the school’s first soccer teams with the help of their English teacher, Marilyn Moore, who eventually became their coach.

From 1985 to 1987, Albert played as the team’s defensive mid and fullback, all while proudly wearing the number 19.

Albert Dunn was playing a sport that was widely under-recognized in the US at the time, in an area where American football reigned supreme.

This group of young athletes were the first in their town to make way for the sport as accidental trailblazers for the sport of soccer within their small, southern community.

“When I got the chance to wear my dad’s number, it just felt right. Number 19 has turned out to be very special to me, not only because I have been successful while wearing it, but also because I feel like I am representing him when I play,” Dunn said.

When Dunn’s father learned that she was wearing his old soccer number, he was ecstatic.

“I thought, ‘Finally, one of my daughters has decided to pick my number and not their mother’s!’ I was both proud and excited, and became more excited as her seasons went on. She’s been playing outstanding,” said Albert.

For Dunn, this number is a representation of the person, their heritage and the athlete they aspire to be.