Softball player Juliana Resong has been on the ball field most of her life, but it was through baseball that she got her start.
“At first I started out with baseball…in kindergarten at (age) five…through fourth grade,” says Resong. “At that point, I got switched over to softball.”
The Cornelia Connelly High School senior plays infield for the Koalas, and primarily first base. As a player with mostly an outfielder background, Resong has worked hard to make the necessary adjustments and loves the action that playing first base provides. Her overall love for the game stems from the balance she sees between the team and the individual.
“The thing I love most about softball is that it’s a team sport, but it’s also very individual,” says Resong. “So you’re building on each other’s talents and gifts, but you’re also showing how you can be your own person and contribute to a team in your own way.”
In reflecting on her final year as a student athlete at Connelly, Resong appreciates how the team aspect of the game has helped her become a better competitor.
“I like representing Connelly because it’s with the same team for several years,” says Resong. “I’ve known these people for several years. We know how each other works. We can mesh well with each other.”
Before the softball season begins, Resong is on the pitch for Connelly as a soccer player, where she finds several crossover skills that help her prepare to take the diamond each spring.
“Soccer helps me prepare for softball because it’s some of the same skills,” says Resong. “You can’t sit back on your heels and wait. You constantly have to be on your toes, ready to go.”
Resong’s competitive nature isn’t limited to athletics, as the 17-year-old competes for Connelly as a part of their Academic Decathlon team. Additionally, she’s a long-time member of the Girl Scouts, where she’s earned both her Bronze and Silver Awards and is working toward her Gold Award.
The Garden Grove resident also serves through lectoring and assists with confirmation programs. Her faith is a big part of how she competes and guides how she handles the tougher side of sports.
“It helps bring me down a notch and remember there are bigger things than this,” says Resong of her faith.
While she’s undecided on her future career path, Resong admits that softball may become more of a recreational outlet as she enters college. But she’s quick to acknowledge the many life lessons the game has taught her.
“Softball has taught me that everybody has different gifts,” says Resong. “And while someone’s might be in one place, someone else’s might be in a completely different place. So you can’t judge one person based on someone else’s gifts. You have to figure out what each person does individually, and make good of what they can do.”