When thinking of professional athletes in Bonita vista high (BVH), they often seem out of reach or distant. Softball athlete and sophomore Aryanna Salazar is a representation that these athletes are just normal people with extraordinary drive and talent. While being a part of the southern California and BVH community, Salazar is also an active part of the school’s softball team playing center and right field, while also participating in higher level classes at BVH.
Outside of BVH, Salazar is an active member of the travel softball club Corona Angels as well as the Mexico National team. Salazar recently traveled to Columbia with the Mexican national team to qualify for the world cup in Brazil.
“It’s really nice they [the Mexican national team] cover all our expenses when we travel. Our airfare, hotels, food and other expenses are all covered. That also allows us to travel with the team completely independent from our parents which is an interesting experience,” Salazar said.
To get to where she is now, Salazar has put in a great deal of work throughout her life. Someone who has inspired her to pursue her sport the way she has is her older brother, Jesus Salazar, who is currently playing professional soccer in Asia. Throughout their lives, A. Salazar’s brother has always been very supportive of her participation and success in the sport alongside her parents.
“My brother definitely knows the most about my experience playing softball and what I’ve done to grow as a player. He has been there through my entire life supporting me,” J. Salazar said.
Salazar similarly shares admiration for his sister. He explains that despite her being the younger of the two, he has always admired her drive and determination from the young age that she started playing sports.
“She was alway willing to grow not only as a player, but also as a person. Now with her playing for the Mexico national team and representing the country, it’s just such an amazing testament to the massive amount of work she’s been putting in for years,” J. Salazar said.
Salazar’s coach for the Mexico national team, Carlos Caro, also holds admiration for Salazar and her hard work. He comments on how difficult it is to attain a spot on this team, let alone maintain it. Caro also acknowledges the large part that A. Salazar’s maturity plays into her success as a player and a person.
“A. Salazar is a phenomenal player on the field and off the field. On the field she’s dedicated and focused on the game at hand while also being able to remain a good sport, which is difficult to do. One of the things that really set her apart from the others trying out was her phenomenal sportsmanship and all around great attitude,” Caro said.
Salazar also explains how she views traveling and playing on the national team as a great opportunity to develop connections and friendship. She explains that these girls all play for separate clubs, some in Mexico, some in the United States and they only assemble for games and tournaments. The time she is given with the team when they’re together, A. Salazar spends building connections with her teammates.
“I love meeting new people because of softball. When we travel, it gives me the opportunity to connect with not just my teammates but also people from other teams. Since we’re traveling internationally, I’m able to meet people from all across the globe with so many different experiences,” A. Salazar said.
Her brother also acknowledges that her outgoing and joyful personality is perfectly fit for her to have a great experience on these trips. However, he also acknowledges another aspect of her personality that she left out–how humble she is. There were a few accomplishments on her resume that A. Salazar failed to mention.
“She just made the first team for the nation wide Panamerican games. She earned the top spot for the number one left fielder in the entire tournament, and also finished in the top three batting averages. My parents and I are so proud of her.” said J. Salazar.
Caro also mentioned how her accomplishments as a player are well deserved and mirror the hard work she puts in both in practice and in game settings. He notes how her hard work translates from practices to games and how her dedication to the sport makes her stand out on the field.
“While most kids work hard in practice, oftentimes what’s learned and improved on doesn’t translate well to games and is a barrier many of them have to overcome. For A. Salazar what’s learned in practice always reflects well in games which makes her very coachable and easy to work with,” Caro said.
Salazar explains that her dedication to the sport has paid off really well and that she is very honored to represent Mexico as part of their team. She also reflects on her future with the sport and explains that her education is her priority.
“I’m already talking to some colleges to attend and play softball at. But I don’t want to go to a school just for softball. I want a good education.” Salazar said. “My dream is to become a nurse and the schools I am talking to right now, especially Fullerton, have amazing nursing programs and good softball programs. It’s kinda the best of both worlds and I’m looking forward to pursuing my future in both my sport and my dream career past high school.”
