Determined to give their daughter the chance to find something she would enjoy, Alex Casanas’s parents signed her up for a variety of youth sports when she was young, from volleyball, to swimming, to basketball and golf.
But it was on the softball diamond where the Rosary High School senior found her fit.
“I was always more into softball,” says Casanas. “As I got older, I started to realize that this is something that I wanted to see myself playing for a long time. I fell in love with the sport.”
ARVE Error: need id and providerHaving played softball for many years, Casanas has tried every position there is. But where she feels the most at home is on the pitcher’s mound.
“I think the reason why I wanted to be a pitcher is because I feel like I can give the most in that position because you’re always in the game,” says Casanas. “I feel like I have some type of control on the outcome of the game. I feel like I can really make a difference.”
Casanas credits her uncle with helping her develop her pitching skills. He would spend many hours with her after school practicing with her in their front yard. That dedication from her uncle, along with her parents’ commitment to support her in every aspect of the sport, has brought Casanas the level of success she’s been able to experience. As a junior, Casanas was named first team All-Trinity League, with a .352 batting average and a 1.43 ERA for the Royals.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them,” says Casanas.
Competing in her final year at Rosary, Casanas hopes to make it “the best year there is” by contributing in every way possible to bring her team success. Rosary’s head softball coach, Tom Tice, has no doubt that this year is another chance for Casanas to put her abilities on display.
“Alex is a quintessential Rosary girl: tough, smart and talented,” says Tice. “She has had a wonderful softball career at Rosary, and we have high hopes that her senior season again showcases her pitching and hitting talents.”
The La Mirada resident will be taking those talents east in the fall, where she will play softball and study criminology for Central Connecticut State University, with future hopes of working for the FBI.
In a game that sees more failure than success, the 18-year old has learned some key life skills from softball, including how to manage the inherent disappointment that comes with playing such a competitive sport.
“With softball…it’s realizing that it’s okay to fail…and it will make you better overall as a player,” says Casanas. “A lot of the outcomes aren’t really what you hoped for, and the journey is not going to be easy, just like in life.”