Kendra Johnson: Green Run Senior Follows a Dream
Kendra Johnson, the slick fielding shortstop for the Green Run Stallions, has been playing competitive softball since she was nine years old. But this multi-sport, Honor Roll student athlete has a busy life that reaches far beyond the foul lines.
The product of a tight-knit family of six and the Virginia Beach public school system, Johnson is one of the captains of the softball team. Her coach, Dale DeSarro, describes her as a strong, dependable player that never gives less than 100 per cent whether at practice or in a game. “I’ve coached Kendra all four years here,” she said, “and her performance continues to amaze me. She excels at all aspects of the game, and is the consummate team player. We don’t call her Special K for nothing.”
DeSarro described the central role Johnson plays on the Green Run squad. “Kendra was late for a game one day last year,” she recounted, “because she was taking a final exam for one of her Advanced Placement courses. I was pretty sure she’d make it by game time, but until I saw her lacing up her spikes, I was on pins and needles. Everybody on the team relaxed when they knew for sure that she would play. She energizes this team.”
Luckily for her teammates, Johnson can’t get enough of the game. “I’d play it for hours on end if I didn’t have other things to do,” she said during an interview. “I love the focus I have on the field, the tension of the game itself, and the teamwork between all the players. Cross Country and Track are fun, but softball is definitely my favorite sport.” Although not yet recruited by a college that she wants to attend, she hopes to continue playing at whatever level is she can.
Her interest in the game began as a youngster when her father, an accomplished athlete in his own right, took her out in the back yard to teach her the basic skills. “He’d hit me grounders, show me how to throw, how to properly swing a bat – all the fundamentals. He was my first real coach.” He attends most games, and is a vocal supporter of all the players. “My teammates all know when Dad is in the stands,” she said, smiling. “We hear him telling us to keep our heads in the game when we’re not sharp. He’s a great influence.”
Asked about her hitting abilities, she described herself as a “slapper”, or a player who can hit the ball to all fields. “I like keeping the other team back on their heels,” she said. “They have to play you more straight up when they don’t know where the ball is going, and that helps the team win games. And I love to steal bases!”
But Johnson doesn’t confine her desire to excel to the ball field. She works equally hard in the classroom. She currently takes five Advanced Placement classes and was elected to the National Honor Society as a sophomore. She’s applied to Virginia Tech, James Madison, and even Harvard, which she describes as her “dream school”. Her coach teaches AP English, and knows that’s she’ll succeed wherever she goes. “She’s a very positive person and a great writer”, she said. “Kendra will be at the top of her class in college.”
Her twin brothers, Aaron and Chris, sophomores at Green Run, are accomplished ballplayers, too. “They’re aggressive”, she said, “and both of them pitch and play the infield. The three of us started playing about the same time, so we’ve grown into the game together.” Her older sister, Anjeanette, is a sophomore at Virginia Tech. “We’re very close,” she said. Anjeanette is the scholar of the group.”
Her only regret is that people have a low estimation of her school. “I wish that people better understood what a great learning environment we have at Green Run. The teachers are very much involved in their students’ progress, and you make friends here so easily that you have a new family two days after you arrive on the campus. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. Come spend some time with us – you’ll see.”
