Julianna Verni is a senior at Nardin Academy High school and is committed to Purdue in the fall, she displays excellent skills both on and off the field as her softball career wasn’t a straight one, but she made it work. In her first year of high school, she fractured her back while playing and had to sit out for the remainder of the season, this prompted her to take a new approach to softball and her work carried with her for the next 3 years.
Taking a new approach
In February of 2019, Julianna fractured her back by taking a wrong step in the circle of an indoor softball game. She recovered and since then she has learned a valuable lesson in mechanics and body movement when it comes to softball. She has taken an interest in Kinesiology and kinesthetic awareness, improving and evolving her style of play.
“I really like being able to like strategize and attack the batter so I keep a notebook with me at all times and I constantly take notes about what I could be improving on, what I did well, and certain pitch sequences.” Julianna states as she talked about how she sees what it’s being a pitcher for her and what she likes most about pitching.
There is no doubt that pitching is a passion for her, as she throws a rise ball, drop ball, 2-seam, and a fastball. Her favorite is her rise ball, but she meticulously uses each groove to her advantage, continuously preventing trouble on the base paths. She credits social media for her recruitment, staying in constant contact with coaches.
It’s not just softball
Julianna had already talked about incorporating kinesiology and the importance of body movement when it comes to softball. But she also has a passion for academics and giving back to her community. She’s a member of the National Honor Society and academics was another key role in her commitment to Purdue as she looks to major in kinesiology while attending.
“One of the main things before committing was I want to go to as high of an academic institution I can with as high athletics as I could.” Julianna says as she has been in communication with her academic advisors from the beginning and she saw Purdue as the best opportunity for her. While academics and softball play key roles in her life, she also makes time for others within her community.
Required to do a certain amount of hours for community service for high school, Julianna went above and beyond that as she set up a volunteer service with her softball team through Response to Love center which is a nonprofit organization in her hometown. They helped provide Thanksgiving dinners to those in need as she states, “It was a really good team bonding thing like we were able to get closer with each other. But it was also instilling in them like you know the importance of going out and doing things you know, for others, not just yourself.”
Julianna Verni has showed that while she’s a pitcher in the circle, she’s more than that as she branches off of so many different interests. They all come back to reward her in some different ways as they all relate to her love for the game whether its giving back, studying kinesiology, or just being a great teammate.