Jesus Ledezma
Last year, Berkeley High School senior Jesus Ledezma and the BHS soccer team were crowned North Coast Section champions after one of their record breaking seasons. Racking up two goals and a pair of assists last year across only seven games, Ledezma is primed for an exciting season this coming winter, where he expects to see lots of action. Still, what Ledezma loves most about the sport isn’t his team’s success or the thrill of scoring big goals.
“It’s been the community — the support from teammates and the bonds and relationships I’ve built with them,” Ledezma said, “It’s incredibly rewarding to compete in a harsh environment with people that you know you can rely on and who will support you.”
Ledezma is one of the only Latinx players on the team, yet to him it doesn’t feel that way. “We’re all supportive,” he said, “Even if we’re all not the same ethnicity.” This inclusive mentality, Ledezma explained, has been a vital part of the team’s success, and will look to be carried over in the future.
Arielle Henriquez
Arielle Henriquez’s softball journey began at five years old, when she was determined to rival and surpass her older brother in his baseball career. Now a BHS junior, that competitive drive has continued throughout her softball career. Through long commutes to softball tournaments and out of state competitions, Henriquez’s parents have supported her softball journey by traveling alongside her. That support has also been matched by the relationships she has built with her teammates, who she considers a second family; becoming especially important when she suffered a labral tear and had to undergo physical therapy.
Henriquez is half Salvadoran and half Nicaraguan and credits her culture with influencing how she builds relationships with teammates. “I feel like a lot of Hispanics, especially my family, are really close, and that means a lot to me, so I really try to get close with my teammates,” Henriquez said.
After winning a national championship last year, Henriquez hopes to continue her softball journey at a Division 1 level in her future.
Mason Mino
Introduced to baseball by his parents at just three years old, BHS junior Mason Mino quickly developed a love for the sport. Playing middle infield and catcher, baseball has become more than just a competitive outlet for him; the sport has provided him opportunities to grow in other aspects of his life. Mino’s family has played an important role in his baseball career. His dad, who is a longtime San Francisco Giants fan, and his older brother, who has been involved with baseball throughout his life, have both coached Mino through his journey.
Mino is half Ecuadorian American and half Japanese American. Although he does not think much about his background while playing, his heritage is an important part of his life off the field and he takes pride in the opportunities it has given him.
Baseball has also taught Mino resilience. “Hitting the ball good like a third of the time is really good, and so it’s really hard on the mental side of playing it but when you’re doing good it’s really fun,” Mino said, “Failures are bound to happen and mistakes are bound to happen.”