Whether it’s on or off the court, behind home plate or cheering from the dugout, senior Baylie Wong never fails to showcase her school spirit for Northwood’s tennis and softball programs.
As an athlete for both varsity teams throughout all four years of high school, she has been both a teammate and a team captain. Now, she is committed to Bowdoin College in Maine to continue her journey in softball as a catcher.
Coming from an athletic family, Wong was involved in sports all throughout her childhood. She watched her older sister grow up in the world of softball, and was convinced to pick it up as well.
Wong joined travel ball, a club form of softball, at a young age, and has enjoyed the sport since. She had also been playing tennis on the side for fun, but didn’t get into it competitively until later on.
“I started playing softball when I was 7, and I was mainly in it for the snacks after games,” Wong said. “As for tennis, I used to hit a lot with my grandpa. We would just mess around, but I started taking it seriously when I was in eighth grade and took night lessons.”
Wong is now a team captain for the varsity girls tennis team, and has been for the past two years. She finds that, although it can be difficult to rally spirit amongst her teammates, it is ultimately worth it when everyone approaches each match with a positive attitude.
“She’s really hard working and gives everything 100%,” Wong’s doubles partner sophomore Chloe Lin said. “Her radiant personality also makes everyone on the court smile and we’re all really grateful for her.”
Two years ago, Wong and a friend from tennis brought to life an idea they’d been planning for a while: their dream of creating a tennis camp for special needs kids. In June of 2023, 12 kids arrived at Aliso Niguel High School to take part in Second Serve, a tennis camp run by Wong and other high school volunteers.
“I liked the idea of connecting friendships and social interaction through sports rather than just through competition,” Wong said. “It’s really awesome to know that our kids and their parents like the camp so much that they invite their friends as well.”
Second Serve started out as a four week program for local youth aged 9-18, but now welcomes returners of all ages.
“I find that the most rewarding part is to just listen to these kids,” Wong said. “We’re very lenient with teaching because it’s all about being flexible and doing everything to make them happy. At the end of the day we want them to feel confident and successful.”
Wong has faced many roadblocks in her journey to becoming a multi-sport athlete. Last year, as a student heading into the pressure of junior year, she decided that she needed to re-evaluate her priorities in order to balance both her schoolwork and college recruitment for softball.
Playing in college hadn’t always been on her mind growing up, but as she moved into her high school years, Wong realized that it was something she wanted to pursue.
“I needed to change my priorities when softball became my number one,” Wong said. “I think, if you’re a student athlete, unfortunately you have to sacrifice more things, and because of that I feel like softball has morphed into my identity a bit more. But now, I proudly wear that because I wouldn’t have changed anything from where I am now.”
Wong is also a major advocate for maintaining mental health alongside being an athlete. Although feeling the pressure from living in Irvine and wanting to participate in so many activities has been hard, she has come to understand her limits.
Wong feels that without the people around her that have lifted her up and encouraged her to keep going, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
She said that she is a product of her incredible coaches who have never failed to prioritize her well being and mental health. And for the past 10 years, one of these coaches has doubled as her number one supporter: her dad.
“There was one time that I quit softball because it was getting to be too much for me, and my dad was really supportive of that as well,” Wong said. “I also owe everything to him—he is the best.”
Moving into her final year at Northwood, Wong hopes to have a memorable season of both tennis and softball. She looks forward to training with her teammates and building strong relationships with those around her.
“My goal is to leave Northwood better than I found it,” Wong said. “I think it’s my job to just have fun and take it all in while being an example for the next graduating class. I really appreciate all of the girls who have led the way for me who have since graduated.”
