Brown sparkles in all seasons

To excel in one sport is a task some athletes never accomplish.

To be outstanding in two sports, obviously, is even more difficult.

To shine in three is nearly impossible, except in the case of Johnna Brown.

The Centennial junior is on her way to a potential third all-league selection this year as a standout in volleyball, basketball and softball.

It's not bad for someone who started out playing sports as a way to keep up with her older brother.

"When I was little, I would always just run around with him," Brown said. "He started playing baseball, and I just started playing with him. I would just go from one sport to another."

Multiple-sport athletes aren't common among the larger schools in Southern Nevada. Three-sport athletes can almost be counted on one hand at each school.

"You don't see that at larger schools," Centennial girls basketball coach Karen Weitz said. "Johnna is truly just a natural athlete. She could probably go out and play lacrosse or flag football if she wanted to."

The 6-foot Brown is the cleanup hitter, shortstop and a returning all-state player on the Bulldogs' softball team, an all-state performer as a starting forward and excellent ball-handler on the basketball team and a starting outside hitter on the volleyball team.

"She pulls it off and makes it look easy," softball coach Mike Livreri said. "She seems to be refreshed from sport to sport. She comes out with a fresh enthusiasm for the game."

With nearly every sport being year-round between high school teams and travel or club teams, many athletes dedicate themselves to, or in some cases are pressured to choose, one sport.

"When I was little, my mom was telling me to do all three sports so I would always have a choice," Brown said. "It's good. The people you hang around with, the players, the fans, the coaches are different in each sport."

Choices are exactly what Brown has.

College coaches in all three sports have contacted Brown and her high school coaches expressing an interest in having her join their team after she graduates.

"She can play all three sports at the college level," Weitz said.

And not just the college level. All three of her coaches think she could play at the Division I level in each sport.

"She could go play there now," volleyball coach Shannon Alia said. "She has an amazing inner drive. She's competitive. I just love watching her play any sport."

The tough part is picking which one.

Brown said she enjoys each sport equally. She plays travel basketball in the summer and tries to squeeze in softball and volleyball when time permits, often participating in multiple sports in one day.

"I've been used to it since I was little because I was always doing something," said Brown, whose father, Larry, played for the Las Vegas Stars in the 1980s. "Spring break killed me because I was so bored before the (softball) tournament we played in."

To play at the Division I level, though, Brown probably will have to choose one sport to focus on.

It almost seems as if she can't make a bad choice.

"I'm going to play sports. I'm not sure which one I'm going to play yet," she said. "This will be the most important summer for me, just thinking about and deciding what I want to do."