When Hailey Guerrero boarded a plane to Puerto Rico earlier this summer, the Bellmore native wasn’t sure she was making the right decision.
The 22-year-old Mepham High School graduate had just completed her collegiate softball career at Iona University and was preparing for the next chapter of her life. Then an unexpected opportunity arrived — an invitation to play professional softball in Puerto Rico.
At first, Guerrero wasn’t convinced she should go.
“I literally cried at first,” she said. “I was not going to do it, and everyone I talked to was like, ‘You have to go. You’ll never have this opportunity again.’”
Now, just weeks later, Guerrero is helping lead Juncos, one of Puerto Rico’s top softball clubs, toward the league playoffs while discovering a deeper connection to her Puerto Rican heritage and learning what it means to live independently for the first time.
Guerrero, a former standout at Mepham, has been playeding softball since she was 7 years old. She attended Martin Avenue Elementary School and Grand Avenue Middle School before starring at Mepham, where she helped the Pirates win multiple county championships and establish themselves among Nassau County’s elite programs.
After graduating in 2022, Guerrero began her collegiate career at Stony Brook University before transferring to Iona, where she completed her degree this spring.
Like many college athletes, Guerrero expected her competitive playing career to end after graduation.
“I was supposed to actually stop playing,” she said. “Softball has been my whole life, and I realized how much I would miss it.”
The opportunity to continue playing came through connections she made during her college career. A former teammate who had previously played in Puerto Rico helped put her in contact with league officials, who expressed interest after reviewing her collegiate accomplishments.
Guerrero accepted a six-week contract with Juncos, where she currently plays second base and bats near the top of the lineup.
The adjustment has involved more than learning a new league.
“I think the biggest adjustment for me was the sense of independence,” Guerrero said. “I’ve always had my parents there for me. This is the first time I’ve really been on my own.”
Guerrero is the youngest of four children and had never lived outside New York before moving to Puerto Rico for the season.
The experience, she said, has helped her grow both as an athlete and as a person.
“I’m able to find myself kind of transitioning outside of softball,” she said. “As grateful as I am for playing softball, I’m also able to find myself.”
Her father, Alfonso Guerrero, said the opportunity exceeded anything the family expected when Haley first began playing youth softball in Bellmore.
“We didn’t know this opportunity would ever be presented,” he said. “That’s why it’s more amazing that it did happen.”
The experience has also given Guerrero an opportunity to connect more deeply with her Puerto Rican heritage. While she visited the island growing up, she said living there has provided a new perspective.
“My whole dad’s side is basically Puerto Rican,” Guerrero said. “I’ve never really experienced the atmosphere here, and I just feel like I’m able to find another part of myself being out here.”
Several relatives who live in Puerto Rico have attended her games, including family members who had never seen her play in person before.
Guerrero said the experience has taken on even greater meaning following the recent loss of a family member and memories of her Puerto Rican grandmother, who died several years ago.
“Just them seeing me play is honestly my motivation,” she said.
On the field, Guerrero’s team currently sits atop the league standings and is preparing for the postseason, which begins next month.
While she plans to return to school to pursue a master’s degree at Adelphi University, Guerrero said she remains open to extending her professional career if additional opportunities arise.
“If the opportunity presents itself, I would totally consider it,” she said.
For now, however, her focus remains on enjoying every moment.
“My goal is to have fun and remember my why,” Guerrero said. “It’s for my family and for myself.”
Looking back on her journey from Bellmore Little League to professional softball, Guerrero hopes young athletes learn to trust themselves and continue pursuing their goals.
“I’ve had so many coaches tell me that I shouldn’t be playing, or I can’t do this, or I can’t but at the end of the day, you know yourself and know the work that you put in.”
