SBCC Director of Athletics Rocco Constantino announced that Justine Bosio has resigned as Head Softball Coach after three seasons. A search for a new coach will begin immediately.
"We're really sad to hear Justine has resigned, but I support her decision without question,' said Constantino. "Justine was one of our best coaches and her student-athletes were lucky to have her as a coach. She had her priorities straight; she always put academics and student development first and she was an outstanding mentor for her students."
Bosio, who was a star on the high school level for Dos Pueblos High School, had been with the Vaqueros since 2015, serving as an assistant before taking over as head coach in 2017. She played collegiately at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
"I would like to thank Rocco for the opportunity to coach at City College," said Bosio. "Coaching at the college level was something that I had always dreamed of doing. Being able to coach in my hometown, and bring athletes to our wonderful college and help them grow into strong young women has been a joy these past few years. Our incoming group of freshmen athletes, along with our returning sophomores, was going to be a force to be reckoned with and I was sad to have to step away."
Bosio was just the third head coach in program history and served as an assistant under Paula Congleton, who remains the longest tenured Vaquero softball coach.
Constantino cited Bosio's knowledge of the sport, ablity to connect with her studnets and reliability around the Athletics Department as her strengths as a coach.
"It's rare for a young coach to come in and grasp the administrative side of coaching so quickly, but Justine was just so great at that," said Constantino. "Anything my staff or I asked of her as a coach or instructor, she did it. Anytime we needed reliable help on a project or situation, Justine was one of the first people I went to. Her students always represented her program and the college well and that says a lot about the respect they have for her as a coach. I really can't say enough good things about the job she did here."
The Vaqueros won 29 games in three seasons under Bosio, with the team only able to complete 16 games this year after the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 shutdown.
Prior to her coaching career, Bosio was a standout pitcher and hitter on the high school and collegiate level. She had a spectacular career at Dos Pueblos High, earning Channel League MVP, County Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-CIF honors as a senior. She was a California Scholarship Federation National Honors Society Scholar-Athlete. Also played varsity basketball.
Justine received a softball scholarship to Colorado State University-Pueblo. During her time at CSU-Pueblo, she pitched all four years and compiled an overall record of 57-31. Justine received All-American honors in 2010, hitting .353 with 9 homers and going 20-10 in the circle with a 2.87 ERA. She ended her career as the all-time leader in homers (39) and RBIs (186).
While at SBCC, her team was active in community service and at campus events. In addition, she served as a panelist at the 2019 National Girls and Women in Sports Luncheon held by the Santa Barbara Athletics Round Table.
"I will always be grateful for the support Justine gave me at SBCC and I wish her nothing but the best going forward," said Constantino. "I understand that at times people have to make the best decisions for themselves, but I would really like to see Justine return to coaching one day. I just believe she has so much to give to the sport of softball and anyone she is able to coach."
"I really enjoyed my time at CC and wish it could have been longer," said Bosio. "But 2020 has impacted all of us in different ways, and sometimes hard decisions have to be made during specific seasons of life. I do hope my coaching career is not over and I would love to be able to step between the lines again one day."
