Juanita Clayton's catching career started at age eight in Kaleida, a small hamlet south of Manitou. It ended due to chronic back problems at age 27 following the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia where she was a member of Canada's first Olympic softball team. Along the way, she played in two World Youth Tournaments and the 1991 and 1995 Pan Am Games. Locally, she played with Morden Fighting Saints and Classics prior to joining Smitty's senior women's team in 1988. Clayton was a team leader and played an integral role in the team's national medal success through the early 1990s and the team's first Canadian championship in 1995. She also played four years at Utah State where she earned a degree in social work.